Method and apparatus for operating in a wireless local area network based on information from a wireless wide area network

• US 8,228,865 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khandelwal, Deepak, Gil, Amit, Cooper, Rotem
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jae Y
• Application Number:
  US11/400,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20070237121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 370/330, 370/431
• US Class Current: 370/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques to efficiently search for a WLAN are described. A terminal receives country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN), which may be a cellular network or a broadcast network. This country information may be a Mobile Country Code (MCC) that is broadcast by the WWAN. The MCC identifies the country in which the WWAN is deployed. The terminal then performs active scan for a WLAN based on the country information received from the WWAN. For the active scan, the terminal determines a frequency channel and a transmit power level based on the country information. The terminal then transmits a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level determined based on the country information. The terminal may perform passive scan and/or active scan in accordance with a scan setting.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine country information based on a geographic position estimate or receive the country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) in order to bypass performing a passive scan in a wireless local area network (WLAN);

determine a first parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN based on the country information;

determine a second parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information;

control operation of the apparatus in the WLAN based on the first parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN;

control operation of the apparatus in the WPAN based on the second parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WPAN;

a scan setting selector configured to select one of a passive scan setting, an active scan setting and an auto scan setting; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform an active scan for the WLAN based on the country information when the active scan setting is selected.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level for the WLAN determined based on the country information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the active scan without performing a passive scan if the country information is available.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform a passive scan for the passive scan setting, and to perform the active scan without performing the passive scan for the auto scan setting if the country information is available.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the country information is based on a Mobile Country Code (MCC) received from the WWAN.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the WWAN is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a Sync Channel Message, a System Parameters Message, or an Extended System Parameters Message from the CDMA network, and to extract the MCC from the received Sync Channel message.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the WWAN is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a System Information Type 3 message from the GSM network, and to extract the MCC from the received System Information Type 3 message.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the WWAN is a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) network, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a System Information message from the UMTS network, and to extract the MCC from the received System Information message.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the WWAN is a broadcast network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain via the WWAN a position estimate for the apparatus, and to obtain the country information based on the position estimate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a frequency range of operation for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the country information based on a position estimate for the apparatus obtained via the WWAN.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the country information is determined based on the geographic position estimate, wherein the geographic position estimate is determined based on measurements obtained via at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS), Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (A-FLT), Uplink Time of Arrival (U-TOA), Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), and Cell-ID.

14. A method comprising:

determining country information based on a geographic position estimate or based on receiving the country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) in order to bypass performing a passive scan in a wireless local area network (WLAN);

determining a first parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN based on the country information;

determining a second parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information;

controlling operation of a terminal in the WLAN based on the first parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN;

controlling operation of the terminal in the WPAN based on the second parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WPAN;

selecting one of a passive scan setting, an active scan setting and an auto scan setting; and

performing an active scan for the WLAN based on the country information when the active scan setting is selected.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the country information comprises receiving a Mobile Country Code (MCC) from the WWAN.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level for the WLAN determined based on the country information.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the performing the active scan for the WLAN comprises performing the active scan without performing a passive scan if the country information is available when the auto scan setting is selected.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling the operation of the terminal further comprises determining a frequency range of operation for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the country information is based on a position estimate for the apparatus obtained via the WWAN.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the country information is determined based on the geographic position estimate, wherein the geographic position estimate is determined based on measurements obtained via at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS), Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (A-FLT), Uplink Time of Arrival (U-TOA), Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), and Cell-ID.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for;

determining country information based on a geographic position estimate or the country information received from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) in order to bypass performing a passive scan in a wireless local area network (WLAN);

determining a first parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN based on the country information;

determining a second parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information;

controlling operation of the apparatus in the WLAN based on the first parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN;

controlling operation of the apparatus in the WPAN based on the second parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WPAN;

selecting one of a passive scan setting, an active scan setting and an auto scan setting;

performing an active scan for the WLAN based on the country information when the active scan setting is selected; and

means for storing the country information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for receiving a Mobile Country Code (MCC) from the WWAN.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for transmitting a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level for the WLAN determined based on the country information.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the active scan is performed without performing a passive scan if the country information is available when the auto scan setting is selected.

25. A memory having computer executable codes stored thereon the memory comprising:

a first set of codes for causing a processor to determine country information based on geographic position estimate or to receive the country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) in order to bypass performing a passive scan in a wireless local area network (WLAN);

a second set of codes for causing the processor to determine a first parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN based on the country information;

a third set of codes for causing the processor to determine a second parameter set of a frequency channel, a transmit power level, and a frequency hopping pattern for a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information;

a fourth set of codes for causing the processor to control operation of a terminal in the WLAN based on the first parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN;

a fifth set of codes for causing the processor to control operation of the terminal in the WPAN based on the second parameter set of the frequency channel, the transmit power level, and the frequency hopping pattern for the WPAN;

a sixth set of codes for causing the processor to select one of a passive scan setting, an active scan setting and an auto scan setting; and

a seventh set of codes for causing the processor to perform an active scan for the WLAN based on the country information when the active scan setting is selected.

26. The memory of claim 25, wherein the country information is based on a Mobile Country Code (MCC) received from the WWAN.