Enhanced wireless access point communications while traveling

• US 8,244,274 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grigsby, Travis M., Peters, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US12/050,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20090239549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 370330-336
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for enhancing the acquisition of data from a wireless access point during a window of acquisition. A wireless device in a vehicle obtains a list of wireless access points positioned along a route being traveled by a user of the wireless device. The wireless device acquires its current location and identifies the closest upcoming wireless access point in connection with its current location. If the wireless device had previously had a session with the upcoming wireless access point, then the wireless device continues sending packets to the upcoming wireless access point from the point of previous termination with the upcoming wireless access point until the session is restarted. The wireless device then accesses data from the upcoming wireless access point during the remaining window of acquisition.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing acquisition of data from a wireless access point, the method comprising:

retrieving a list of wireless access points;

acquiring a current location of a user;

identifying locations of wireless access points from said list of wireless access points in connection to said current location of said user;

identifying a closest wireless access point in connection to said current location of said user; and

transmitting packets to said closest wireless access point from a point of previous termination with said closest wireless access point until a session is restarted with said closest wireless access point in response to a wireless device of said user previously having had said session with said closest wireless access point, wherein said packets that are transmitted comprises a next successive packet number from a packet number that was last transmitted in said wireless device'"'"'s previous session with said closest wireless access point.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying an approximate time to said closest wireless access point taking into consideration distance to said closest wireless access point and speed traveling.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

reporting said approximate time to said closest wireless access point.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

skipping an attempt to communicate with said closest wireless access point in response to said user not being allowed access to said closest wireless access point.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a session with said closest wireless access point at an earliest opportunity within a window of time for acquisition using a known wireless access point identifier to reduce handshaking time in response to said user not previously having had a session with said closest wireless access point; and

accessing data from said closest wireless access point during a remaining of said window of time for acquisition.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

accessing data from said closest wireless access point during a remaining of a window of time for acquisition.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

entering a power-saving mode in response to said user not being within range to access said closest wireless access point.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a database storing said list of wireless access points positioned along a route to be traveled by said user.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for enhancing acquisition of data from a wireless access point; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises;

circuitry for retrieving a list of wireless access points;

circuitry for acquiring a current location of said user;

circuitry for identifying locations of wireless access points from said list of wireless access points in connection to said current location of said user;

circuitry for identifying a closest wireless access point in connection to said current location of said user; and

circuitry for transmitting packets to said closest wireless access point from a point of previous termination with said closest wireless access point until a session is restarted with said closest wireless access point in response to a wireless device of said user previously having had said session with said closest wireless access point, wherein said packets that are transmitted comprises a next successive packet number from a packet number that was last transmitted in said wireless device'"'"'s previous session with said closest wireless access point.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry for identifying an approximate time to said closest wireless access point taking into consideration distance to said closest wireless access point and speed traveling.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said processor further comprises

circuitry for accessing data from said closest wireless access point during a remaining of a window of time for acquisition.

12. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry for skipping an attempt to communicate with said closest wireless access point in response to said user not being allowed access to said closest wireless access point.

13. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry for establishing a session with said closest wireless access point at an earliest opportunity within a window of time for acquisition using a known wireless access point identifier to reduce handshaking time in response to said user not previously having had a session with said closest wireless access point; and

circuitry for accessing data from said closest wireless access point during a remaining of said window of time for acquisition.

14. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry for accessing a database storing said list of wireless access points positioned along a route to be traveled by said user.

15. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium for enhancing acquisition of data from a wireless access point, the computer program product comprising the programming instructions for:

retrieving a list of wireless access points;

acquiring a current location of said user;

identifying locations of wireless access points from said list of wireless access points in connection to said current location of said user;

identifying a closest wireless access point in connection to said current location of said user; and

transmitting packets to said closest wireless access point from a point of previous termination with said closest wireless access point until a session is restarted with said closest wireless access point in response to a wireless device of said user previously having had said session with said closest wireless access point, wherein said packets that are transmitted comprises a next successive packet number from a packet number that was last transmitted in said wireless device'"'"'s previous session with said closest wireless access point.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 further comprising the programming instructions for:

identifying an approximate time to said closest wireless access point taking into consideration distance to said closest wireless access point and speed traveling.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 further comprising the programming instructions for:

accessing data from said closest wireless access point during a remaining of a window of time for acquisition.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 further comprising the programming instructions for:

skipping an attempt to communicate with said closest wireless access point in response to said user not being allowed access to said closest wireless access point.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 further comprising the programming instructions for:

establishing a new session with said closest wireless access point at an earliest opportunity within a window of time for acquisition using a known wireless access point identifier to reduce handshaking time in response to said user not previously having had a session with said closest wireless access point; and

accessing data from said closest wireless access point during a remaining of said window of time for acquisition.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 further comprising the programming instructions for:

accessing a database storing said list of wireless access points positioned along a route to be traveled by said user.