Intelligent wireless access point notification

• US 8,467,361 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Luetschwager, Jon, Keller, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US12/939,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can perform determining identification information associated with the first wireless access point from at least a first signal; determining that a first instance of encountering the first wireless access point has concluded; storing information associated with the first instance of encountering the first wireless access point; determining the identification information associated with the first wireless access point from at least a second signal; determining that a second instance of encountering the first wireless access point has concluded; storing information associated with the second instance of encountering the first wireless access point; determining that the first wireless access point has been encountered at least a number of times; and displaying, in a menu usable by a user, at least a portion of the identification information associated with the first wireless access point.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a processor of a wireless computing device, comparing a count of a number of times that the wireless computing device has encountered a wireless access point to a threshold, wherein an encounter corresponds to a first period of time of receiving a signal from the wireless access point followed by a second period of time of not receiving the signal from the wireless access point; and

conditionally sending identification information associated with the wireless access point to a display interface of the wireless computing device based on the count satisfying the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating that coupling between the wireless computing device and the wireless access point is enabled.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the wireless computing device with the wireless access point when the count satisfies the threshold; and

refraining from sending the identification information to the display interface when the count does not satisfy the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information associated with the wireless access point includes one or more of a service set identifier, a basic service set identifier, a media access control address, an Internet protocol address, an ISM band, a wired equivalent privacy code, and a Wi-Fi protected access code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second period of time is ten minutes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating that wireless coupling between the wireless computing device and the wireless access point is disabled.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly coupling the wireless computing device with a second wireless access point when the count does not satisfy the threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless access point is connected to a first network and the second wireless access point is connected to a second network, and wherein the second network has lower bandwidth capabilities than the first network.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory accessible by the processor, wherein the memory includes instruction which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations including;

comparing a count of a number of times that a wireless computing device has encountered a wireless access point to a threshold, wherein an encounter corresponds to a first period of time of receiving a signal from the wireless access point followed by a second period of time of not receiving the signal from the wireless access point; and

conditionally sending identification information associated with the wireless access point to a display interface based on the count satisfying the threshold.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the operations further include receiving, via an input interface, user input indicating that coupling between the wireless computing device and the wireless access point is enabled.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the operations further include:

receiving, via an input interface, user input that indicates selection of a button or icon associated with the identification information associated with the wireless access point; and

wirelessly coupling, via a network interface, to the wireless access point.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the operations further include receiving, via the input interface, user input indicating the threshold.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the identification information includes one or more of a service set identifier, a basic service set identifier, a media access control address, an Internet protocol address, an ISM band, a wired equivalent privacy code, and a Wi-Fi protected access code.

15. A computer readable memory medium comprising instructions, which when executed on a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations including:

comparing a count of a number of times that a wireless computing device has encountered a wireless access point satisfies to a threshold, wherein an encounter corresponds to a first period of time of receiving a signal from the wireless access point followed by a second period of time of not receiving the signal from the wireless access point; and

conditionally sending identification information associated with the wireless access point to a display interface of the wireless computing device based on the count satisfying the threshold.

16. The computer readable memory medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further include:

displaying a menu based on the identification information associated with the wireless access point; and

receiving user input indicating that coupling between the wireless computing device and the wireless access point is enabled.

17. The computer readable memory medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further include:

receiving user input that indicates a selection of a button or icon associated with the identification information associated with the wireless access point; and

coupling the wireless computing device to the wireless access point.

18. The computer readable memory medium of claim 15, wherein the identification information from the wireless access point includes one or more of a service set identifier, a basic service set identifier, a media access control address, an Internet protocol address, an ISM band, a wired equivalent privacy code, and a Wi-Fi protected access code.