Dynamic network connection system and method

• US 8,565,766 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WEFI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WeFi, Inc.
• Inventors: Scherzer, Shimon, Scherzer, Tamir, Naveh, Eran, Smilansky, Nadav
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/362,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/318, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/434, 455/432.3, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/414.1, 455/552, 455/509
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• 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 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and system for selecting a network to establish a connection to from a set of available network includes a network database providing historical information about each of the networks and sends the database information to end user terminals. The end user terminals monitor real-time performance information about each of the available networks and can send this information to the network database. The end user terminals also include network connection policy information which can be used to make the selection decision. The end user terminal determines a network quality score for each available network as a function of the historical information from the network database, the real-time performance information about each available network and the network connection policy information. The end user terminal can select the available network as a function of the network quality score, for example, selecting the available network with the highest network quality score.

Claims

1. A method for selecting and establishing a connection to a network, the method comprising:

receiving a network connection policy from a network server, wherein the network connection policy comprises one or more weighting factors;

detecting a plurality of available networks;

receiving, from a network server, historical network performance information about at least one of the plurality of available networks;

measuring real-time network performance information associated with a particular one of the plurality of available networks, the network performance information including one or more network performance parameters;

storing the real-time network performance information in memory;

determining a real-time network score based on an application of the one or more weighting factors to the one or more network performance parameters;

determining a network quality score associated with the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on the historical network performance information and the real-time network score;

selecting the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on a comparison between the network quality score associated with the particular one of the plurality of available networks and at least one other network quality score associated with another one of the plurality of available networks; and

establishing a connection with the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical network performance information is determined based on network performance information received by the network server from a plurality of end user terminals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the network quality score further comprises applying weights to the historical network performance score and real-time network score and combining the weighted historical network performance score and the real-time network score.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the network quality score further comprises assigning less weight to the real-time network score as the real-time network performance information ages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical network performance information comprises a historical quality score, wherein the historical quality score is determined by weighting and combining one or more historical network performance parameters.

6. A device for selecting and establishing a connection to a network, the device comprising:

a processor;

memory having instruction which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a network connection policy from a network server, wherein the network connection policy comprises one or more weighting factors;

detecting a plurality of available networks;

receiving, from a network server, historical network performance information about at least one of the plurality of available networks;

measuring real-time network performance information associated with a particular one of the plurality of available networks, the network performance information including one or more network performance parameters;

storing the real-time network performance information in memory;

determining a real-time network score based on an application of the one or more weighting factors to the one or more network performance parameters;

determining a network quality score associated with the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on the historical network performance information and the real-time network score;

selecting the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on a comparison between the network quality score associated with the particular one of the plurality of available networks and at least one other network quality score associated with another one of the plurality of available networks; and

establishing a connection with the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on the selection.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the historical network performance information is determined based on network performance information received by the network server from a plurality of end user terminals.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein determining the network quality score further comprises applying weights to the historical network performance score and real-time network score and combining the weighted historical network performance score and the real-time network score.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein determining the network quality score further comprises assigning less weight to the real-time network score as the real-time network performance information ages.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the historical network performance information comprises a historical quality score, wherein the historical quality score is determined by weighting and combining one or more historical network performance parameters.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for selecting and establishing a connection to a network comprising instructions for an electronic device, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a network connection policy from a network server, wherein the network connection policy comprises one or more weighting factors;

detecting a plurality of available networks;

receiving, from a network server, historical network performance information about at least one of the plurality of available networks;

measuring real-time network performance information associated with a particular one of the plurality of available networks, the network performance information including one or more network performance parameters;

storing the real-time network performance information in memory;

determining a real-time network score based on an application of the one or more weighting factors to the one or more network performance parameters;

determining a network quality score associated with the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on the historical network performance information and the real-time network score;

selecting the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on a comparison between the network quality score associated with the particular one of the plurality of available networks and at least one other network quality score associated with another one of the plurality of available networks; and

establishing a connection with the particular one of the plurality of available networks based on the selection.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the historical network performance information is determined based on network performance information received by the network server from a plurality of end user terminals.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining the network quality score further comprises applying weights to the historical network performance score and real-time network score and combining the weighted historical network performance score and the real-time network score.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the network quality score further comprises assigning less weight to the real-time network score as the real-time network performance information ages.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the historical network performance information comprises a historical quality score, wherein the historical quality score is determined by weighting and combining one or more historical network performance parameters.