Method and apparatus for scanning multi-mode wireless communication environments

• US 8,599,767 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Walton, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/433,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/330, 370/341, 370/348, 370/331, 455/62, 455/161, 455/1, 455/434, 455/435
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for adaptively scanning communication channels to find a channel having a desired attribute such as being usable for communication with a home network in one of a plurality of communication modes. A first scan of a first set of channels is performed, and attributes are assigned to channels. If a channel having the desired attribute is not found, the attributes are used to configure a second scan of a second set of channels using a second scan mode, such that the expected amount of resources consumed in the second scan is reduced, for example by scanning channels more likely to be usable for communication first. The second scan of a second set of channels is performed, and additional attributes are assigned to channels. If a channel having the desired attribute is found during the first or second scan, the scan may terminate.

Claims

1. A method of scanning a plurality of communication channels and identifying one or more communication channels having a desired attribute, the method comprising:

a) performing a first scan of a first set of two or more of the plurality of communication channels using a first scan mode, the first scan mode determining an indication of whether each of the first set of communication channels is associated with a network operating, in a first communication mode;

b) assigning one or more attributes to at least one of the plurality of communication channels depending on the first scan, the one or more attributes selected from a set of potential attributes including the desired attribute, at least one of the one or more attributes conveying partial information indicative of a likelihood that a corresponding communication channel of the plurality of communication channels is usable for communication in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode;

c) determining, based on the assigned attributes, whether to perform a second scan of a second set of one or more of the plurality of communication channels using a second scan mode, the second scan mode determining an indication of whether each of the second set of communication channels is associated with a network operating in the second communication mode;

d) performing, if required, said second scan, the second scan configured based at least in part on the assigned attributes;

e) assigning one or more additional attributes to at least one of the plurality of communication channels depending on the second scan, the one or more additional attributes selected from the set of potential attributes including the desired attribute; and

f) identifying at least one of said one or more of the plurality of communication channels having the desired attribute if one or more of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute based on the first scan or the second scan,

wherein each of the first communication mode and the second communication mode correspond to different, incompatible wireless communication standards,

wherein determining whether to perform the second scan includes determining how many of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute based on the first scan, and wherein the second scan is performed if none of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute based on the first scan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired attribute is indicative that the communication channel to which the desired attribute is assigned is usable for communication with a home network operating in the first communication mode or the second communication mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of potential attributes includes attributes indicative of one or more properties of the communication channel to which the attribute is assigned, said one or more properties selected from the group comprising:

radio activity on the communication channel, radio activity on one or more radio frequencies near the communication channel, radio activity on one or more frequencies related to the communication channel, a network operating in the first communication mode on the communication channel, the communication channel usable for communication with a home network operating in the first communication mode, a network operating in the second communication mode on the communication channel, and the communication channel usable for communication with a home network operating in the second communication mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication mode is selected from the group comprising:

UMTS and GSM.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication mode is selected from the group comprising:

UMTS and GSM.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first scan and the second scan is an adaptive scan.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan are indicative of an order in which communication channels are scanned during the second scan.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan are indicative of one or more probabilities that communication channels to which said one or more attributes are assigned will be assigned the desired attribute during the second scan.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan are associated with one or more priority levels, wherein at least one communication channel associated with a higher priority level is scanned during the second scan before at least one communication channel associated with a lower priority level.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second scan terminates before scanning at least one communication channel associated with a lower priority level.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more subsequent scans configured at least in part based on the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan and the one or more additional attributes assigned during the second scan.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first scan is selected from the group comprising:

active scans and passive scans.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scan is elected from the group comprising:

active scans and passive scans.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring one or more of the first scan and the second scan according to location information.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by a computer to carry out the method of claim 1.

16. A method of scanning a plurality of communication channels to identify one or more communication channels having a desired attribute, the method comprising scanning two or more of the plurality of communication channels using two or more scan modes, wherein information acquired during one scan mode is used to configure a subsequent scan mode, said one scan mode determining an indication of whether each of a first set of two or more communication channels is associated with a network operating in a first communication mode, said one scan mode further determining an indication of partial information indicative of a likelihood that a corresponding communication channel of the plurality of communication channels is usable for communication in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, and said subsequent scan mode determining an indication of whether each of a second set of one or more communication channels is associated with a network operating in the second communication mode, wherein each of the first communication mode and the second communication mode correspond to different, incompatible wireless communication standards,

wherein determining an indication of whether each of a second set of one or more communication channels is associated with a network operating in the second communication mode includes determining how many of the plurality of communication channels are assigned a desired attribute based on the first scan mode, and wherein the subsequent scan mode is performed if none of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute in the first scan mode.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by a computer to carry out the method of claim 16.

18. An apparatus for scanning a plurality of communication channels and identifying one or more communication channels having a desired attribute, the apparatus capable of multi-mode communication and comprising:

a) a first scanning module configured to perform a first scan of a first set of two or more of the plurality of communication channels using a first scan mode, the first scan mode determining an indication of whether each of the first set of communication channels is associated with a network operating in a first communication mode;

b) a second scanning module configured to perform a second scan of a second set of one or more of the plurality of communication channels using a second scan mode, the second scan mode determining an indication of whether each of the second set of communication channels is associated with a network operating in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode; and

c) a processing module configured to;

i) initiate the first scanning module to perform the first scan, the processing module configured to assign one or more attributes to at least one of the plurality of communication channels depending on the first scan, the one or more attributes selected from a set of potential attributes including the desired attribute, at least one of the one or more attributes conveying partial information indicative of a likelihood that a corresponding communication channel of the plurality of communication channels is usable for communication in the second communication mode;

ii) determine, based on the assigned attributes, whether to perform the second scan;

iii) initiate, if required, the second scanning module to perform the second scan;

iv) configure the second scan based at least in part on the assigned attributes;

v) assign one or more additional attributes to at least one of the plurality of communication channels depending on the second scan, the one or more additional attributes selected from the set of potential attributes including the desired attribute; and

vi) identify at least one of said one or more of the plurality of communication channels having the desired attribute if one or more of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute based on the first scan or the second scan,

wherein each of the first communication mode and the second communication mode correspond to different, incompatible wireless communication standards,

wherein determining whether to perform the second scan includes determining how many of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute based on the first scan, and wherein the second scan is performed if none of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute based on the first scan.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first scanning module and the second scanning module have a common portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is operatively coupled to a device selected from the group comprising:

cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and personal computers.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the desired attribute is indicative that the communication channel to which the desired attribute is assigned is usable for come in the first communication mode or the second communication mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the set of potential attributes includes attributes indicative of one or more properties of the communication channel to which the attribute is assigned, said one or more properties selected from the group comprising:

radio activity on the communication channel, radio activity on one or more radio frequencies near the communication channel, radio activity on one or more frequencies related to the communication channel, a network operating in the first communication mode on the communication channel, a home network operating in the first communication mode on the communication channel, a network operating in the second communication mode on the communication channel, and a home network operating in the second communication mode on the communication channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first communication mode is selected from the group comprising:

UMTS and GSM.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second communication mode is selected from the group comprising:

UMTS and GSM.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first scan and the second scan is an adaptive scan.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan are indicative of an order in which communication channels are scanned during the second scan.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan are indicative of one or more probabilities that communication channels to which said one or more attributes are assigned will be assigned the desired attribute during the second scan.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan are associated with one or more priority levels, wherein at least one communication channel associated with a higher priority level is scanned during the second scan before at least one communication channel associated with a lower priority level.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second scan terminates before scanning at least one communication channel associated with a lower priority level.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising one or more subsequent scans configured at least in part based on the one or more attributes assigned during the first scan and the one or more additional attributes assigned during the second scan.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first scan is selected from the group comprising:

active scans and passive scans.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second scan is selected from the group comprising:

active scans and passive scans.

33. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising configuring one or more of the first scan and the second scan according to location information.

34. An apparatus for scanning a plurality of communication channels to identify one or more communication channels having a desired attribute, the apparatus capable of multi-mode communication and configured to scan two or more of the plurality of communication channels using two or more scan modes, wherein information acquired during one scan mode is used to configure a subsequent scan mode, said one scan mode determining an indication of whether each of a first set two or more of communication channels is associated with a network operating in a first communication mode, said one scan mode further determining an indication of partial information indicative of a likelihood that a corresponding communication channel of the plurality of communication channels is usable for communication in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, and said subsequent scan mode determining an indication of whether each of a second set of one or more communication channels is associated with a network operating in a second communication mode, wherein each of the first communication mode and the second communication mode correspond to different, incompatible wireless communication standards,

wherein determining an indication of whether each of a second set of one or more communication channels is associated with a network operating in the second communication mode includes determining how many of the plurality of communication channels are assigned a desired attribute based on the first scan mode, and wherein the subsequent scan mode is performed if none of the plurality of communication channels are assigned the desired attribute in the first scan mode.