Location aware background access point scanning for WLAN

• US 8,995,414 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Chhabra, Kapil
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUNKULH, BOB A
• Application Number:
  US14/107,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140105197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Respective distances between a communication device and a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) access points are determined. One of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate is selected based on the determined distances. A background scanning process is initiated based on determined distances. The background scanning process includes at least selecting one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate based on the determined respective distances by evaluating the plurality of WLAN access points in an order based on the determined respective distances. If it is determined that a WLAN access point is acceptable, evaluation of the plurality of WLAN access points is stopped before all of the plurality of WLAN access points have been evaluated.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a communication device, cause the processor to:

determine respective distances between the communication device and a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) access points based on position information corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points and position information corresponding to the communication device;

determine a first WLAN access point, different from a second WLAN access point with which the communication device is currently associated, that is closer to the communication device, wherein the first WLAN access point is determined from the plurality of WLAN access points based on the determined respective distances;

determine whether a first distance between (i) the communication device and (ii) the second WLAN access point is greater than a second distance between (i) the communication device and (ii) the first WLAN access point; and

when it is determined that the first distance is greater than the second distance, initiate a background scanning process that includes at least;

selecting one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate based on the determined respective distances by evaluating the plurality of WLAN access points in an order based on the determined respective distances and determining if the one WLAN access point is acceptable, and

stopping evaluation of the plurality of WLAN access points before all of the plurality of WLAN access points have been evaluated if the one WLAN access point is determined to be acceptable.

2. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the position information corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points is received from the second WLAN access point with which the communication device is currently associated.

3. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select the one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate further based on respective received signal strength indicators corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points.

4. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate further based on respective channel load indicators corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points.

5. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to evaluate the plurality of WLAN access points based on a plurality of received signal strength indicators associated with the plurality of WLAN access points.

6. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to evaluate the plurality of WLAN access points based on a plurality of channel load indicators associated with the plurality of WLAN access points.

7. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

initiate the acts of determining respective distances and selecting one of the plurality of WLAN access points based on velocity information corresponding to the communication device.

8. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

compare a velocity of the communication device to a threshold;

disable the background scanning process based on the act of comparing; and

cause a WLAN interface of the communication device to go into a sleep mode based on the act of comparing.

9. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

calculate velocity information based on the position information indicating a position of the communication device.

10. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine if each WLAN access point is acceptable are based on direction information indicating a direction in which the communication device is traveling.

11. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine the direction information based on position information indicating a position of the communication device.

12. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a communication device, cause the processor to:

determine respective distances between the communication device and a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, wherein determining the respective distances is based on position information corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points and the communication device;

determine whether a distance between (i) the communication device and (ii) a current WLAN access point with which the communication device is currently associated is greater than a threshold; and

when it is determined that the distance is greater than the threshold, initiate a background scanning process that includes at least;

selecting one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate based on the determined distances by evaluating the plurality of WLAN access points in an order based on the determined distances and determining if the one WLAN access point is acceptable, and

stopping evaluation of the plurality of WLAN access points before all of the plurality of WLAN access points have been evaluated if the one WLAN access point is determined to be acceptable.

13. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the position information corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points is received from the current WLAN access point with which the communication device is currently associated.

14. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate further based on respective received signal strength indicators corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points.

15. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select one of the plurality of WLAN access points with which the communication device is to associate further based on respective channel load indicators corresponding to the plurality of WLAN access points.

16. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to evaluate the plurality of WLAN access points based on a plurality of received signal strength indicators associated with the plurality of WLAN access points.

17. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to evaluate the plurality of WLAN access points based on a plurality of channel load indicators associated with the plurality of WLAN access points.

18. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

initiating the acts of determining respective distances and selecting one of the plurality of WLAN access points based on velocity information corresponding to the communication device.

19. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

compare a velocity of the communication device to a second threshold;

disable the background scanning process based on the act of comparing the velocity to the second threshold; and

cause a WLAN interface of the communication device to go into a sleep mode based on the act of comparing the velocity to the second threshold.

20. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

calculate velocity information based on the position information of the communication device.

21. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine if each WLAN access point is acceptable based on direction information indicating a direction in which the communication device is traveling.

22. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 21, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine the direction information based on the position information of the communication device.