Determining availability of an access network
First Claim
1. A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network;
- the mobile terminal comprising;
one or more transceivers for connecting to the wireless access networks;
a positioning module arranged to determine a current geographical location of the mobile terminal; and
processing apparatus coupled to the positioning module and the one or more transceivers, operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the wireless access networks using the one or more transceivers;
wherein the processing apparatus is configured to maintain a log of past availability to said mobile terminal or past use by said mobile terminal of one or more of said wireless access networks;
wherein the processing apparatus is configured to control activation of at least one of the one or more transceivers to scan for availability of one or more of the wireless access networks; and
wherein the processing apparatus is configured to switch between a first mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on the current geographical location of the mobile terminal as determined by the positioning module, and a second mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on said log.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile terminal, program and method for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network. The mobile terminal is configured to maintain a log of user habits in terms of past availability or use of one or more of the access networks, e.g. relative to time of day, week, month and/or year. The mobile terminal is further configured to control activation the transceiver to scan for subsequent availability of one or more of the wireless access networks, in dependence on the comparison of the one or more identified times with the current time. The mobile terminal switches between a first mode in which the scanning is controlled in dependence on the current geographical location of the mobile terminal, and a second mode in which the scanning is controlled in dependence on said log.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network;
- the mobile terminal comprising;
one or more transceivers for connecting to the wireless access networks; a positioning module arranged to determine a current geographical location of the mobile terminal; and processing apparatus coupled to the positioning module and the one or more transceivers, operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the wireless access networks using the one or more transceivers; wherein the processing apparatus is configured to maintain a log of past availability to said mobile terminal or past use by said mobile terminal of one or more of said wireless access networks; wherein the processing apparatus is configured to control activation of at least one of the one or more transceivers to scan for availability of one or more of the wireless access networks; and wherein the processing apparatus is configured to switch between a first mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on the current geographical location of the mobile terminal as determined by the positioning module, and a second mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on said log. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- the mobile terminal comprising;
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18. A computer program product for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network, the computer program product being embodied on a computer-readable hardware storage medium and comprising code configured so as when executed on a processing apparatus of a mobile terminal to perform operations comprising:
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communicating with the first network by forming connections with the wireless access networks using one or more transceivers of the mobile terminal; maintaining a log of past availability to the mobile terminal or past use by the mobile terminal of one or more of said access networks; controlling activation of at least one of the one or more transceivers to scan for availability of one or more of the wireless access networks; and switching between a first mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on a current geographical location of the mobile terminal, and a second mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on said log.
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19. A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network, multiple wireless local area networks providing access to the first network, and one or more wireless wide area networks providing access to the first network;
- the mobile terminal comprising;
a local transceiver for connecting to the wireless local area networks; a longer-range cellular transceiver for connecting to the one or more wireless wide area networks; a positioning module arranged to determine a current geographical location of the mobile terminal; and processing apparatus coupled to said transceivers and said positioning module, operable to conduct live, packet-based voice or video calls over the first network by forming connections with the wireless local area networks using the local transceiver and connections with the one or more wireless wide area networks using the cellular transceiver; wherein the processing apparatus is configured to observe availability to said mobile terminal of at least a plurality of said wireless access networks, based on the observation to maintain a log of past observed availability to the mobile terminal of the plurality of wireless local area networks or past use when observed to be available, the log being maintained relative to time of day, week, month and/or year, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to identify times of day, week, month and/or year in which a difference in said availability or use is estimated to have occurred on a habitual basis, and to compare the identified times with a current time of day, week, month and/or year; wherein the processing apparatus is configured to control activation of at least the local transceiver to scan for availability of ones of the wireless local area networks, by performing instances of said scan at regular rate and varying the rate in dependence on said comparison of the identified times with the current time; wherein the processing apparatus is configured to instigate a hand over between two of said wireless local area networks or between one of the wireless wide area networks and one of the wireless local area networks, during an ongoing one of said live voice or video calls, in dependence on said scan; wherein the processing apparatus is configured to automatically switch between a first mode of operation in which said scanning is controlled in dependence on the current geographical location of the mobile terminal as determined by the positioning module, and a second mode of operation in which said scanning is instead controlled in dependence on said log; and wherein in the second mode of operation, the positioning module is switched off or in a reduced power state.
- the mobile terminal comprising;
Specification