Apparatus, method and program product for seamless WiFi network transitions

• US 9,161,207 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Franco, Lucas Goncalves, Jaiswal, Peeyush, Leitao, Breno Henrique, Robbins, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Albert T
• Application Number:
  US14/461,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20140348153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus and system for seamless transition between WiFi networks (including in particular WiFi Internet networks) includes within a mobile communication apparatus a mobility layer that is tunneled to a mobility server within a network infrastructure. The mobile communications apparatus includes a wireless network capability, a global positioning system capability, an internal network protocol address and a routing capability. The apparatus and system also provide that the mobility layer is programmed to sequentially and automatically tunnel to the mobility server at an available geographically defined WiFi network access location predicated upon a global positioning system determined position of the mobile communication apparatus. Embodiments also provide seamless transitions between WiFi networks and cellular networks.

Claims

1. A wireless network capable and global positioning system capable mobile communication apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless network connection to a first WiFi network access location; and

a mobility layer comprising an internal network address and a routing capability;

wherein the mobile communication apparatus is configured to transit to an available geographically defined second WiFi network access location, the second WiFi network access location predicated upon a global positioning system determined position of the mobile communication apparatus, while the mobility layer simultaneously tunnels to a mobility server at the second WiFi network access location.

2. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication apparatus comprises a cell phone.

3. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication apparatus comprises a laptop computer.

4. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobility layer is located interposed between an operating system layer and an application program layer of the mobile communication apparatus.

5. A communications system comprising:

a wireless network capable and global positioning system capable mobile communication apparatus connected to a network at a first WiFi network access location and including a mobility layer having an internal network protocol address and a routing capability; and

a mobility server connected to the network and tunneled to the mobility layer at the first WiFi network access location, the mobility layer programmed to tunnel to the mobility server at an available geographically defined second WiFi network access location predicated upon a global positioning system determined position of the mobile communication apparatus;

wherein the system is configured to transit the mobile communication apparatus to the second WiFi network access location while the mobility layer simultaneously tunnels to the mobility server at the second WiFi network access location.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a catalogue of geographically defined WiFi network access locations available to the mobile communication apparatus.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile communications apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a smart phone and a laptop computer.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein:

each of the first WiFi network access location and the second WiFi network access location comprises a restricted WiFi network access location, where a first WiFi network access location owner and a second WiFi network access location owner receives a benefit;

the transiting of the mobile communication apparatus between the first WiFi network access location and the second WiFi network access location is undertaken by a user that sustains a detriment; and

a transaction between the user and the first WiFi network access location owner and the second WiFi network access location owner is mediated by a broker.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobility layer is located interposed between an operating system layer within the mobile communications apparatus and an application program layer within the mobile communication apparatus.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobility layer is configured to retain an open Internet connection even when the mobile communication apparatus is located interposed between available defined WiFi network access locations.