System and method for controlling network scan parameters for a network connection

• US 9,319,968 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Montemurro, Michael Peter, McCann, Stephen, Kennedy, Richard Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Skripnikov, Alex
• Application Number:
  US13/622,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140079043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for controlling aspects of network communications from a device to a network are provided. In particular, a method of initiating scans for a network by a communication device for a communication network is provided. The method comprises: monitoring for a first condition relating to a network scan for the communication network; and when the first condition relates to a receipt of at least one request to initiate the network scan and when at least the first condition is satisfied, identifying a first parameter for the network scan and configuring and initiating the network scan at the communication device for the communication network implementing the first parameter.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a network scan for an institute of electrical and electronic engineers (IEEE) 802.11 class network according to network scan parameters, the method comprising:

receiving, at an application program interface (API) residing on a communication device, a request to initiate the network scan for the IEEE 802.11 class network from an application operating on the communication device, the request comprising one or more requested network scan parameters; and

in response to receiving the request;

adjusting the network scan parameters based on the one or more requested network scan parameters when the request is received within a first time period and a previous network scan has not been initiated by the communication device within a second time period; and

configuring and initiating the network scan, at the communication device, according to the network scan parameters that have been adjusted;

wherein one of the one or more requested network scan parameters indicates how frequently the network scan is conducted.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the network scan parameters include a scan time parameter, a scan period parameter, a scan interval parameter, a minimum dwell time parameter, a maximum dwell time parameter, a number of scans parameter, a channel list parameter, a data rate parameter indicative of the data rate for the scan, a power parameter indicative of a power of the communication signal carrying the request, and a probes parameter indicative of a number of probes for the scan.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

configuring and initiating the network scan comprises configuring and initiating the network scan when a trigger condition is detected by the communication device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the trigger condition is detected when a battery level of the communication device is greater than a threshold level.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the trigger condition is detected by the communication device when movement of the communication device from a first jurisdiction to a second jurisdiction is detected.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

in the first jurisdiction, the communication network utilizes available white space in a first frequency spectrum in a defined frequency band; and

in the second jurisdiction, the communication network utilizes available white space in a second frequency spectrum in the defined frequency band.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the trigger condition is detected when the communication device at least a predetermined distance from a previous location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the communication device utilizes a part of a frequency spectrum that is in a white space of frequencies for television signal transmissions.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting a stop condition to stop the network scan, terminating the network scan.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

after the stop condition is detected, monitoring for a restart condition to recommence the network scan for the IEEE 802.11 class network; and

in response to detecting the restart condition, recommencing the network scan.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the API, a second request to initiate the network scan for the communication network from a second application operating on the communication device, the second request comprising second requested network scan parameters;

aggregating the requested network scan parameters received from the request and the second requested network scan parameters received from the second request to form aggregated requested network scan parameters; and

wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the network parameters based on the aggregated requested network scan parameters.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the network scan is part of a script of a plurality of network scans that is executed by the communication device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the network scan parameters are provided in a scan profile associated with the communication device.

14. A method of initiating a network scan for a network according to network scan parameters, the method comprising:

receiving, at an application program interface residing on a communication device, a plurality of requests to initiate the network scan for the network, each request being received from an application operating on the communication device, and each request comprising one or more requested network scan parameters;

aggregating the one or more requested network scan parameters of each request to form an amalgamated set of requested network scan parameters; and

in response to determining, at the communication device, that at least one of the plurality of requests was received within a predetermined time period and a previous network scan has not been initiated from at least a first period of time;

adjusting the network scan parameters based on the amalgamated set of requested network scan parameters; and

configuring and initiating the network scan, at the communication device, according to the network scan parameters that have been adjusted.

15. A communication device comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by the processor is for;

receiving, at an application program interface (API) residing on the communication device, a request to initiate a network scan for an institute of electrical and electronic engineers (IEEE) 802.11 class network according to network scan parameters, the request comprising one or more requested network scan parameters; and

in response to receiving the request;

adjusting the network scan parameters based on the one or more requested network scan parameters when the request is received within a first time period and a previous network scan has not been initiated by the communication device within a second time period; and

configuring and initiating the network scan at the communication device according to the network scan parameters that have been adjusted;

wherein one of the one or more requested network scan parameters indicates how frequently the network scan is conducted.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the network scan parameters are adjusted when the processor detects movement of the communication device from a first jurisdiction to a second jurisdiction;

in the first jurisdiction, the communication network utilizes available white space in a first frequency spectrum in a defined frequency band; and

in the second jurisdiction, the communication network utilizes available white space in a second frequency spectrum in the defined frequency band.