Using motion to improve local wireless network connectivity

• US 9,380,520 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin Won, Teague, Edward Harrison
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/937,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to using motion to reduce unnecessary scans for local wireless networks. An aspect determines whether or not a motion state change event of a user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state, and if the motion state change event indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state, ignoring the motion state change event. An aspect of the disclosure is directed to using motion to reduce latency of scanning for local wireless networks. An aspect determines whether or not a user device is in motion, determines whether or not a periodic scan timer has expired and/or a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is below a threshold, and if the user device is in motion and the periodic scan timer has expired or the RSSI is below the threshold, scanning for a local wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for using motion to reduce scans for local wireless networks, comprising:

determining whether or not a motion state change event of a user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state; and

based on the motion state change event indicating the change from the moving motion state to the stationary motion state and a difference between a time of the motion state change event and a time of a previous motion state change event being less than a cutoff threshold, ignoring the motion state change event, wherein ignoring the motion state change event comprises suppressing scanning for a local wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving motion state is one of a walking motion state or a running motion state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein ignoring the motion state change event comprises:

determining whether or not the difference between the time of the motion state change event and the time of the previous motion state change event is less than the cutoff threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether or not the difference between the time of the motion state change event and the time of the previous motion state change event is less than the cutoff threshold; and

based on the difference between the time of the motion state change event and the time of the previous motion state change event not being less than the cutoff threshold, scanning for a local wireless network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether or not the user device is located at a same location at which it was located during a previous scan for a local wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

based on the user device being located at the same location, increasing the cutoff threshold; and

based on the user device not being located at the same location, decreasing the cutoff threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the increasing comprises:

increasing the cutoff threshold based on a cutoff matrix that specifies a minimum, a maximum, and one or more intermediate values of the cutoff threshold.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the decreasing comprises:

decreasing the cutoff threshold based on a cutoff matrix that specifies a minimum, a maximum, and one or more intermediate values of the cutoff threshold.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining whether or not the user device is located at the same location is based on one or more parameters of one or more local wireless networks discovered during the scanning.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether or not a second motion state change event of the user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state, wherein the moving motion state comprises a driving motion state; and

based on the second motion state change event indicating the change from the moving motion state to the stationary motion state, ignoring the second motion state change event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein ignoring the second motion state change event comprises:

determining whether or not the second motion state change event is a first motion state change event from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state; and

based on the second motion state change event not being a first motion state change event from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state, ignoring the second motion state change event.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

based on the second motion state change event being a first motion state change event from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state, scanning for a local wireless network.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

based on the second motion state change event not indicating a change from a driving motion state to a stationary motion state, determining whether or not the second motion state change event indicates a change from a driving motion state or a stationary motion state to a non-stationary motion state or a non-driving motion state.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

based on the second motion state change event indicating a change from a driving motion state or a stationary motion state to a non-stationary motion state or a non-driving motion state, scanning for a local wireless network.

15. An apparatus for using motion to reduce scans for local wireless networks, comprising:

logic configured to determine whether or not a motion state change event of a user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state; and

logic configured to ignore the motion state change event based on the motion state change event indicating the change from the moving motion state to the stationary motion state and a difference between a time of the motion state change event and a time of a previous motion state change event being less than a cutoff threshold, wherein the logic configured to ignore the motion state change event comprises logic configured to suppress scanning for a local wireless network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the moving motion state is one of a walking motion state or a running motion state.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to ignore the motion state change event comprises:

logic configured to determine whether or not the difference between the time of the motion state change event and the time of the previous motion state change event is less than the cutoff threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

logic configured to determine whether or not the difference between the time of the motion state change event and the time of the previous motion state change event is less than the cutoff threshold; and

logic configured to scan for a local wireless network based on the difference between the time of the motion state change event and the time of the previous motion state change event not being less than the cutoff threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

logic configured to determine whether or not the user device is located at a same location at which it was located during a previous scan for a local wireless network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

logic configured to increase the cutoff threshold based on the user device being located at the same location; and

logic configured to decrease the cutoff threshold based on the user device not being located at the same location.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logic configured to increase comprises:

logic configured to increase the cutoff threshold based on a cutoff matrix that specifies a minimum, a maximum, and one or more intermediate values of the cutoff threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logic configured to decrease comprises:

logic configured to decrease the cutoff threshold based on a cutoff matrix that specifies a minimum, a maximum, and one or more intermediate values of the cutoff threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the logic configured to determine whether or not the user device is located at the same location is based on one or more parameters of one or more local wireless networks discovered during a scan for a local wireless network.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

logic configured to determine whether or not a second motion state change event of the user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state, wherein the moving motion state comprises a driving motion state; and

logic configured to ignore the second motion state change event based on the second motion state change event indicating a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the logic configured to ignore the second motion state change event comprises:

logic configured to determine whether or not the second motion state change event is a first motion state change event from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state; and

logic configured to ignore the second motion state change event based on the second motion state change event not being a first motion state change event from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

logic configured to scan for a local wireless network based on the second motion state change event being a first motion state change event from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

logic configured to determine whether or not the second motion state change event indicates a change from a driving motion state or a stationary motion state to a non-stationary motion state or a non-driving motion state based on the second motion state change event not indicating a change from a driving motion state to a stationary motion state.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

logic configured to scan for a local wireless network based on the second motion state change event indicating a change from a driving motion state or a stationary motion state to a non-stationary motion state or a non-driving motion state.

29. An apparatus for using motion to reduce scans for local wireless networks, comprising:

means for determining whether or not a motion state change event of a user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state; and

means for ignoring the motion state change event based on the motion state change event indicating the change from the moving motion state to the stationary motion state and a difference between a time of the motion state change event and a time of a previous motion state change event being less than a cutoff threshold, wherein ignoring the motion state change event comprises suppressing scanning for a local wireless network.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for using motion to reduce scans for local wireless networks, comprising:

at least one instruction to determine whether or not a motion state change event of a user device indicates a change from a moving motion state to a stationary motion state; and

at least one instruction to ignore the motion state change event based on the motion state change event indicating the change from the moving motion state to the stationary motion state and a difference between a time of the motion state change event and a time of a previous motion state change event being less than a cutoff threshold, wherein ignoring the motion state change event comprises suppressing scanning for a local wireless network.