Determining a preferred WIFI hotspot

• US 9,572,097 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Jason L., Boss, Gregory J., Jones, Andrew R., McConnell, Kevin C., Moore, John E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Application Number:
  US14/512,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method of determining preferred WIFI hotspots. The method includes the steps of: detecting, by a computer processor, an attempt to connect to a first WIFI hotspot by a wireless device in a first area; and in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot: identifying, by the computer processor, at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device; determining, by the computer processor, preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user; collecting, by the computer processor, a plurality of WIFI hotspots available in the first area and identify prices and network bandwidth offered by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots; and recommending, by the computer processor, preferred WIFI hotspots in the first area based on the identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the process and network bandwidth offered by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.

Claims

1. A method of determining preferred WIFI hotspots, the method comprising:

detecting, by a computer processor, an attempt to connect to a first WIFI hotspot by a wireless device in a first area; and

in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

receiving, across a computer network, socket parameters extracted from the wireless device, the socket parameters based on network packets originating from background computer sockets executing in the wireless device during a predetermined period of time and from storage synchronization application sockets that require storing bytes of data in a remote server;

identifying, by the computer processor, at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device based on the socket parameters extracted from the wireless device;

determining, by the computer processor, preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user;

collecting, by the computer processor, a plurality of WIFI hotspots available in the first area and identify network bandwidth and network throughput capable of being provided by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots; and

constructing, by the computer processor, a device readable message that causes a graphic user interface (GUI) of the wireless device to display preferred WIFI hotspots in the first area based on the identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the network bandwidth and the network throughput capable of being provided by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device further comprises adjusting the at least one bandwidth requirements by identifying an initial bandwidth requirement then subsequently removing a subset of the identified initial bandwidth requirement directed to all of the background computer sockets executing in the wireless device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the background computer sockets executing in the wireless device comprise application downloads or updates.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user further comprises determining, by the computer processor, time duration of how long the user will stay in the first area based, at least in part, on a next scheduled event indicated from a calendar application or social media network updates associated with the user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device readable message further includes a ranking of

the preferred WIFI hotspots from most preferred to least preferred based on identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the network bandwidth and the network throughput capable of being provided by the each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.

6. A computer program product for determining preferred WIFI hotspots, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage medium and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to detect an attempt to connect to a first WIFI hotspot by a wireless device in a first area;

program instructions to receive, across a computer network, socket parameters extracted from the wireless device, the socket parameters based on network packets originating from background computer sockets executing in the wireless device during a predetermined period of time and from storage synchronization application sockets that require storing bytes of data in a remote server, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

program instructions to identify at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device based on the socket parameters extracted from the wireless device, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

program instructions to determine preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

program instructions to collect a plurality of WIFI hotspots available in the first area and identify network bandwidth and network throughput capable of being provided by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot; and

program instructions to construct a device readable message that causes a graphic user interface (GUI) of the wireless device to display preferred WIFI hotspots in the first area based on the identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the network bandwidth and the network throughput capable of being provided by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein program instructions to identify at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device further comprises:

program instructions to adjust the at least one bandwidth requirements by identifying an initial bandwidth requirement then subsequently removing a subset of the identified initial bandwidth requirement directed to all of the background computer sockets executing in the wireless device.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the background computer sockets executing in the wireless device comprise application downloads or updates.

9. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein program instructions to determine preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user further comprises:

program instructions to determine time duration of how long the user will stay in the first area based, at least in part, on a next scheduled event indicated from a calendar application or social media network updates associated with the user.

10. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the device readable message further includes a ranking of the preferred WIFI hotspots from most preferred to least preferred based on identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the network bandwidth and the network throughput capable of being provided by the each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.

11. A computer program product for determining preferred WIFI hotspots, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage medium and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to detect an attempt to connect to a first WIFI hotspot by a wireless device in a first area;

program instructions to receive, across a computer network, socket parameters extracted from the wireless device, the socket parameters based on network packets originating from background computer sockets executing in the wireless device during a predetermined period of time and from storage synchronization application sockets that require storing bytes of data in a remote server, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

program instructions to identify at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device based on the socket parameters extracted from the wireless device, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

program instructions to determine preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot;

program instructions to collect a plurality of WIFI hotspots available in the first area and identify network bandwidth and network throughput capable of being provided by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots, in response to detecting the attempt to connect to the first WIFI hotspot; and

program instructions to construct a device readable message that causes a graphic user interface (GUI) of the wireless device to display preferred WIFI hotspots in the first area based on the identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the network bandwidth and the network throughput capable of being provided by each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein program instructions to identify at least one bandwidth requirement of the wireless device further comprises:

program instructions to adjust the at least one bandwidth requirements by identifying an initial bandwidth requirement then subsequently removing a subset of the identified initial bandwidth requirement directed to all of the background computer sockets executing in the wireless device.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the background computer sockets executing in the wireless device comprise application downloads or updates.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein program instructions to determine preferences based on contextual information corresponding to the wireless device and its user further comprises:

program instructions to determine time duration of how long the user will stay in the first area based, at least in part, on a next scheduled event indicated from a calendar application or social media network updates associated with the user.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the device readable message further includes a ranking of the preferred WIFI hotspots from most preferred to least preferred based on identified bandwidth requirements, the determined preferences, and the network bandwidth and the network throughput capable of being provided by the each of the plurality of WIFI hotspots.