System and method for intelligent network connection selection

• US 9,693,276 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cairns, Ryan, Wuellner, Trond Thomas, Stewart, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US14/088,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

In some embodiments, a device for network connection selection may include a network connection selector configured to obtain historical connection information related to previous network connections utilized by a device. The historical connection information may include connectivity disruptions indicating whether connectivity was disrupted for one or more network connections that were previously established by the device. The network connection selector may be configured to select a network connection for the device among a plurality of available network connections based on an evaluation of the historical connection information such that the selected network connection substantially maintains connectivity to a network for a future period of time.

Claims

1. A device for network connection selection, comprising:

at least one semiconductor processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one semiconductor processor, are configured to implement,

a network connection selector configured to obtain historical connection information related to previous network connections utilized by a device, the historical connection information including signal strength, rate of data transfer, and connectivity disruptions indicating whether connectivity was disrupted for one or more network connections that were previously established by the device,

the network connection selector configured to extract a predicted location path of the device based on location history of the device,

the network connection selector configured to obtain current parameters for one or more of a plurality of available network connections,

the network connection selector configured to select, when the device is activated from a power-saving state to a full-power state, a network connection for the device among the plurality of available network connections based on an evaluation of the current parameters and the historical connection information along the predicted location path of the device such that the selected network connection substantially maintains connectivity to a network when the device moves along the predicted location path,

wherein the plurality of available network connections include a Wi-Fi connection, and a mobile network connection, wherein when the Wi-Fi connection has a higher signal strength than the mobile network connection at a time of selecting, the mobile network connection is selected based on the mobile network connection having less disruptions than the Wi-Fi connection over the predicted location path.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available network connections includes a plurality of network interfaces, and the network connection selector is configured to select one of the plurality of network interfaces based on historical connection information pertaining to at least one of the plurality of network interfaces.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi connection is a first Wi-Fi connection having a first access point, and the plurality of available network connections also include a second Wi-Fi network connection having a second access point.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the historical connection information indicates locations and times of when the connection disruptions previously occurred.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal strength and the rate of data transfer are recorded in association with a location of the device and a time in which a previously-used network was disconnected.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the predicted location path of the device includes a commute path of a user of the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the network connection selector is configured to determine that a current time period is within a time period associated with the predicated location path, and the network connection selector is configured to select the network connection that substantially maintains connectivity to the network along the predicted location path.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile computing device.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, when executed by at least one semiconductor processor, are configured to:

obtain historical connection information related to previous network connections utilized by a device, the historical connection information including signal strength, rate of data transfer, data segment size, and connectivity disruptions indicating whether connectivity was disrupted for one or more network connections that were previously established by the device;

extract a predicted location path of the device based on location history of the device including determine a first commonly visited location and a second commonly visited location, and determine a travel route between the first commonly visited location and the second commonly visited location;

obtain current parameters for one or more of a plurality of available network connections, the current parameters including current signal strength, rate of data transfer, network congestion, and data segment size, the plurality of available network connections including a mobile network connection, a first Wi-Fi connection having a first access point, and a second Wi-Fi connection having a second access point; and

select, when the device is activated from a power-saving state to a full-power state, a network connection for the device among the plurality of available network connections based on an evaluation of the current parameters and the historical connection information along the predicated location path such that the selected network connection substantially maintains connectivity to a network along the travel route,

wherein, when the first and second Wi-Fi connections have a higher signal strength than the mobile network connection at a time of selecting, the mobile network connection is selected based on the mobile network connection having less disruptions than both the first and second Wi-Fi connections over the predicted location path.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of available network connections includes a plurality of network interfaces, and the network connection selector is configured to select one of the plurality of network interfaces based on historical connection information pertaining to at least one of the plurality of network interfaces.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the historical connection information indicates locations and times of when the connection disruptions previously occurred.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the signal strength and the rate of data transfer are recorded in association with a location of the device and a time in which a previously-used network was active.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the travel path is a commute path between a user'"'"'s home and work.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions include instructions to select the network connection such that connection disruption is minimized within at least a portion of the commute path between the user'"'"'s home and work.

15. A computer-implemented method for network connection selection, the computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining historical connection information related to previous network connections utilized by a device, the historical connection information including signal strength, rate of data transfer, data segment size, and connectivity disruptions indicating whether connectivity was disrupted for one or more network connections that were previously established by the device; and

extracting a predicted location path of the device based on location history of the device;

determining that a current time period is within a time period associated with the predicated location path;

obtaining current parameters for one or more of a plurality of available network connections, the current parameters including current signal strength, rate of data transfer, network congestion, and data segment size, the plurality of available network connections including a mobile network connection, a first Wi-Fi connection having a first access point, and a second Wi-Fi connection having a second access point; and

selecting, when the device is activated from a power-saving state to a full-power state, a network connection for the device among the plurality of available network connections based on an evaluation of the current parameters and the historical connection information along the predicated location path of the device such that the selected network connection substantially maintains connectivity to a network when the device moves along the predicted location path,

wherein, when the first and second Wi-Fi connections have a higher signal strength than the mobile network connection at a time of selecting, the mobile network connection is selected based on the mobile network connection having less disruptions than both the first and second Wi-Fi connections over the predicted location path.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the historical connection information indicates locations and times of when the connection disruptions previously occurred.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the predicted location path of the device is a commute path of a user of the device.