Device and method for intelligent wireless communication selection

• US 20030100308A1
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rusch, Leslie A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,801,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes one or more radio interfaces to communicate using various wireless protocols with different communication networks. The wireless device may, for example, be a notebook or laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile data terminal, wireless telephone, video camera or another multimedia device. A multi-channel radio controller within the wireless device characterizes available communication networks to determine network characteristics including current network information. Available communication networks and services may be characterized by monitoring traffic, using location information, interrogating or from current connectivity. A wireless connectivity assistant may select a communication network and service based on the network characteristics and at least one of user preferences, application requirements and system information.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a network for wireless communicating comprising:

characterizing available networks to determine current network information; and

selecting one of the available networks based on the current network information and at least one of user preferences, application requirements and system information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a communication session with the selected wireless communication network

3. The method of claim 1 wherein characterizing comprises interrogating at least one of the available networks to determine the current network information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein characterizing comprises monitoring traffic on at least one of the available networks to determine the current network information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein characterizing comprises determining a geographic location and determining the current network information from the geographic location.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the geographic location includes a triangulation of signals from at least one of the available networks.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein characterizing comprises maintaining a communication link with at least one of the communication networks to determine the current network information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the current network information includes at least one of bit-error-rate, bit-rate, packet size, network congestion, delay, security and cost for at least one available network.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating with the selected network over a wireless link;

monitoring a quality of the wireless link during communicating;

selecting another wireless link with another network when the quality decreases; and

switching to communicating with the another network.

10. A computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for performing a method of selecting a communication network when executed within a digital processing device, the method comprising:

characterizing available networks to determine current network information; and

selecting one of the available networks based on the current network information and at least one of user preferences, application requirements and system information.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the current network information includes at least one of bit-error-rate, bit-rate, packet size, network congestion, delay, security and cost for at least one available network.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein characterizing comprises interrogating at least one of the available networks to determine the current network information.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein characterizing further comprises monitoring traffic on at least one of the available networks to determine the current network information.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein characterizing further comprises determining a geographic location and determining the current network information from the geographic location.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein characterizing comprises maintaining a communication link with at least one of the communication networks to determine the current network information.

16. A wireless communication device comprising:

radio interfaces to communicate with networks;

a multi-protocol radio controller to characterize available networks to determine current network information; and

a wireless connectivity assistant to select one of the available networks based on the current network information and at least one of user preferences, application requirements and system information.

17. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the radio interfaces comprise at least one of a packet radio system interface, a cellular radio interface, a wireless local area network interface, and a short-range digital wireless interface.

18. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the controller causes radio interfaces to interrogate available networks to determine current network information.

19. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the controller uses the radio interfaces to monitor traffic on available networks to determine current network information.

20. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the controller uses the radio interfaces to determine a geographic location, and determines the current network information based on the location.

21. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the controller causes at least one of the radio interfaces to maintain a communication link with an available network to determine current network information.

22. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the current network information includes as least one of a bit-error-rate, packet size, network congestion, security, and cost for an available network.

23. The communication device of claim 22 wherein the user preferences include at least one of a preferred network carrier, a tolerance to quality of service, a security level and power constraint, and wherein the application requirements include at least one of a bit-rate requirement, a quality of service requirement, a connection continuity requirement, and a security requirement.

24. The communication device of claim 23 wherein the system information includes at least one of a power constraint, security requirement, processor speed, display resolution, processing capability, camera resolution, and audio capabilities.

25. The communication device of claim 16 wherein the communication device is a portable computer.

26. An agent to select a network for wireless communications comprising:

a characterizing portion to characterize available networks to determine current network information; and

a selecting portion to select one of the available networks based on the current network information and at least one of user preferences, application requirements and system information,

wherein the current network information includes at least one of bit-error-rate, bit-rate, packet size, network congestion, delay, security and cost for at least one available network.

27. The agent of claim 26 wherein the characterizing portion monitors traffic on at least one of the available networks to determine the current network information.

28. The agent of claim 26 wherein the characterizing portion includes at least one of:

an interrogating portion to interrogate at least one of the available networks to determine the current network information;

a determining portion to determine a geographic location and determining the current network information from the geographic location; and

a maintaining portion to maintain a communication link with at least one of the communication networks to determine the current network information.