Apparatus and method for displaying availability of wireless LAN

• US 20060251034A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Soo-hong
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus and a method to display the availability of a wireless LAN, in which information about an area supporting a wireless local area network (LAN) is provided to a user carrying a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone through a mobile phone network in the form of text, voice or images. The apparatus includes: an input unit to receive a command to request a search for a wireless LAN available in a designated location from a user; a packet generating unit to generate an information request packet according to the received command; a communicating unit to transmit the generated information request packet and to receive a result of the requested search for the available wireless LAN, in response to the transmitted information request packet; and a display unit to display the received result of the search.

Claims

1. An apparatus to display availability of a wireless local area network (LAN), the apparatus comprising:

an input unit to receive a command to request a search for a wireless LAN available in a designated location;

a packet generating unit to generate an information request packet according to the received command;

a communicating unit to transmit the generated information request packet and to receive a result of the requested search for the available wireless LAN, in response to the transmitted information request packet; and

a display unit to display the received result of the search.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the designated location includes one or more of a current location, a user-designated location, or a movement route.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the information request packet includes one or more of a terminal phone number, a display type, or the designated location.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the command includes one or more of a command signature, a user-designated location, or a movement route.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a location tracking unit to track a current location, if the command does not include a user-designated location or a movement route.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the location tracking unit tracks the current location using one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) or a mobile phone network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises a type of the wireless LAN available in the designated location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the received result of the search comprises location information of a wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, if there is no wireless LAN available in the designated location.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the location information of the wireless LAN comprises one or more of a type of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, the coordinates of a repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, or a distance between the designated location and the repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location.

35. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the user-designated location includes one or more of spatial coordinates or an address of the designated location, a building name or a landmark corresponding to the designated location; and

the movement route includes one or more of a departure point, an intermediate point or the destination point of the movement route, or the departure point and the destination point of the movement route.

36. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the designated location includes one or more of a current location, a user-designated location, or a movement route;

the information request packet includes one or more of a terminal phone number, a display type, or the designated location; and

the command includes one or more of a command signature, a user-designated location, or a movement route.

37. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the packet generating unit sets a user-designated location or a movement route, where included in the received command, as the designated location to generate the information request packet.

38. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the packet generating unit sets a current location of a mobile terminal as the designated location, where a user-designated location or a movement route is not included in the received command, to generate the information request packet.

39. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the packet generating unit sets a user-designated location or a movement route, when included in the received command, as the designated location to generate the information request packet; and

the packet generating unit sets a current location of a mobile terminal as the designated location, where the user-designated location or the movement route is not included in the received command, to generate the information request packet.

40. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises location information including one or more of neighboring roads and neighboring buildings, a distance between the designated location and the available wireless LAN, or a distance between the designated location and a radio range of the available wireless LAN.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises the location information displayed by the display unit in the form of a map, text, image or voice output.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises location information including one or more of a location of the available wireless LAN, a direction of the available wireless LAN, or a moving distance and a moving direction to receive service by the available wireless LAN.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises the location information displayed by the display unit in the form of a map, text, image or voice output.

10. An apparatus to notify a user of wireless local area network (LAN) availability, the apparatus comprising:

a storing unit to store a wireless LAN database;

a receiving unit to receive an information request packet for a wireless LAN available in a selected location;

a searching unit to search for the wireless LAN available in the selected location by referring to the stored wireless LAN database, in response to the received information request packet; and

a transmitting unit to transmit information corresponding to the available wireless LAN determined from the search.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the wireless LAN database comprises one or more of coordinates of a repeater for a corresponding type of wireless LAN, a table including the radio range of the repeater for the corresponding type of wireless LAN, or a map corresponding to the table.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the information request packet comprises one or more of a terminal phone number, a display type, or the designated location.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises location information of a wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, if there is no wireless LAN available in the designated location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the location information of the wireless LAN comprises one or more of a type of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, coordinates of a repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, or a distance between the designated location and the repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location.

15. A method to display availability of a wireless local area network (LAN), the method comprising:

receiving a command to request a search for a wireless LAN available in a designated location;

generating an information request packet according to the received command;

transmitting the generated information request packet for the search for the wireless LAN available in the designated location;

receiving the result of the requested search for the available wireless LAN in response to the transmitted information request packet; and

displaying the received result of the search.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the designated location comprises one or more of a current location of a mobile terminal, a user-designated location, or a movement route of the mobile terminal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the information request packet comprises one or more of a terminal phone number, a display type, or the designated location.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the command comprises one or more of a command signature, a user-designated location, and a movement route of a mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

tracking a current location of a mobile terminal, if the command does not include a user-designated location and a movement route of the mobile terminal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

tracking the current location of the mobile terminal by one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) or a mobile phone network.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises a type of the wireless local area network (LAN) available in the designated location.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the received result of the search comprises location information of a wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, if there is no wireless LAN available in the designated location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the location information of the wireless LAN comprises one or more of a type of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, coordinates of a repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location, or a distance between the designated location and the repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the designated location.

31. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the designated location comprises one or more of a current location of a mobile terminal, a user-designated location, or a movement route of the mobile terminal;

the information request packet comprises one or more of a terminal phone number, a display type, or the designated location; and

the command comprises one or more of a command signature, a user-designated location, and a movement route of a mobile terminal.

32. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating the information request packet comprises:

generating the information request packet with reference to a movement route of a mobile terminal, when the received command includes the movement route of the mobile terminal;

generating the information request packet with reference to a user-designated location of the mobile terminal, when the received command includes the user designated location of the mobile terminal and does not include the movement route of the mobile terminal; and

generating the information request packet with reference to a current location of the mobile terminal, when the received command does not include the user designated location of the mobile terminal and does not include the movement route of the mobile terminal.

33. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating the information request packet further comprises:

tracking the current location of the mobile terminal to generate the information request packet, when the received command does not include the user designated location of the mobile terminal and does not include the movement route of the mobile terminal.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

tracking the current location of the mobile terminal by one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) or a mobile phone network.

24. A method of notifying a user of wireless local area network (LAN) availability, the method comprising:

storing a wireless LAN database;

receiving an information request packet to request a search for a wireless LAN available in a selected location;

searching for the wireless LAN available in the selected location by referring to the stored wireless LAN database, in response to the received information request packet; and

transmitting information corresponding to the available wireless LAN determined from the search.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the wireless LAN database comprises one or more of coordinates of a repeater for a type of wireless LAN, a table including the radio range of the repeater for the corresponding type of wireless LAN, or a map corresponding to the table.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the information request packet comprises one or more of a terminal phone number, a display type, and the selected location.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the search for the available wireless LAN comprises searching for location information of a wireless LAN located around or near the selected location, if there is no wireless LAN available in the selected location.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the location information of the wireless LAN comprises one or more of a type of the wireless LAN located around or near the selected location, coordinates of a repeater of the wireless LAN located around or near the selected location, or a distance between the selected location and the repeater of the LAN located around or near the selected location.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein transmitting information corresponding to the available wireless LAN determined from the search further comprises:

providing information about an area supporting the available wireless LAN through a mobile phone network.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein transmitting information corresponding to the available wireless LAN determined from the search further comprises:

providing information about an area supporting the available wireless LAN according to a user'"'"'s movement route to determine an optimal movement route for a mobile terminal.

44. An apparatus to display availability of a wireless local area network (LAN), the apparatus comprising:

an input unit to receive a command to request a search for one or more wireless local area networks (LANs) available around or near a designated location;

a packet generating unit to generate an information request packet according to the received command;

a communicating unit to transmit the generated information request packet and to receive a result of the requested search for the one or more available wireless LANs around or near the designated location, in response to the transmitted information request packet; and

a display unit to display the received result of the search.

45. An apparatus to display availability of a wireless local area network (LAN), the apparatus comprising:

an input unit to receive a command to request a search for one or more wireless local area networks (LANs) available on a movement route of a mobile terminal;

a packet generating unit to generate an information request packet according to the received command;

a communicating unit to transmit the generated information request packet and to receive a result of the requested search for the one or more available wireless LANs on the movement route of the mobile terminal, in response to the transmitted information request packet; and

a display unit to display the received result of the search.

46. A method to determine availability of a wireless local area network (LAN), the method comprising:

storing a wireless local area network (LAN) database;

generating an information request packet to search for one or more wireless local area networks (LANs) available around or near a designated location;

searching for the one or more wireless LANs available around or near the designated location by referring to the stored wireless local area network (LAN) database, in response to the generated information request packet; and

determining from the search the one or more available wireless LANs around or near the designated location in response to the generated information request packet, as a result of the search.

47. A method to determine availability of a wireless local area network (LAN), the method comprising:

storing a wireless local area network (LAN) database;

generating an information request packet to search for one or more wireless local area networks (LANs) available on a movement route of a mobile terminal;

searching for the one or more wireless LANs available on the movement route of the mobile terminal by referring to the stored wireless local area network (LAN) database, in response to the generated information request packet; and

determining from the search the one or more wireless LANs available on the movement route of the mobile terminal in response to the generated information request packet, as a result of the search.