SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING LOCATION-AWARE WI-FI ACCESS FOR A PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20090278705A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Goel, Sandesh, Chhabra, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 8,598,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing location-aware WiFi access for a portable device include determining an initial location of the portable device and transmitting the initial location to a WiFi location provider, wherein the WiFi location provider comprises locations and WiFi parameters for a plurality of WiFi access points, wherein each WiFi access point has a corresponding wireless range. The locations and the WiFi parameters for a set of WiFi access points are then received from the WiFi location provider, wherein the set of WiFi access points are within a radius of the initial location of the portable device. At least one WiFi access point in the set of WiFi access points is scanned for that contains the portable device within its wireless range. The portable device then connects to the at least one WiFi access point, thereby forming a WiFi connection.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-aware WiFi access for a portable device, comprising:

determining an initial location of the portable device;

transmitting the initial location to a WiFi location provider, wherein the WiFi location provider comprises locations and WiFi parameters for a plurality of WiFi access points, wherein each WiFi access point has a corresponding wireless range;

receiving the locations and the WiFi parameters for a set of WiFi access points from the WiFi location provider, wherein the set of WiFi access points are within a radius of the initial location of the portable device;

scanning for at least one WiFi access point in the set of WiFi access points that contains the portable device within its wireless range; and

connecting to the at least one WiFi access point, thereby forming a WiFi connection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to receiving the locations and the WiFi parameters for the set of WiFi access points, selectively powering ON a WiFi transceiver of the portable device when a current location of the portable device falls within the wireless range of the at least one WiFi access point and when the portable device is moving at a velocity less than a predetermined velocity.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising powering ON the WiFi transceiver at a later time when the portable device is within a distance 2*d of the current location of the portable device at an initial time when the WiFi connection was formed, and automatically attempting to reconnect with the at least one WiFi access point by using the WiFi parameters stored within a profile for the WiFi connection.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein d is configurable.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing directions to a user of the portable device to change the current location of the portable device to a suggested location in order to improve quality of the WiFi connection, and prompting the user for an input confirming that the user is in the suggested location before attempting to reconnect with the at least one WiFi access point.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the scanning for the at least one WiFi access point is performed for a predetermined time, after which the WiFi transceiver is turned OFF if a response is not received from the at least one WiFi access point that contains the portable device within its wireless range.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the initial location to a WiFi location provider is performed using a SMS message, wherein the SMS message comprises coordinates of the portable device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the WiFi parameters comprise at least one of a SSID, a channel number, a band, a security key, a country information element, and quality of service parameters.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the radius comprises a distance between the portable device and a farthest access point in the set of the WiFi access points.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable device comprises a non-volatile memory, further comprising storing a profile for the WiFi connection in the non-volatile memory, wherein the profile comprises the initial location of the portable device at an initial time when the WiFi connection was formed and the WiFi parameters of the at least one WiFi access point with which the WiFi connection was formed.

11. A portable device that provides location-aware WiFi access, comprising:

a WiFi transceiver; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine an initial location of the portable device;

transmit the initial location to a WiFi location provider, wherein the WiFi location provider comprises locations and WiFi parameters for a plurality of WiFi access points, wherein each WiFi access point has a corresponding wireless range;

receive the locations and the WiFi parameters for a set of WiFi access points from the WiFi location provider, wherein the set of WiFi access points are within a radius of the initial location of the portable device;

scan for at least one WiFi access point in the set of WiFi access points that contains the portable device within its wireless range; and

connect to the at least one WiFi access point, thereby forming a WiFi connection.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising in response to receiving the locations and the WiFi parameters for the set of WiFi access points, selectively powering ON a WiFi transceiver of the portable device when a current location of the portable device falls within the wireless range of the at least one WiFi access point and when the portable device is moving at a velocity less than a predetermined velocity.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the WiFi transceiver is powered ON at a later time when the portable device is within a distance 2*d of the current location of the portable device at an initial time when the WiFi connection was formed, and automatically attempting to reconnect with the at least one WiFi access point by using the WiFi parameters stored within a profile for the WiFi connection.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein d is configurable.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein a user of the portable device is provided with directions to change the current location of the portable device to a suggested location in order to improve quality of the WiFi connection, and prompting the user for an input confirming that the user is in the suggested location before attempting to reconnect with the at least one WiFi access point.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the scanning for the at least one WiFi access point is performed for a predetermined time, after which the WiFi transceiver is turned OFF if a response is not received from the at least one WiFi access point that contains the portable device within its wireless range.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the transmitting the initial location to a WiFi location provider is performed using a SMS message, wherein the SMS message comprises coordinates of the portable device.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the WiFi parameters comprise at least one of a SSID, a channel number, a band, a security key, a country information element, and quality of service parameters.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the radius comprises a distance between the portable device and a farthest access point in the set of the WiFi access points.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the portable device comprises a non-volatile memory, further comprising storing a profile for the WiFi connection in the non-volatile memory, wherein the profile comprises the initial location of the portable device at an initial time when the WiFi connection was formed and the WiFi parameters of the at least one WiFi access point with which the WiFi connection was formed.

21. An executable software product stored on a computer-readable medium containing program instructions for providing location-aware WiFi access for a portable device, the program instructions for:

determining an initial location of the portable device;

transmitting the initial location to a WiFi location provider, wherein the WiFi location provider comprises locations and WiFi parameters for a plurality of WiFi access points, wherein each WiFi access point has a corresponding wireless range;

receiving the locations and the WiFi parameters for a set of WiFi access points from the WiFi location provider, wherein the set of WiFi access points are within a radius of the initial location of the portable device;

scanning for at least one WiFi access point in the set of WiFi access points that contains the portable device within its wireless range; and

connecting to the at least one WiFi access point, thereby forming a WiFi connection.

22. The executable software product of claim 21 further comprising program instructions for:

in response to receiving the locations and the WiFi parameters for the set of WiFi access points, selectively powering ON a WiFi transceiver of the portable device when a current location of the portable device falls within the wireless range of the at least one WiFi access point and when the portable device is moving at a velocity less than a predetermined velocity.

23. The executable software product of claim 22 further comprising program instructions for:

powering ON the WiFi transceiver at a later time when the portable device is within a distance 2*d of the current location of the portable device at an initial time when the WiFi connection was formed, and automatically attempting to reconnect with the at least one WiFi access point by using the WiFi parameters stored within a profile for the WiFi connection.

24. The executable software product of claim 23 wherein d is configurable.

25. The executable software product of claim 22 further comprising program instructions for providing directions to a user of the portable device to change the current location of the portable device to a suggested location in order to improve quality of the WiFi connection, and prompting the user for an input confirming that the user is in the suggested location before attempting to reconnect with the at least one WiFi access point.

26. The executable software product of claim 22 wherein the scanning for the at least one WiFi access point is performed for a predetermined time, after which the WiFi transceiver is turned OFF if a response is not received from the at least one WiFi access point that contains the portable device within its wireless range.

27. The executable software product of claim 21 wherein the transmitting the initial location to a WiFi location provider is performed using a SMS message, wherein the SMS message comprises coordinates of the portable device.

28. The executable software product of claim 21 wherein the WiFi parameters comprise at least one of a SSID, a channel number, a band, a security key, a country information element, and quality of service parameters.

29. The executable software product of claim 21 wherein the radius comprises a distance between the portable device and a center of a farthest of in the set of the WiFi access points.

30. The executable software product of claim 21 wherein the portable device comprises a non-volatile memory, and further comprises program instructions for:

storing a profile for the WiFi connection in the non-volatile memory, wherein the profile comprises the initial location of the portable device at an initial time when the WiFi connection was formed and the WiFi parameters of the at least one WiFi access point with which the WiFi connection was formed.