Providing Easy Access to Radio Networks

• US 20130279418A1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TruConnect Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: WeFi, Inc.
• Inventors: Scherzer, Tamir, Blaier, Ronnie, Lifchuk, Yariv, Medvinsky, Michael, Scherzer, Shimon
• Granted Patent: US 10,021,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• 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 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An improved connectivity to radio access point is enabled by a server that includes a database storing data about various radio access points, and an evaluation module evaluating the quality of connection to each of the access points. Clients receive updates about relevant access points from the server and use the information to connect to the preferred access point. The clients also check connectivity to other access points in the vicinity, and report the findings to the server. The server uses the reports to update its database, and send corresponding updates to the clients.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method comprising:

receiving, from a set of mobile devices, data associated with a set of network access points, including data indicative of quality of connection, experienced by the set of mobile devices, associated with the set of network access points; and

displaying a map comprising a set of network access point indicators, wherein each of the network access point indicators is displayed at a location on the map relative to a location associated with at least some other network access point indicators, and wherein each of the network access point indicators reflects an indication of the quality of connection associated with a corresponding one of the set of network access points.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

selectively transmitting, based on a user interaction with the displayed map, data that helps to connect a particular mobile device to at least one of the network access points.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the received data is associated with data acquired by one or more mobile devices other than the particular mobile device.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the indication of the quality of connection is an indication of network bandwidth.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the indication of the quality of connection is determined based on one or more of a received signal strength indication, a number of occupied IP addresses, a data speed, a rate of connection drops, or a ping delay.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein providing the indication of the quality of connection comprises displaying each of the network access point indicators in a color associated with the quality of connection associated with the corresponding one of the set of network access points.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein providing the indication of the quality of connection comprises displaying a number associated with the quality of connection of each of the set of network access points.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein providing the indication of the quality of connection comprises displaying a rank associated with the quality of connection of each of the set of network access points.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

displaying additional information on the map regarding the set of network access points based on a selection of one of the network access point indicators.

35. A system configured to:

receive, from a set of mobile devices, data associated with a set of network access points, including data indicative of quality of connection, experienced by the set of mobile devices, associated with the set of network access points; and

display a map comprising a set of network access point indicators, wherein each of the network access point indicators is displayed at a location on the map relative to a location associated with at least some other network access point indicators, and wherein each of the network access point indicators reflects an indication of the quality of connection associated with a corresponding one of the set of network access points.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to selectively transmit, based on a user interaction with the displayed map, data that helps to connect a particular mobile device to at least one of the network access points.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the received data is associated with data acquired by one or more mobile devices other than the particular mobile device.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the indication of the quality of connection is an indication of network bandwidth.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the indication of the quality of connection is determined based on one or more of a received signal strength indication, a number of occupied IP addresses, a data speed, a rate of connection drops, or a ping delay.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein providing the indication of the quality of connection comprises displaying each of the network access point indicators in a color associated with the quality of connection of the corresponding one of the set of network access points.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein providing the indication of the quality of connection comprises displaying a number associated with the quality of connection of each of the set of network access points.

42. The system of claim 35, wherein providing the indication of the quality of connection comprises displaying a rank associated with the quality of connection of each of the set of network access points.

43. The system of claim 35, wherein the display is further configured to display additional information on the map regarding the set of network access points based on a selection of one of the set of network access point indicators.

44. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first set of mobile devices, data associated with a set of network access points, including data indicative of quality of connection, experienced by the set of mobile devices, associated with the set of network access points, wherein the data indicative of quality of connection is determined based on one or more of a received signal strength indication, a number of occupied IP addresses, a data speed, a rate of connection drops, a ping delay, or network bandwidth;

storing, in a database, data associated with the received data; and

selectively transmitting, to a second set of mobile devices, at least some of the stored data.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein selectively transmitting at least some of the stored data comprises:

receiving a request, from the second set of mobile devices, for data from the database, and transmitting the at least some of the data stored in the database in response to the request.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the first set of mobile devices is different than the second set of mobile devices.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the transmitted data is associated with a location of the second set of mobile devices.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

receiving additional data associated with at least some of the set of network access points; and

updating the database based on the additional received data.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the data indicative of quality of connection is data indicative of network bandwidth associated with a network comprised of one of more of the set of access points.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein the stored data is historical data.

51. A server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from a first set of mobile devices, data associated with a set of network access points, including data indicative of quality of connection, experienced by the set of mobile devices, associated with the set of network access points, wherein the data indicative of quality of connection is determined based on one or more of a received signal strength indication, a number of occupied IP addresses, a data speed, a rate of connection drops, a ping delay, or network bandwidth;

a database configured to store data associated with the received data; and

a transmitter configured to selectively transmit, to a second set of mobile devices, at least some of the stored data.

52. The server of claim 51, wherein the transmitter selectively transmits the at least some of the stored data in response to receiving a request, from the second set of mobile devices, for data from the database.

53. The server of claim 51, wherein the first set of mobile devices is different than the second set of mobile devices.

54. The server of claim 51, wherein the transmitted data is associated with a location of the second set of mobile devices.

55. The server of claim 51, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive additional data associated with at least some of the set of network access points, and wherein the database is further configured to be updated based on the additional received data.

56. The server of claim 51, wherein the data indicative of quality of connection is data indicative of network bandwidth associated with a network comprised of one or more of the set of access points.

57. The server of claim 51, wherein the stored data is historical data.

58. A method comprising:

receiving, from a server, historical data indicative of quality of connection, experienced by a set of mobile devices, associated with a set of network access points, wherein the historical data indicative of the quality of connection is determined based on one or more of a received signal strength indication, a number of occupied IP addresses, a data speed, a rate of connection drops, a ping delay, or network bandwidth;

detecting a set of available network access points; and

selectively connecting a particular mobile device to one of the detected available network access points based on the received historical data.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the historical data is associated with data acquired by the set of mobile devices.

60. The method of claim 58, further comprising:

determining, based on the historical data, that the set of available network access points includes at least one of the set of network access points; and

connecting the mobile device to the available access point from the set of available network access points based on the determination.

61. The method of claim 58, further comprising:

transmitting, to the server, data indicative of a quality of connection of the available access point from the set of available network access points.

62. The method of claim 58, wherein the historical data is received based on a location of the mobile device.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein the historical data indicative of the quality of connection is historical data indicative of network bandwidth.

64. A mobile device configured to:

receive, from a server, historical data indicative of quality of connection, experienced by a set of mobile devices, associated with a set of network access points, wherein the historical data indicative of the quality of connection is determined based on one or more of a received signal strength indication, a number of occupied IP addresses, a data speed, a rate of connection drops, a ping delay, or network bandwidth; and

detect a set of available network access points and selectively connect the mobile device to one of the detected available network access points based on the received historical data.

65. The mobile device of claim 64, wherein the historical data is associated with data acquired by the set of mobile devices.

66. The mobile device of claim 64, further configured to:

determine, based on the historical data, that the set of available network access points includes at least one of the set of network access points; and

connect the mobile device to the available access point from the set of available network access points based on the determination.

67. The mobile device of claim 64, further configured to:

transmit, to the server, data indicative of a quality of connection of the available access point from the set of available network access points.

68. The mobile device of claim 64, wherein the historical data is received based on a location of the mobile device.

69. The mobile device of claim 64, wherein the historical data indicative of the quality of connection is historical data indicative of network bandwidth.