Information Handling System Proximity-Based Wireless Interface Connectivity

• US 20140064258A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Montag, Bruce C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,642,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An information handling system communicates through plural wireless interfaces with plural external wireless devices by automatically selecting associated external wireless devices based upon the proximity of the information handling system to the devices. Positioning of wireless devices is stored in memory to allow a wireless transceiver of the information handling system to power down until within range of a wireless device of interest. For example, an information handling system interfaced with a WLAN through a wireless access point retrieves a wireless device map with wireless devices of one or more work zones located in the WLAN area, each work zone having a set of one or more wireless peripherals in connectivity stations.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to process information;

a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor to store information;

a first wireless transceiver disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the first wireless transceiver operable to communicate information over a first band;

a second wireless transceiver disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the second wireless transceiver operable to communicate information over a second band; and

a wireless device mapper interfaced with the first and second wireless transceivers and operable to determine a first interface by the first wireless transceiver with a first wireless device through the first band and to apply information associated with the first interface to operate the second wireless transceiver in a predetermined manner.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined manner comprises a power down of the second wireless transceiver to a power down state.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the predetermined manner comprises a power up of the second wireless transceiver from a power down state based at least in part upon the position of the housing relative to the first wireless device.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the first wireless device comprises a wireless access point providing a local area network access and the position of the housing comprises at least a predetermined proximity of the housing to a second wireless device operable to communicate with the second transceiver through the second band.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined manner comprises selecting a second wireless device to communicate with the second wireless transceiver from plural wireless devices.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the information associated with the first interface comprises a position of the housing relative to the first wireless device.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the information associated with the first interface comprises positions of the plural wireless devices relative to the first wireless device.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device mapper operates the second wireless transceiver by interfacing with a selected of plural wireless devices based at least in part on a position of the housing relative to the plural wireless devices.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising a position module interfaced with the wireless device mapper and operable to determine the position of the housing.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the wireless device mapper is further operable to retrieve positions of the plural wireless devices through the first interface.

11. A method for managing one or more wireless transceivers disposed in an information handling system, the method comprising:

placing a wireless transceiver of the information handling system in a power down state;

determining that the information handling system is within a predetermined distance of a wireless device; and

in response to determining, automatically powering up the wireless transceiver from the power down state to a power up state and establishing a wireless interface between the wireless device and the wireless transceiver.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting the wireless device from plural wireless devices based upon one or more predetermined conditions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises an identifier of the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises an interface by a second wireless transceiver of the information handling system with a second wireless device.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein determining that the information handling system is within a predetermined distance of a wireless device further comprises:

determining a position of the information handling system with a GPS receiver disposed in the information handling system; and

comparing the position of the information handling system with a position of the wireless device to determine a distance between the information handling system and the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein determining that the information handling system is within a predetermined distance of a wireless device further comprises:

determining a position of the information handling system with a second wireless transceiver of the information handling system disposed in the information handling system, the second wireless transceiver communicating through a wireless network with wireless device; and

retrieving from the wireless device through the wireless network the identity of one or more wireless devices within the predetermined distance.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver communicate through different wireless bands.

18. A wireless communication subsystem comprising:

a first wireless transceiver operable to communicate through a first wireless band with a first wireless device;

a second wireless transceiver operable to communicate through a second wireless band with a second wireless device;

a wireless device mapper interfaced with the first and second wireless transceivers and operable to selectively power down and power up the second transceiver based at least in part upon a distance between the second transceiver and one or more wireless devices; and

a wireless device map having a list of wireless devices with positional information.

19. The wireless communication subsystem of claim 18 wherein the wireless device mapper is further operable to automatically select one or more wireless devices from plural wireless devices of the wireless device map list to establish one or more wireless network interfaces through the second band.

20. The wireless communication subsystem of claim 18 wherein the wireless device map list comprises work zone groupings having plural wireless devices of a work zone and the selected wireless devices comprise a work zone grouping associated with an end user of an information handling system.