Location-based WI-FI radio activation and deactivation for mobile devices

• US 9,282,581 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Blackburn, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANTON, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US14/630,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for location-based WI-FI radio activation and deactivation for mobile devices. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a WI-FI connection management system can detect that a mobile device is within a coverage area provided by a WI-FI network. The WI-FI connection management system can also generate a trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate a WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network. The WI-FI connection management system can also send the trigger to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A WI-FI connection management system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

detecting that a mobile device is within a coverage area provided by a WI-FI network,

generating a first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate a WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network, wherein generating the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network comprises generating the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate a cellular radio configured to connect the mobile device to a mobile telecommunications network, and

sending the first trigger to the mobile device.

2. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that the mobile device is outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network;

generating a second trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device; and

sending the second trigger to the mobile device.

3. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise requesting authentication credentials from a WI-FI authentication server and receiving the authentication credentials from the WI-FI authentication server, and wherein generating the first trigger comprises generating the first trigger to further instruct the mobile device to connect to the WI-FI network utilizing the authentication credentials.

4. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise instructing a WI-FI authentication server to negotiate a secure connection to the WI-FI network when the mobile device attempts to connect to the WI-FI network.

5. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1, wherein the WI-FI network is operated by a mobile telecommunications carrier that operates the mobile telecommunications network that the mobile device is capable of connecting to.

6. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is within the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network is based, at least in part, on location information associated with the mobile device and received from the mobile device.

7. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is within the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network is based, at least in part, on location information associated with the mobile device and received from a location system.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, by a WI-FI connection management system, that a mobile device is within a coverage area provided by a WI-FI network;

generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, a first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate a WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network, wherein generating the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network comprises generating the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate a cellular radio configured to connect the mobile device to a mobile telecommunications network; and

sending, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting, by the WI-FI connection management system, that the mobile device is outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network;

generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, a second trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device; and

sending, by the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger to the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising requesting, by the WI-FI connection management system, authentication credentials from a WI-FI authentication server and receiving, by the WI-FI connection management system, the authentication credentials from the WI-FI authentication server, and wherein generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger comprises generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger to further instruct the mobile device to connect to the WI-FI network utilizing the authentication credentials.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising instructing, by the WI-FI connection management system, a WI-FI authentication server to negotiate a secure connection to the WI-FI network when the mobile device attempts to connect to the WI-FI network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the WI-FI network is operated by a mobile telecommunications carrier that operates the mobile telecommunications network that the mobile device is capable of connecting to.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting that the mobile device is within the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network is based, at least in part, on location information associated with the mobile device and received from the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting that the mobile device is within the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network is based, at least in part, on location information associated with the mobile device and received from a location system.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a cellular radio;

a WI-FI radio;

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a first trigger from a WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to activate the WI-FI radio and connect to a WI-FI network and to deactivate the cellular radio configured to connect the mobile device to a mobile telecommunications network,

deactivating the cellular radio per the instructions included in the first trigger,

activating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the first trigger, and

connecting to the WI-FI network per the instructions included in the first trigger.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein receiving the first trigger comprises receiving the first trigger in response to the mobile device being within a coverage area provided by the WI-FI network.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the mobile device being outside of a coverage area provided by the WI-FI network, receiving a second trigger from the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device; and

deactivating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the second trigger.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the first trigger further comprises authentication credentials, and the instructions included in the first trigger further comprise instructions to connect to the WI-FI network utilizing the authentication credentials.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second trigger from the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and reactivate the cellular radio based at least in part upon a load of the WI-FI network;

deactivating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the second trigger; and

reactivating the cellular radio per the instructions included in the second trigger.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the WI-FI network is operated by a mobile telecommunications carrier that operates the mobile telecommunications network that the mobile device is capable of connecting to, and wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the mobile device being outside of a coverage area provided by the WI-FI network, receiving a second trigger from the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and reactivate the cellular radio;

deactivating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the second trigger; and

reactivating the cellular radio per the instructions included in the second trigger.