Systems and methods for location-based multi-band roaming

• US 9,307,517 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Alavudin, Jalvathi
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US14/223,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods to provide connectivity by a user device to a WiFi network based at least in part on determining the location of the user device are disclosed. The user device may determine its current location and send a location message indicating its current location to a mobile network server via a mobile communication network. The mobile network server may determine if there are available WiFi access points at the current location of the user device. If the mobile network server determines that there is an available WiFi access point to which the user device may connect at its current location, then the mobile network server may communicate association information of that WiFi network to the user device. The user device may receive the association information and connect to the available WiFi access point using the association information. The user device may turn on its WiFi radio prior to connecting to the WiFi access point. Once connected, the user device may seamlessly transition any applications running thereon to use communications bandwidth from the WiFi network from using communications bandwidth of the mobile communications network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a user device comprising one or more computer processors, a location of the user device;

transmitting, by the user device and via a mobile communications network, the location of the user device;

receiving, by the user device and responsive to the location of the user device, one or more WiFi association information corresponding to a WiFi access point available at the location of the user device;

connecting, by the user device and based at least in part on the WiFi association information, to the WiFi access point;

identifying, by the user device, an application being executed by the one or more computer processors;

transferring, by the user device, the application from using communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network to using communications bandwidth from a wireless network associated with the WiFi access point;

determine a received signal strength indication (RSSI) using a signal received;

determine that the RSSI is below a threshold level; and

provide communications bandwidth to the application from the mobile communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the location of the user device further comprises generating, by the user device, a location message carrying the location of the user device and an identity of the user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the generating the location message further comprises encrypting the location message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the WiFi association information includes at least a service set identification (SSID) and a password of the WiFi access point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing, by the user device and based at least in part on connecting to the WiFi access point, use of the communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application is a first application and wherein reducing use of the communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network further comprises executing a second application on the one or more computer processors using the communications bandwidth of the WiFi network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the user device at a point in time subsequent to connecting to the WiFi access point, that the user device is not within range of a WiFi network associated with the WiFi access point; and

increasing, responsive to the determination by the user device, the use of communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network by transferring the communications bandwidth usage of the application from the WiFi network to the mobile communications network.

8. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

identifying a location of a user device;

transmitting, via a mobile communications network, a location message carrying the location of the user device;

receiving, responsive to the location message, WiFi association information corresponding to a WiFi network available at the location of the user device;

connecting, based at least in part on the WiFi association information, to the WiFi network;

identifying an application being executed by the one or more processors; and

transferring the application from using communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network to using communications bandwidth from a wireless network associated with a WiFi access point;

determine a received signal strength indication (RSSI) using a signal received;

determine that the RSSI is below a threshold level; and

provide communications bandwidth to the application from the mobile communications network.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the WiFi association information includes at least a service set identification (SSID) and a password of at least one WiFi access point associated with the WiFi network.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

decrypting an association message carrying the WiFi association information corresponding to the available WiFi network.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

reducing, based at least in part on connecting to the WiFi network, use of communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, at a point in time subsequent to connecting to the WiFi network, that a received signal strength indication (RSSI) is below a predetermined threshold; and

increasing, responsive to the determination, the use of communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network by transferring the communications bandwidth usage of the application from the WiFi network to the mobile communications network.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein connecting to the WiFi access point further comprises the one or more processors to direct energizing a WiFi transceiver from a low-power state to a powered state.

14. A user device, comprising:

a first antenna communicatively coupled to a first transceiver and configured to receive or transmit one or more wireless signals associated with a mobile communications network;

a second antenna communicatively coupled to a second transceiver and configured to receive or transmit one or more wireless signals associated with a WiFi network; and

one or more processors configured to;

identify a location of the user device;

transmit a signal indicating the identified location via the first transceiver and first antenna via the mobile communications network;

receive association information via the first transceiver and first antenna via the mobile communications network;

initiate connection to the WiFi network via the second antenna and second transceiver utilizing the association information;

identify an application being executed by the one or more processors;

transfer the application from using communications bandwidth from the mobile communications network to using communications bandwidth from the WiFi network;

determine a received signal strength indication (RSSI) using a signal received;

determine that the RSSI is below a threshold level; and

provide communications bandwidth to the application from the mobile communications network.

15. The user device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

direct energizing the second transceiver responsive to receiving the association information.

16. The user device of claim 14, wherein the application is a first application and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

execute a second application and provide communications bandwidth to the second application from the WiFi network after connecting to the WiFi network.

17. The user device of claim 14, further comprising:

a third antenna communicatively coupled to a third transceiver and configured to receive at least one global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal and, wherein the one or more processors configured to identify a location of the user device further comprises the one or more processors configured to;

receive one or more GNSS signals via the third antenna and third transceiver; and

determine the location of the user device based at least in part on the received one or more GNSS signals.

18. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive a message indicating information associated with an access point of a WiFi network, wherein the information includes a location of the access point and one or more association information associated with the WiFi network;

update a datastore of WiFi infrastructure with the information associated with the access point of the WiFi network;

receive a location message from a user device, the location message indicating a current location associated with the user device;

identify, based at least in part on the location message and the datastore, that the current location corresponds to the access point;

identify, based at least in part on the datastore, the one or more association information associated with the WiFi network; and

transmit the one or more association information to the user device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processors are further configured to identify the current location by decrypting the location message.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to identify that the current location corresponds to an available WiFi network comprises accessing a datastore of WiFi infrastructure and their corresponding respective locations.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the association information includes at least a service set identification (SSID) and a password of at least one WiFi access point associated with the available WiFi network.