System and method providing location based wireless resource identification

• US 9,549,309 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANOHARAN, MUTHUSWAMY GANAPATHY
• Application Number:
  US14/880,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 370/356
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method providing location based wireless resource identification in a communication system. Various aspects may comprise determining a location of a communication system (e.g., a multimode communication device). One or more wireless resources may then, for example, be identified based, at least in part, on the determined location. Additionally for example, respective manners of communicating with identified wireless resources may be determined and utilized for communication between the communication system and the identified wireless resources. A communication system may, for example, comprise a location determination module adapted to determine a location of the communication device. A wireless resource identification module may, for example, be adapted to identify one or more wireless resources based, at least in part, on the determined location. Also for example, a communication manager module may be adapted to determine respective manners of communicating with the identified wireless resources.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a communication device;

determining whether a set of pre-determined recognized devices is accessible via a Bluetooth communication protocol;

responsive to determining that the set of pre-determined recognized devices are accessible via the Bluetooth communication protocol;

identifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol implemented by the communication device;

determining a location of the communication device based on the set of pre-determined recognized devices;

accessing a wireless resource database entry in a wireless resource database corresponding to the location to identify a pre-determined wireless network as accessible to the communication device via the WLAN communication protocol instead of performing a wireless resource scan to identify the pre-determined wireless network; and

determining access privileges for the pre-determined wireless network;

establishing a connection with the pre-determined wireless network using the access privileges;

responsive to determining that the set of pre-determined recognized devices is not accessible via the Bluetooth communication protocol;

performing the wireless resource scan to determine whether a pre-determined wireless network is accessible via the WLAN communication protocol by;

transmitting a beacon compliant with the WLAN communication protocol; and

analyzing a return signal responsive to the beacon; and

after performing the wireless resource scan;

adding the wireless resource database entry to the wireless resource database; and

accessing the wireless resource database entry for the pre-determined wireless network to identify the pre-determined wireless network as accessible rather than performing the wireless resource scan.

2. The method of claim 1, where performing the wireless resource scan further comprises listening for a beacon compliant with the WLAN communication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, where accessing the wireless resource database entry comprises contacting the wireless resource database via a cellular communication protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, where the set of pre-determined recognized devices comprise a printer, a telephone, a television, a stereo, a video game console, an environmental control system, an alarm system, a modem, a fax machine, a copier, a keyboard, a mouse, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, where determining the location of the communication device comprises determining that the communication device is located within a pre-determined room within a building.

6. The method of claim 1, where

the wireless resource database is stored in memory onboard the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a delay timer before preforming a future determination of available wireless resources responsive to determining that the set of pre-determined recognized devices is not accessible via the Bluetooth communication protocol.

8. A communication device comprising:

network interface circuitry configured to;

perform a device scan in accord with a Bluetooth communication protocol;

perform a wireless resource scan to determine whether a wireless network is accessible through a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol by;

transmitting a beacon compliant with the communication protocol; and

analyzing a return signal sent responsive to the beacon; and

establish a communication link to the wireless network in accord with the WLAN communication protocol using access privileges; and

control circuitry coupled to the network interface circuitry, the control circuitry configured to;

responsive to the device scan indicating that pre-determined recognized devices are accessible via the Bluetooth communication protocol, determine a location of the communication device;

based on the location of the communication device, access a wireless resource database entry corresponding to the location to identify the wireless network as accessible to the communication device via the WLAN communication protocol instead of causing the network interface circuitry to perform the wireless resource scan;

after identifying the wireless network as accessible, determine the access privileges for the wireless network;

responsive to the device scan not indicating that the pre-determined recognized devices are not determined to be accessible via the Bluetooth communication protocol, cause the network interface circuitry to perform the wireless resource scan; and

after performing the wireless resource scan;

add a wireless resource database entry to a wireless resource database; and

access the wireless resource database entry to identify the wireless network as accessible rather than performing a subsequent wireless resource scan.

9. The communication device of claim 8, where the control circuitry is configured to determine the location of the communication device by determining that the communication device is located within a pre-determined room within a building.

10. The communication device of claim 8, where the network interface circuitry is configured to perform the wireless resource scan by further listening for a beacon compliant with the WLAN communication protocol.

11. The communication device of claim 8, where the control circuitry is configured to access the wireless resource database entry by contacting the wireless resource database via a cellular communication protocol.

12. The communication device of claim 8, where the pre-determined recognized devices comprise a printer, a telephone, a television, a stereo, a video game console, an environmental control system, an alarm system, a modem, a fax machine, a copier, a keyboard, a mouse, or any combination thereof.

13. The communication device of claim 8, where the control circuitry is further configured to execute a delay timer before preforming a future determination of available wireless resources responsive to determining that the pre-determined recognized devices is not accessible via the Bluetooth communication protocol.

14. The communication device of claim 8, where the communication device further comprises onboard memory configured to store the wireless resource database.

15. A product comprising:

a machine-readable medium other than a transitory signal; and

instructions stored on the machine-readable medium that, when executed, cause a processor to;

perform, via Bluetooth interface circuitry, a Bluetooth device scan;

determine whether a specified set of devices were detected during the device scan;

responsive to detecting the specified set of devices during the Bluetooth device scan, determine a location for the Bluetooth interface circuitry;

responsive to the location of the Bluetooth interface circuitry, forgo a wireless resource scan for a wireless local area network (WLAN) and instead identify the WLAN as being available without having performed the wireless resource scan by accessing a wireless resource database entry corresponding to the location;

initiate a connection to the WLAN;

responsive to not detecting the specified set of devices during the Bluetooth device scan, perform the wireless resource scan by;

transmitting a beacon compliant with a WLAN communication protocol; and

analyzing a return signal sent responsive to the beacon; and

after performing the wireless resource scan;

add the wireless resource database entry to a wireless resource database; and

reference the wireless resource database entry to identify the WLAN as accessible rather than performing a subsequent wireless resource scan.

16. The product of claim 15, where the instructions further cause the processor to execute a delay timer before preforming a future determination of available wireless resources responsive to not detecting the specified set of devices during the device scan.

17. The product of claim 15, where the instructions further cause the processor to perform the wireless resource scan by listening for a beacon compliant with the WLAN communication protocol.

18. The product of claim 15, where the instructions further cause the processor to access the wireless resource database entry by contacting the wireless resource database via a cellular communication protocol.

19. The product of claim 15, where the specified set of devices comprise a printer, a telephone, a television, a stereo, a video game console, an environmental control system, an alarm system, a modem, a fax machine, a copier, a keyboard, a mouse, or any combination thereof.

20. The product of claim 15, where the instructions further cause the processor to determine the location of the Bluetooth interface circuitry by determining that the Bluetooth interface circuitry is located within a pre-determined room within a building.