Wi-Fi intelligent selection engine

• US 9,807,250 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, Mark David, Huber, Kurt, Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Salmon, Michael A., Tipton, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): PANCHOLI, RINA C
• Application Number:
  US14/040,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20140105003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8271 Based on the number of used services, e.g. call forwarding or call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed to offload the usage of a cellular network by intelligent selection of broadband network connections such as Wi-Fi access points. A Wi-Fi transceiver on a mobile device is activated when certain conditions are met, such as a time, location, recognition of a radiofrequency (RF) environment, etc. The conditions are correlated with a database of known locations in which a one or more Wi-Fi access points are determined to exist. The Wi-Fi transceiver on the mobile device is activated and commanded to connect to a particular Wi-Fi access point. Dynamic intelligence ensures that the appropriate connection method is used, and minimizes handovers to networks or access points that are unreliable or that are predicted to become inaccessible to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a mobile device comprising a processor, speed information and direction of travel information for the mobile device based on current location information for the mobile device and past location information for the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device, future location information for the mobile device based on the speed information and direction of travel information;

determining, by the mobile device, an access point device from access point devices based on location information for the access point devices and the future location information for the mobile device;

overriding, by the mobile device, a setting of the mobile device related to transitioning a power state of a transceiver of the mobile device between an off state and an on state, wherein the setting is determined based on a user input, wherein the overriding the setting activates the transceiver of the mobile device, and wherein the overriding is in response to;

receiving an instruction from equipment of a network operator that facilitates network load balancing via control of how many mobile devices, comprising the mobile device, are accessing a network device,

determining that the transceiver is compatible with the access point device,

determining that utilizing the access point device satisfies a condition relating to offloading data traffic from the network device, and

determining that the mobile device is within a defined distance of the access point device; and

initiating, by the mobile device, communication with the access point device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the speed information and the direction of travel information is based on a current location and corresponding current time information determined from the current location information, and a past location and corresponding past time information determined from the past location information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the future location information comprises determining information having a probable future location and a corresponding arrival time based on the speed information, the direction of travel information, and the current location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the future location information comprises determining information having a probable future location and a corresponding arrival time based on navigation information relating to a path between the mobile device and the probable future location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined distance is a first defined distance, and wherein the determining the access point device comprises including access point devices that are within a second defined distance from a probable future location indicated in the future location information for the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the communication comprises initiating a connection to a femtocell access point device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the communication comprises initiating a connection to a Wi-Fi access point device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the transceiver is further in response to a proximity being determined to satisfy a defined proximity condition, a time and a date being determined to satisfy a temporal condition, a schedule condition being determined to be satisfied related to an access point preference schedule determined from a configurable schedule of events, and the access point device being determined to be available for use.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition is a first condition, and wherein the activating the transceiver is further in response to a determined performance measurement associated with the access point device being determined to satisfy a second condition related to a minimum performance level.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining a first location and a corresponding first time for the mobile device;

determining a second location and a corresponding second time for the mobile device;

determining a speed and a direction of the mobile device based on the first location, the corresponding first time, the second location, and the corresponding second time;

determining probable destinations of the mobile device based on the direction and the speed of the mobile device;

determining probable access point devices based on the probable destinations of the mobile device and access point device information for access point devices comprising the probable access point devices;

in response to overriding a user defined setting of the mobile device, activating, from an off state, a transceiver of the mobile device, wherein the overriding is in response to;

receiving an instruction altering a load distribution for a network comprising a network device via control of how many mobile devices, comprising the mobile device, access the network device,

a current location of the mobile device being determined to satisfy a first condition relating to a proximity of an access point device of the probable access point devices to the mobile device,

a current speed of the mobile device being determined to satisfy a second condition relating to an estimated connection time between the mobile device and the access point device, and

a data throughput demand value being determined to satisfy a third condition related to offloading data to the access point device; and

directing the transceiver to initiate a connection to the access point device.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the access point device information comprises an access point device location for an access point device of the access point devices and the determining the probable access point devices comprises access point devices within a defined proximity of a probable destination of the mobile device from the probable destinations of the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the access point device information comprises an access point device performance measurement for an access point device of the access point devices and the activating the transceiver of the mobile device is further in response to the access point device performance measurement being determined to satisfy a fourth condition related to access point device performance.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the satisfying the second condition is based on determining the estimated connection time based on the speed of the mobile device and a connectivity range of the access point device, and determining that the estimated connection time has transitioned a determined connection time value.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the satisfying the third condition is based on a ranking of access point devices comprising the probable access point devices.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the satisfying the third condition is based on the data throughput demand value being determined to have transitioned a determined value indicating election of the access point device relative to a NodeB access point device.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving first location information and second location information associated with a mobile device;

determining a current trajectory based on the first location information and the second location information;

determining a probable access point device based on the first location information and the current trajectory;

initiating a transmission of an instruction related to overriding a power state setting of a transceiver of the mobile device to alter a status of the transceiver of the mobile device from an off state to an active state, wherein the power state setting is based on an input received via the mobile device, wherein the instruction facilitates altering a load distribution among network devices via control of how many mobile devices, comprising the mobile device, are able to access a network device of the network devices, and wherein the initiating the transmission of the instruction is in response to;

receiving a current location and the current trajectory associated with the mobile device;

the current location of the mobile device being determined to satisfy a first condition relating to a proximity of the mobile device to the probable access point device,

the current trajectory of the mobile device being determined to satisfy a second condition relating to a determined connection time between the mobile device and the probable access point device, and

a data offload value being determined to satisfy a third condition related to a directed election of the probable access point device; and

enabling data communication to be initiated via the probable access point device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the initiating the transmission of the instruction comprises identifying the probable access point device and wherein the probable access point device is a Wi-Fi access point device.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the initiating the transmission of the instruction comprises identifying the probable access point device and wherein the probable access point device is a femtocell access point device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the second condition is determined to be satisfied based on computing an expected connection time based on the current trajectory of the mobile device and a connectivity range of the probable access point device, and determining that the expected connection time exceeds a minimum connection time value.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the third condition is determined to be satisfied based on the data offload value being determined to exceed a value indicating a use of the probable access point device relative to a macro level cellular radio device.