Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080198820 | Location-Based Pattern for Scanning for Wireless Local Area Networks - A mobile device having a wireless local area network interface and one or more other wireless interfaces identifies a location of the mobile device via one or more of the other wireless interfaces, estimates a likelihood of finding a wireless local area network at the location, and scans for wireless local area networks while at the location during scan sessions that are separated by intervals, where the intervals are determined by the estimated likelihood. | 08-21-2008 |
20080200142 | EMERGENCY NUMBER SELECTION FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE - Automatically selecting an emergency number for use by a mobile communications device enabled for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications, including: receiving at the mobile communications device a geographic indicator in a beacon frame transmitted from a wireless access point of a wireless local area network that is connected to an Internet Protocol network; and determining from a plurality of emergency numbers stored in a storage element of the mobile communications device a selected emergency number in dependence on the received geographic indicator. | 08-21-2008 |
20080259882 | Determining a WLAN Regulatory Domain - A mobile station is in a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ environment and receives beacon frames that lack any WLAN regulatory information. The mobile station nonetheless determines a WLAN regulatory domain and configures the physical layer of its WLAN interface for operation in that WLAN regulatory domain. | 10-23-2008 |
20090003278 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF COMMUNICATING WITH A FIRST AND SECOND NETWORK BY A COMMUNICATION DEVICE - The invention relates to a system and method for maintaining a first connection to a first network and a second connection to a second network by a communication device. The method comprises: conducting a first activity to maintain or establish the first connection in a series of spaced, timed segments, such that the segments represent a timeframe of an original activity that would span a continuous period that would cause a transmission conflict with the second connection; and conducting a second activity for the second network only between two of consecutive segments of the series of segments. The first network may be a 802.11-class network; the first activity may be a beacon scan for a channel of the 802.11-class network; the second network may be a Bluetooth network; and the second activity may be transmission of an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile data to a second device through the Bluetooth network. | 01-01-2009 |
20090098916 | Methods And Apparatus For Reducing Power Consumption During Network Scanning Operations With Adverse Battery Conditions - In a mobile communication device, a scanning operation is performed with use of a wireless transceiver to identify one or more available wireless communication networks in a given coverage area. Each time the scanning operation fails to result in any connection between the mobile device and a wireless network, the scanning operation is repeated after delaying for a next delay period of a plurality of scanning delay periods n=[n | 04-16-2009 |
20090111466 | WLAN scanning by prevalence of access point deployment on certain channels - A wireless local area network client device scans for wireless local area networks using a scanning scheme that takes into account the relative prevalence, in a population of access points, of access point deployment on the channels to be scanned. In one aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In yet another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to and more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. | 04-30-2009 |
20090131081 | ADJUSTING WLAN SCANNING PARAMETERS BASED ON RATE OF CHANGE OF LOCATION OF MOBILE DEVICE - A mobile device adjusts its scanning parameters, depending on the rate of change of location of the mobile device. Examples of scanning parameters that may be adjusted include a back-off parameter that affects the time between successive scans, and a scan/don't scan parameter that according to its value prevents the mobile device from scanning or permits the mobile device to scan. The mobile device may maintain different back-off parameters for different types of scans. Determining which scanning parameters to adjust and how to adjust them may depend on whether the rate of change of location of the mobile device does not exceed a low threshold, exceeds a high threshold, or exceeds the low threshold and does not exceed the high threshold. Different thresholds may be applied by the mobile device for different types of scans. | 05-21-2009 |
20090232040 | SCANNING GROUPS OF PROFILES OF WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS - Two or more connection profiles stored in a wireless device are partitioned into two or more groups, each group having a different number of sleep intervals associated therewith. The number of sleep intervals associated with a particular group determines a wait between subsequent scans for wireless local area networks matching any profile in that particular group. One or more factors may be taken into consideration when determining how to partition the profiles into groups, including, for example, a connectivity history of the wireless device. | 09-17-2009 |
20100157864 | Scanning Methods And Apparatus For Mobile Devices In Wireless Local Area Networks For Reduced Power Consumption - One illustrative method for reducing power consumption in a mobile communication device of a wireless local area network (WLAN) involves the steps of identifying a communication signal quality value between the mobile device and a wireless access point of the WLAN with which the mobile device is currently associated; determining an initial timer value based on a predefined relationship with the communication signal quality value where, as the communication signal quality value decreases, the initial timer value correspondingly decreases; initializing a scan trigger timer with the initial timer value and running the scarf trigger timer; and upon expiration of the scan trigger timer: causing a scanning operation to be performed for identifying one or more wireless access points in a coverage region; and repeating the acts of identifying, determining, initializing and running the scan trigger timer, and causing the scanning operation to be performed. Preferably, the mobile device operates to refrain from performing scanning operations altogether when the communication signal quality value is greater than a scan trigger threshold value. The scan trigger threshold value may be derived from or calculated based on a previously-received or last-sampled communication signal quality value of the wireless access point sampled at a time when the mobile device chose to reassociate with a different wireless access point of the WLAN. | 06-24-2010 |
20100220602 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELF-TERMINATING A MEDIA SERVICE DUE TO AN OUT-OF-COVERAGE CONDITION - A method and mobile device that self-terminates a media service if an out-of-coverage condition is detected. The media service operates on top of a connectionless peer-to-peer packet-based transport protocol. The out-of-coverage condition may relate to the mobile device itself or to a remote mobile device engaged in the media service. The loss of coverage by the remote mobile device may be detected by observing whether the remote mobile device has failed to send any data packets for more than a predetermined period of time. If an out-of-coverage situation is detected, then the method or device initiates service cancellation or release. | 09-02-2010 |
20100232332 | Methods And Apparatus For Reducing Power Consumption During Network Scanning Operations With Adverse Battery Conditions - In a mobile communication device, a scanning operation is performed with use of a wireless transceiver to identify one or more available wireless communication networks in a given geographic area. Each time the scanning operation fails to result in identifying a wireless network to be available for connection with the communication device, the scanning operation is repeated after delaying for a next scanning delay period of a plurality of consecutively-increasing scanning delay periods n=n | 09-16-2010 |
20100267380 | WLAN SCANNING BY PREVALENCE OF ACCESS POINT DEPLOYMENT ON CERTAIN CHANNELS - A wireless local area network client device scans for wireless local area networks using a scanning scheme that takes into account the relative prevalence, in a population of access points, of access point deployment on the channels to be scanned. In one aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In yet another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to and more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. | 10-21-2010 |
20100278043 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING DEGRADATION OF A MEDIA SERVICE - A method and device for identifying degradation in service quality for a wireless media service. The wireless media service has a known expected packet generation rate, which may be determined by the device based upon the codec and payload size selected on initiating the media service. At a receiving device, the packets actually received by the device from the other termination point are counted over a time period, and this number is compared with the number of packets that were expected based upon the known packet generation rate. From this comparison a packet loss rate may be determined. If the packet loss rate exceeds a threshold level, then the device may issue a user alert, terminate the service, or take other action. The threshold level may be established based upon a packet loss rate corresponding to a significant degree of service quality degradation. | 11-04-2010 |
20110028167 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING MESSAGES TO BE SENT WHILE A MOBILE DEVICE IS OUT-OF-COVERAGE - A system and method are provided that enable a mobile device when out-of-coverage and thus unable to send or receive messages to rely on other mobile devices which are also out-of-coverage as “hosts” for their outgoing messages such that when one of the hosts comes back into coverage the host mobile device (HMD) can send the outgoing messages on behalf of the originating or “source” mobile device (SMD). The system and method may comprise a pairing procedure to determine the suitability of a mobile device being an HMD according to criteria such as battery power, memory availability and whether the device is also out of coverage. When coming back into coverage, information is obtained from the data communication system to determine whether others have already sent messages that have been provided to host mobile devices. | 02-03-2011 |
20110059722 | EMERGENCY NUMBER SELECTION FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE - Automatically selecting an emergency number for use by a mobile communications device enabled for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications, including: receiving at the mobile communications device a geographic indicator in a beacon frame transmitted from a wireless access point of a wireless local area network that is connected to an Internet Protocol network; and determining from a plurality of emergency numbers stored in a storage element of the mobile communications device a selected emergency number in dependence on the received geographic indicator. | 03-10-2011 |
20110182190 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELF-TERMINATING A MEDIA SERVICE DUE TO AN OUT-OF-COVERAGE CONDITION - A method and mobile device that self-terminates a media service if an out-of-coverage condition is detected. The media service operates on top of a connectionless peer-to-peer packet-based transport protocol. The out-of-coverage condition may relate to the mobile device itself or to a remote mobile device engaged in the media service. The loss of coverage by the remote mobile device may be detected by observing whether the remote mobile device has failed to send any data packets for more than a predetermined period of time. If an out-of-coverage situation is detected, then the method or device initiates service cancellation or release. | 07-28-2011 |
20110249591 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING DEGRADATION OF A MEDIA SERVICE - A method and device for identifying degradation in service quality for a wireless media service. The wireless media service has a known expected packet generation rate, which may be determined by the device based upon the codec and payload size selected on initiating the media service. At a receiving device, the packets actually received by the device from the other termination point are counted over a time period, and this number is compared with the number of packets that were expected based upon the known packet generation rate. From this comparison a packet loss rate may be determined. If the packet loss rate exceeds a threshold level, then the device may issue a user alert, terminate the service, or take other action. The threshold level may be established based upon a packet loss rate corresponding to a significant degree of service quality degradation. | 10-13-2011 |
20120008607 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MAINTAINING A CONNECTION WITH A FIRST NETWORK WHILE PROCESSING COMMUNICATIONS WITH A SECOND NETWORK BY A COMMUNICATION DEVICE - The invention provides a method and device that communicate with a 802.11-class network and processes communications with a Bluetooth network. A passive beacon scan is conducted in a channel of a 802.11-class network through a series of spaced segments, such that the series of spaced segments represent a timeframe of a notional beacon period that would span a continuous period for the 802.11-class network; and data is transmitted from the communication device to the Bluetooth network between two of consecutive segments of the series of spaced segments. | 01-12-2012 |
20120238289 | Location-Based Pattern for Scanning for Wireless Local Area Networks - A mobile device having a wireless local area network interface and one or more other wireless interfaces identifies a location of the mobile device via one or more of the other wireless interfaces, estimates a likelihood of finding a wireless local area network at the location, and scans for wireless local area networks while at the location during scan sessions that are separated by intervals, where the intervals are determined by the estimated likelihood. | 09-20-2012 |
20120250554 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING DEGRADATION OF A MEDIA SERVICE - A method and device for identifying degradation in service quality for a wireless media service. The wireless media service has a known expected packet generation rate, which may be determined by the device based upon the codec and payload size selected on initiating the media service. At a receiving device, the packets actually received by the device from the other termination point are counted over a time period, and this number is compared with the number of packets that were expected based upon the known packet generation rate. From this comparison a packet loss rate may be determined. If the packet loss rate exceeds a threshold level, then the device may issue a user alert, terminate the service, or take other action. The threshold level may be established based upon a packet loss rate corresponding to a significant degree of service quality degradation. | 10-04-2012 |
20120329495 | System and Method for Enabling Messages to be Sent While a Mobile Device is Out-of-Coverage - A system and method are provided that enable a mobile device when out-of-coverage and thus unable to send or receive messages to rely on other mobile devices which are also out-of-coverage as “hosts” for their outgoing messages such that when one of the hosts comes back into coverage the host mobile device (HMD) can send the outgoing messages on behalf of the originating or “source” mobile device (SMD). The system and method may comprise a pairing procedure to determine the suitability of a mobile device being an HMD according to criteria such as battery power, memory availability and whether the device is also out of coverage. When coming back into coverage, information is obtained from the data communication system to determine whether others have already sent messages that have been provided to host mobile devices. | 12-27-2012 |
20130010778 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PREDICTING SERVICE DROP IN A WIRELESS NETWORK - A mobile wireless device for use in a wireless network, wherein the wireless network includes regular access points and border access points. The border access points are those access points situated at the edge of the campus or other physical facility associated with the wireless network and they define the edge of the coverage area of the wireless network. The mobile wireless device predicts a possible drop of an active service due to loss of coverage by recognizing when it has connected with a border access point. A warning is output to the user of the mobile wireless device. The mobile wireless device may further recognize if it is located on the exterior side of the border access point away from the interior of the wireless network. | 01-10-2013 |
20130281135 | System and Method for Enabling Messages to be Sent While a Mobile Device is Out-of-Coverage - A system and method are provided that enable a mobile device when out-of-coverage and thus unable to send or receive messages to rely on other mobile devices which are also out-of-coverage as “hosts” for their outgoing messages such that when one of the hosts comes back into coverage the host mobile device (HMD) can send the outgoing messages on behalf of the originating or “source” mobile device (SMD). The system and method may comprise a pairing procedure to determine the suitability of a mobile device being an HMD according to criteria such as battery power, memory availability and whether the device is also out of coverage. When coming back into coverage, information is obtained from the data communication system to determine whether others have already sent messages that have been provided to host mobile devices. | 10-24-2013 |