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US 11,109,290 B2Granted
Switching connections over frequency bands of a wireless network
AssigneeCharter Communications Operating, LLC
InventorsWilliam Kenneth Logan, Oliver James Jauncey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique performed by a client on a device includes detecting one or more wireless networks in range of the device, where the one or more wireless networks support connection over at least two frequency bands; controlling the device to connect to the one or more wireless networks over at least one of the two frequency bands; and controlling the device to switch connections among different ones of the at least two frequency bands based on levels of service provided by the different ones of the at least two frequency bands.
Claims20
A computerized method of operating a computerized client device, comprising:
- communicating with a server entity in data communication with an application on the computerized client device to obtain data relating to at least one policy, the at least one policy applicable to a class of devices to which the computerized client device belongs and comprising data relating to a level of service of a wireless network over a frequency band at which the computerized client device connects to the wireless network;
- detecting one or more wireless networks in range of the computerized client device, the one or more wireless networks supporting connection over at least two frequency bands;
- controlling the computerized client device to connect to a first one of the one or more wireless networks over a first one of the at least two frequency bands;
- configuring the application based on the at least one policy, the at least one policy comprising data relating to switching connectivity between the computerized client device and the one or more wireless networks over one or more of the at least two frequency bands;
- and
- controlling the computerized client device to switch over to a second one of the at least two frequency bands based on the at least one policy and one or more levels of service provided by the first one and the second one of the at least two frequency bands;
- wherein:
- the communicating with the server entity comprises causing synchronization between the computerized client device and the server entity, the synchronization (i) performed according to a prescribed schedule, the prescribed schedule associated with a plurality of synchronization events to be performed at different pre-determined times, and (ii) comprising enabling the computerized client device to obtain the data relating to the at least one policy;
- and
- the controlling the computerized client device to switch over to the second one of the at least two frequency bands comprises delaying implementation of the switch over based on a completion of an existing data transfer over the first one of the at least two frequency bands.
7 more elements
A computerized mobile device comprising:
- processor apparatus;
- network interface apparatus in data communication with a computerized server entity;
- and
- storage apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the processor apparatus:
- receive data relating to one or more policies from the computerized server entity, the one or more policies comprising data relating to one or more conditions under which the computerized mobile device connects to a wireless network over a frequency band;
- detect one or more wireless networks in range of the computerized mobile device, the one or more wireless networks supporting connection over at least two frequency bands;
- generate data relating to a prediction of one or more levels of service associated with each of the at least two frequency bands, and generate a prioritization of the one or more wireless networks based at least on the generated data relating to the prediction;
- control the computerized mobile device to connect to a first one of the one or more wireless networks over a first one of the at least two frequency bands;
- configure a client application of the computerized mobile device based on at least one of the one or more policies that is unique to the computerized mobile device, the at least one of the one or more policies comprising data relating to control of connection between the computerized mobile device and the one or more wireless networks over one or more of the at least two frequency bands;
- and
- control the computerized mobile device to switch over to a second one of the at least two frequency bands based on at least one of the one or more conditions or the prioritization.
8 more elements
Computer readable apparatus comprising non-transitory storage media, the non-transitory storage media comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions that are configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus:
- cause synchronization between a computerized client device and a computerized server entity, the synchronization being (i) in accordance with a prescribed schedule, and (ii) configured to enable:
- transmission of data representative of a request for data relating to one or more policies, the one or more policies comprising data relating to one or more conditions which can cause the computerized client device to connect to a wireless network over at least one radio frequency band;
- and
- receipt of the data relating to the one or more policies from the computerized server entity;
- monitor, in a substantially continuous fashion, for the one or more conditions, the monitoring comprising a background operation of the computerized client device;
- detect one or more wireless networks within a range of the computerized client device, the one or more wireless networks supporting connection over at least two radio frequency bands;
- cause the computerized client device to connect to a first one of the one or more wireless networks over a first one of the at least two radio frequency bands;
- and
- cause the computerized client device to switch over to a second one of the at least two radio frequency bands based on the monitoring;
- wherein the data relating to the one or more conditions comprises data specifying at least one of connection over, switching to, or steering between, respective ones of the at least two frequency bands based on at least a quality of service (QoS) achievable over the respective ones of the at least two frequency bands.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.