Wifi enable based on cell signals
AssigneeHand Held Products, Inc.
InventorShanning Yang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless device has a WiFi transceiver and a WWAN transceiver. A programmed processor is configured to connect the WiFi transceiver to an access point and while connected, operate in a learning mode in which WWAN signals are characterized at a location of the WiFi access point and stored as an access point characterization. When a connection to the AP is lost, operating in a monitoring mode in which WWAN signals are compared to the stored access point characterization with the WiFi transceiver disabled. When the WWAN signals match the WiFi AP characterization the WiFi transceiver is enabled to reconnect to a WiFi AP.
Claims18
A wireless device, comprising:
- a WiFi transceiver;
- a WWAN transceiver;
- a programmed processor, communicatively coupled to the WiFi transceiver and the WWAN transceiver, the processor being configured for:
- connecting the WiFi transceiver to a WiFi access point;
- while the WiFi transceiver is connected to the WiFi access point, operating in a learning mode in which WWAN signals are characterized at a location of the WiFi access point and stored as an access point characterization;
- determining that the connection with the WiFi access point has been lost;
- upon determining that the connection with the WiFi access point has been lost, operating in a monitoring mode in which WWAN signals are compared to the stored access point characterization and in which the WiFi transceiver is disabled;
- determining that the WWAN signals match the WiFi access point characterization;
- and
- upon determining that the WWAN signals match the WiFi access point characterization, enabling the WiFi transceiver and reconnecting to the WiFi access point.
A method, carried out at a WiFi and WWAN capable device, comprising:
- connecting a WiFi transceiver to a WiFi access point;
- while the WiFi transceiver is connected to the WiFi access point, operating the device in a learning mode in which WWAN signals are characterized at a location of the WiFi access point and stored as a WiFi access point characterization;
- determining that the WiFi transceiver has lost connection with the WiFi access point;
- upon determining that the WiFi transceiver has lost connection with the WiFi access point, operating the device in a monitoring mode in which WWAN signals are compared to the stored access point characterization and in which the WiFi transceiver is disabled;
- determining that the WWAN signals match the WiFi access point characterization;
- and
- upon determining that the WWAN signals match the WiFi access point characterization, enabling the WiFi transceiver and connecting to the WiFi access point.
A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by one or more programmed processors, carries out a process comprising:
- connecting a WiFi transceiver of a wireless device to a WiFi access point;
- while the WiFi transceiver is connected to the WiFi access point, operating the wireless device in a learning mode in which WWAN signals are characterized at a location of the WiFi access point and stored as a WiFi access point characterization;
- determining that the WiFi transceiver has lost connection with the WiFi access point;
- upon determining that the WiFi transceiver has lost connection with the WiFi access point, operating the wireless device in a monitoring mode in which WWAN signals are compared to the stored access point characterization and in which the WiFi transceiver is disabled;
- determining that the WWAN signals match the WiFi access point characterization;
- and
- upon determining that the WWAN signals match the WiFi access point characterization, enabling the WiFi transceiver and connecting to the WiFi access point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.