# US 2019/0174404 A1 · Collaborative Scheme for Selection of Optimal Accesses and Seamless Transition Between Accesses > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0174404 A1 - Document ID: US20190174404A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/272,762 - Filed: 2019-02-11 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-04 - Assignees: BlackBerry Limited - Applicants: BlackBerry Limited - Inventors: Khiem LE; Wei WU; Wing Fai LO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174404A1 ## CPC - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 48/14: using user query {or user detection} - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Devices and methods are disclosed for selecting an optimal access network in a wireless communications environment, such as when offloading mobile data traffic. In various embodiments disclosed herein, a contributing device comprises processing logic configured to generate set of communication environment identification data corresponding to the location of the communication device, to generate a set of observed AN availability and communication performance data corresponding to the location of the communication device and, and to transmit the set of communication environment identification data and the set of observed communication performance data to a server. In some embodiments, the contributing device is location-aware and in some embodiments, the contributing device is location-unaware. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a communication device, the method comprising: generating a set of communication environment identification data corresponding to a location of the communication device, the set of communication environment identification data comprising a radio signature, wherein the radio signature comprises a combination of received radio signal attributes from one or more communication signals that are in range at the location of the communication device; generating a set of observed communication performance data corresponding to the location of the communication device; and transmitting the set of communication environment identification data and the set of observed communication performance data to a server. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of communication environment identification data comprises: location data corresponding to the location of the communication device; and identification information corresponding to access nodes observed by the communication device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the set of communication environment identification data further comprises radio signature data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the received radio signal attributes includes radio characteristics comprising one or more of: received signal strength; radio mobile device transmit timing adjustment; angle of arrival; or multipath delay distribution. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of observed communication performance data comprises at least one of: a histogram of received signal strength for access nodes observed by a location-aware device; a histogram of performance for access nodes observed by a location-aware device; a histogram of performance for access nodes corresponding to a radio signature observed by a non-location-aware device; an authentication scheme or subnet information used by an access node; a histogram of latency observed for connection to an access node; or performance achieved using adaptive behavior communicating with an access node. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving, from the server, a set of processed information items relevant to the set of communication environment identification data; and selecting an access node based on the processed information items. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising selecting an access node for handoff based on the processed information items. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising selecting an access node during idle mobility based on the processed information items. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising optimizing a set of access nodes communicating with the communication device based on the processed information items. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving, from the server, a set of location data meeting an accuracy requirement; providing the set of location data to an external database; receiving, from the external database, a set of access node attribute data; and selecting an access node based on the set of access node attribute data. ### Claim 11 A communication device comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to: generate a set of communication environment identification data corresponding to a location of the communication device, the set of communication environment identification data comprising a radio signature, wherein the radio signature comprises a combination of received radio signal attributes from one or more communication signals that are in range at the location of the communication device; generate a set of observed communication performance data corresponding to the location of the communication device; and transmit the set of communication environment identification data and the set of observed communication performance data to a server. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communication device of claim 11, wherein the set of communication environment identification data comprises: location data corresponding to the location of the communication device; and identification information corresponding to access nodes observed by the communication device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The communication device of claim 12, wherein the set of communication environment identification data further comprises radio signature data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The communication device of claim 11, wherein the received radio signal attributes includes radio characteristics comprising one or more of: received signal strength; radio mobile device transmit timing adjustment; angle of arrival; or multipath delay distribution. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The communication device of claim 11, wherein the set of observed communication performance data comprises at least one of: a histogram of received signal strength for access nodes observed by a location-aware device; a histogram of performance for access nodes observed by a location-aware device; a histogram of performance for access nodes corresponding to a radio signature observed by a non-location-aware device; an authentication scheme or subnet information used by an access node; a histogram of latency observed for connection to an access node; or performance achieved using adaptive behavior communicating with an access node. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, from the server, a set of processed information items relevant to the set of communication environment identification data; and select an access node based on the processed information items. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to select an access node for handoff based on the processed information items. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to select an access node during idle mobility based on the processed information items. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to optimize a set of access nodes communicating with the communication device based on the processed information items. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, from the server, a set of location data meeting an accuracy requirement; provide the set of location data to an external database; receive, from the external database, a set of access node attribute data; and select an access node based on the set of access node attribute data. ### Claim 21 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor of a communication device cause the communication device to: generate a set of communication environment identification data corresponding to a location of the communication device, the set of communication environment identification data comprising a radio signature, wherein the radio signature comprises a combination of received radio signal attributes from one or more communication signals that are in range at the location of the communication device; generate a set of observed communication performance data corresponding to the location of the communication device; and transmit the set of communication environment identification data and the set of observed communication performance data to a server.