Providing easy access to radio networks
AssigneeWeFi Inc.
InventorsShimon Scherzer, Tamir Scherzer, Ronnie Blaier, Yariv Lifchuk, Michael Medvinsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved connectivity to radio access point is enabled by a server that includes a database storing data about various radio access points, and an evaluation module evaluating the quality of connection to each of the access points. Clients receive updates about relevant access points from the server and use the information to connect to the preferred access point. The clients also check connectivity to other access points in the vicinity, and report the findings to the server. The server uses the reports to update its database, and send corresponding updates to the clients.
Claims27
A method for obtaining connection information from a network database defining a network of wireless access points to facilitate connecting a mobile wireless user computing device to a network, the method comprising:
- obtaining a set of data identifying at least one wireless access point, said set of data including connection information generated by at least one other user computing device and being stored in a database on remote server as database record, wherein said set of data further includes at least one indication of access quality for connecting to the network through at least one wireless access point;
- and
- downloading connection information based on the set of data from the database to a user computing device for use by the user computing device in establishing a connection to the network, wherein the connection information includes at least one indication of access quality for at least one wireless access point.
A method for enhancing wireless connectivity to the Internet, comprising:
- providing a plurality of clients operating on a plurality of mobile devices;
- receiving connectivity reports identifying at least one wireless access point from at least one of said plurality of clients;
- constructing a network database defining a network from said connectivity reports by adding new access point records to the network database that were not previously in the network database, wherein said network database further includes at least one indication of access quality for the at least one wireless access point;
- making the network database available to at least one of the clients;
- transmitting selected data including at least one indication of access quality from said database to at least one of said clients;
- and
- at least one client selecting a wireless access point to connect to as a function of at least one indication of access quality.
A method for defining a network of wireless access points, comprising:
- operating a mobile device to discover and connect to a network wireless access point;
- receiving by the mobile device access point data from the network wireless access point;
- determining at least one indication of historical access quality from data received from the network wireless access point,
- sending the access point data to a central server;
- and
- storing the access point data in a network database stored on the central server, wherein the stored access point data further includes at least one indication of historical access quality for the network wireless access point.
A system for enhancing connectivity to radio access points, comprising:
- a network database stored on a central server connected to a network;
- an evaluation module receiving connectivity reports from a plurality of clients and storing the reports in the network database and defining a network, said connectivity reports comprising data identifying wireless access points, at least some of which access points previously were not in the network database;
- a processor connected to the network and adapted to send updates to at least one of the clients, said updates comprising selected data from the network database, said selected data relating to access points in a selected geographical region and including at least one indication of access quality for at least one wireless access point in the selected geographical region.
A method for operating a mobile device for enhancing connectivity to radio access points, comprising:
- searching for radio signals of wireless access points;
- attempting to connect to at least one of the wireless access points;
- storing access point data identifying the at least one wireless access point;
- sending the data to a remote server having a network database defining a network;
- generating at least one indication of access quality for accessing the network through at least one of the wireless access point;
- and
- storing the data and the indication of access quality in the network database.
A method for improving wireless connectivity to the Internet by utilizing a social network, comprising:
- instituting a plurality of user accounts having corresponding usernames, each account
- corresponding to one user of a plurality of users;
- receiving user connectivity reports from users, each connectivity report comprising at least access point name, access point location, and access point status;
- maintaining a list of access points defining a network based on the user connectivity reports, and listing usernames of all users who send a connectivity report for the respective access point;
- generating at least one indication of access quality for accessing the network through at least one access point;
- and
- providing a user interface comprising the listing of usernames and a map having indicators for access points name, location, access quality and status.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.