WLAN network information caching

A method in a wireless local area network client device, the method comprising:

• maintaining a history of profile-location associations, where an association links a profile stored in the client device with a location in a vicinity of which the client device was connected to a wireless local area network described in the profile and where the association includes an indication of a time at which the client device was connected to the wireless local area network when in the vicinity of the location;
• determining a current location of the client device;
• and
• while in a vicinity of the current location, refraining from scanning for wireless local area networks when the history does not have any records that include the current location.

A method in a wireless local area network client device, the method comprising:

• maintaining a history of profile-location associations, where an association links a profile stored in the client device with a location in a vicinity of which the client device was connected to a wireless local area network described in the profile, where the association includes an indication of the communication channel on which the client device detected the wireless local area network when in the vicinity of the location and where the association includes an indication of a time at which the client device was connected to the wireless local area network when in the vicinity of the location;
• determining a current location of the client device;
• and
• while in a vicinity of the current location, scanning for wireless local area networks on one or more of the communication channels indicated in associations that identify the current location prior to scanning on communication channels that are not associated in the history with the current location.

A wireless client device comprising:

• a processor;
• a wireless local area network interface coupled to the processor, the wireless local area network interface comprising a wireless local area network controller and a radio;
• an antenna coupled to the radio;
• another wireless interface coupled to the processor, through which the client device is able to determine its current location;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory arranged to store profiles of wireless local area networks and arranged to store executable code that, when executed by the processor, maintains a history of profile-location associations, where an association links a profile stored in the client device with a location in a vicinity of which the client device was connected to a wireless local area network described in the profile and where the association includes an indication of a time at which the client device was connected to the wireless local area network when in the vicinity of the location, and, while in a vicinity of the current location, controls the wireless local area network controller to actively scan for wireless local area networks by sending probe requests that include service set identifiers of profiles that are associated in the history with the current location prior to sending probe requests that include service set identifiers of profiles that are stored in the client device but are not associated in the history with the current location.