US 8,494,559 B1Granted

Method and system for selecting a wireless access technology using location based information

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorRobert A. Malmi

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Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed whereby location based information (LBI) is used to make access and routing decisions within a network. Such LBI is sent from mobile devices to the core network when the mobile device registers with the network and is updated periodically. Over time, this collected LBI data represents the position of mobile devices over time and periodic patterns of usage in different geographic areas. When a network receives an indication that a mobile device requires registration with the network, the network determines as a function of said LBI, a desired network access technology to use to connect said mobile device with the network. Instructions are then transmitted to the mobile device to establish a connection using said desired network access technology and the device is registered with the network. Dynamically updated LBI information from mobile devices is also used for IP network routing optimization.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer comprising a processor, location-based information associated with a mobile device;
identifying, by the computer, a first wireless access point, comprising a wireless local area network router having a first coverage area encompassing the mobile device, and a first gateway element associated with the first wireless access point, yielding a first access point/gateway pair;
identifying, by the computer, a second wireless access point, comprising a cellular base station having a second coverage area encompassing the mobile device, and a second gateway element associated with the second wireless access point, yielding a second access point/gateway pair;
determining, by the computer, using the location-based information, which one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point to use to connect the mobile device to a communication network, including determining which one of the first access point/gateway pair and the second access point/gateway pair to use to connect the mobile device to the communication network, yielding a determined network access point;
and
transmitting, by the computer, to the mobile device, an instruction indicating the determined network access point for the mobile device to use to connect to the communication network.

3 more elements

A system comprising:

a processor;
and
a computer-readable medium having stored therein computer-executable code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving location-based information associated with a mobile device;
identifying a first wireless access point, comprising a wireless local area network router having a first coverage area encompassing the mobile device, and a first gateway element associated with the first wireless access point, yielding a first access point/gateway pair;
identifying a second wireless access point, comprising a cellular base station having a second coverage area encompassing the mobile device, and a second gateway element associated with the second wireless access point, yielding a second access point/gateway pair;
determining, using the location-based information, which one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point to use to connect the mobile device to a communication network, including determining which one of the first access point/gateway pair and the second access point/gateway pair to use to connect the mobile device to the communication network, yielding a determined network access point;
and
transmitting, to the mobile device, an instruction indicating the determined network access point for the mobile device to use to connect to the communication network.

6 more elements

A tangible computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving location-based information associated with a mobile device;
identifying a first wireless access point, comprising a wireless local area network router having a first coverage area encompassing the mobile device, and a first gateway element associated with the first wireless access point, yielding a first access point/gateway pair;
identifying a second wireless access point, comprising a cellular base station having a second coverage area encompassing the mobile device, and a second gateway element associated with the second wireless access point, yielding a second access point/gateway pair;
determining, using the location-based information, which one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point to use to connect the mobile device to a communication network, including determining which one of the first access point/gateway pair and the second access point/gateway pair to use to connect the mobile device to the communication network, yielding a determined network access point;
and
transmitting, to the mobile device, an instruction indicating the determined network access point for the mobile device to use to connect to the communication network.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.