System and method for controlling network scan parameters for a network connection

A method of initiating a network scan for a network according to network scan parameters, the method comprising:

• receiving, at an application program interface residing on a communication device, a plurality of requests to initiate the network scan for the network, each request being received from an application operating on the communication device, and each request comprising one or more requested network scan parameters;
• aggregating the one or more requested network scan parameters of each request to form an amalgamated set of requested network scan parameters;
• and
• in response to determining, at the communication device, that at least one of the plurality of requests was received within a predetermined time period and a previous network scan has not been initiated from at least a first period of time:
• adjusting the network scan parameters based on the amalgamated set of requested network scan parameters;
• and
• configuring and initiating the network scan, at the communication device, according to the network scan parameters that have been adjusted.

A communication device comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory storing computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by the processor is for:
• receiving, at an application program interface (API) residing on the communication device, a request to initiate a network scan for an institute of electrical and electronic engineers (IEEE) 802.11 class network according to network scan parameters, the request comprising one or more requested network scan parameters;
• and
• in response to receiving the request:
• adjusting the network scan parameters based on the one or more requested network scan parameters when the request is received within a first time period and a previous network scan has not been initiated by the communication device within a second time period;
• and
• configuring and initiating the network scan at the communication device according to the network scan parameters that have been adjusted;
• wherein one of the one or more requested network scan parameters indicates how frequently the network scan is conducted.