Electronic device for controlling connection to access point and method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12302225-B2
Application number	US-202217573045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 18, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a communication circuit, a memory, and a processor configured to be operatively connected to the communication circuit and the memory. The processor may be configured to control the communication circuit to perform wireless communication through a first access point, to search for another access point while performing communication through the first access point, and attempt to connect to a candidate access point selected based on a block list stored in the memory, and to store, when a designated event occurs while attempting to connect to the candidate access point, a recovery condition configured according to a type of the designated event together with identification information of the candidate access point in the block list.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a communication circuit;
a memory; and
a processor configured to be operatively connected to the communication circuit and the memory,
wherein the processor is configured to:
control the communication circuit to perform wireless communication through a first access point,
search for another access point while performing communication through the first access point, and attempt to connect to a candidate access point selected based on a block list stored in the memory, and
store, when a designated event occurs while attempting to connect to the candidate access point, a recovery condition configured according to a type of the designated event together with identification information of the candidate access point in the block list, and

wherein:
the designated event, which is a situation where normal communication with the candidate access point cannot be performed due to a failure in connecting to the candidate access point, includes a type in which connection and disconnection with the candidate access point are repeated within a designated time period, and the recovery condition includes a condition for a lifetime, and
the processor is configured to determine whether to delete the candidate access point from the block list after the lifetime included in the recovery condition has elapsed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the recovery condition includes at least one of a condition for a received signal strength for the candidate access point or a condition for a lifetime.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to configure at least one of the condition for the received signal strength or the condition for the lifetime based on the type of the designated event.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to dynamically change at least one of the condition for the received signal strength or the condition for the lifetime according to a change in characteristics of a wireless network of the candidate access point.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the characteristics of the wireless network include number, density, and/or coverage area of a plurality of access points included in the wireless network.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to delete the candidate access point from the block list based on the recovery condition stored in the block list when there is no access point satisfying a selection condition while the candidate access point is excluded by being in the block list.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the type of the designated event includes a type in which a signal is not received from the candidate access point within a first designated time period, a type in which a connection reject response is received from the candidate access point, and a type in which connection and disconnection with the candidate access point are repeated within a second designated time period.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the designated event includes a type in which a signal is not received from the candidate access point within a designated time period, and the recovery condition includes a condition for a received signal strength for the candidate access point and a condition for a lifetime, and
the processor is configured to determine to delete the candidate access point from the block list when a strength of a signal received from the candidate access point satisfies the condition for the received signal strength of the recovery condition and when the lifetime has elapsed.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the designated event includes a type of receiving an authentication or association reject response from the candidate access point, and the recovery condition includes a condition for a lifetime, and
the processor is configured to determine whether to delete the candidate access point from the block list after the lifetime included in the recovery condition has elapsed.

10. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:
performing wireless communication through a first access point;
searching for another access point while performing communication through the first access point, and attempting to connect to at least one candidate access point selected based on a block list stored in a memory of the electronic device;
storing, when a designated event occurs while attempting to connected the at least one candidate access point, a recovery condition configured according to a type of the designated event together with identification information of the at least one candidate access point in the block list, and
wherein the designated event, which is a situation where normal communication with the candidate access point cannot be performed due to a failure in connecting to the candidate access point, includes a type in which connection and disconnection with the at least one candidate access point are repeated within a designated time period, and the recovery condition includes a condition for a lifetime, and
determining whether to delete the at least one candidate access point from the block list after the lifetime included in the recovery condition has elapsed.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the recovery condition includes at least one of a condition for a received signal strength for the at least one candidate access point or a condition for a lifetime.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the storing in the block list includes configuring at least one of the condition for the received signal strength or the condition for the lifetime based on the type of the designated event.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the storing in the block list includes dynamically changing at least one of the condition for the received signal strength or the condition for the lifetime according to a change in characteristics of a wireless network of the at least one candidate access point.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the characteristics of the wireless network includes number, density, and/or coverage area of a plurality of access points included in the wireless network.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining whether to delete the at least one candidate access point from the block list based on the recovery condition stored in the block list when there is no access point satisfying a selection condition while the at least one candidate access point is excluded by being in the block list.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the type of the designated event includes a type in which a signal is not received from the at least one candidate access point within a first designated time period, a type in which a connection reject response is received from the at least one candidate access point, and a type in which connection and disconnection with the at least one candidate access point are repeated within a second designated time period.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the designated event includes a type in which a signal is not received from the at least one candidate access point within a designated time period, and the recovery condition includes a condition for a received signal strength for the at least one candidate access point and a condition for a lifetime,
the method further comprising:
determining to delete the at least one candidate access point from the block list when a strength of a signal received from the at least one candidate access point satisfies the condition for the

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sunghee

Classifications

• H04W76/18

  Management of setup rejection or failure · CPC title

• H04W48/20

  Selecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title