Access Point Assisted Roaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112942-A1
Application number	US-201414519870-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In embodiments of access point assisted roaming, a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, or other portable device is implemented for wireless connection with access points, such as Wi-Fi access points. An access point controller can receive a request for a neighbor report from the mobile device, and also obtain a travel direction of the mobile device. The access point controller is implemented to determine access points that are each configured for a wireless connection with a communication system of the mobile device, where a wireless connection with an access point is based in part on a detected signal strength of an access point. The access point controller can then generate the neighbor report that lists one or more of the access points in order of connection likelihood and based on the travel direction of the mobile device.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request for a neighbor report from a mobile device; obtaining a travel direction of the mobile device; determining access points, each configured for a wireless connection with a communication system of the mobile device, the wireless connection based at least in part on a detected signal strength of an access point; and generating the neighbor report that lists one or more of the access points in order of connection likelihood and based on the travel direction of the mobile device.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
projecting one or more routes of the mobile device in the travel direction, each of the one or more routes associated with a percentage that indicates a likelihood of the mobile device traveling along a particular route.

3 . The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein said generating the neighbor report includes generating the neighbor report based on the travel direction of the mobile device and based on the one or more routes projected for the mobile device in the travel direction.

4 . The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a likely route of the mobile device in the travel direction based on the one or more routes and the percentage associated with each of the one or more routes.

5 . The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein said projecting the one or more routes of the mobile device includes projecting the one or more routes of the mobile device in the travel direction based on a time of the day.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said receiving the request for the neighbor report includes the travel direction as determined by a positioning system of the mobile device.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said obtaining the travel direction of the mobile device includes determining the travel direction based on differentials of triangulation positioning, as determined from the access points that are within communication range of the mobile device.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said obtaining the travel direction of the mobile device includes determining the travel direction based on previous associations of the mobile device with the one or more access points.

9 . An access point, comprising:
a communication system configured for wireless communications; a memory configured to maintain a neighbor report that lists access points, each configured for wireless connection with a communication system of a mobile device; a processing system to implement an access point controller that is executable and configured to:
receive a request for the neighbor report from the mobile device;
obtain a travel direction of the mobile device;
determine the access points that are each configured for the wireless connection based at least in part on a detected signal strength of an access point; and
generate the neighbor report that lists one or more of the access points in order of connection likelihood and based on the travel direction of the mobile device.

10 . The access point as recited in claim 9 , wherein the access point controller is configured to project one or more routes of the mobile device in the travel direction, each of the one or more routes associated with a percentage that indicates a likelihood of the mobile device traveling along a particular route.

11 . The access point as recited in claim 10 , wherein the access point controller is configured to said generate the neighbor report based on the travel direction of the mobile device and based on the one or more routes projected for the mobile device in the travel direction.

12 . The access point as recited in claim 10 , wherein the access point controller is configured to determine a likely route of the mobile device in the travel direction based on the one or more routes and the percentage associated with each of the one or more routes.

13 . The access point as recited in claim 10 , wherein the access point controller is configured to said project, the one or more routes of the mobile device in the travel direction based on a time of the day.

14 . The access point as recited in claim 9 , wherein the access point controller is configured to said receive the request for the neighbor report, the request including the travel direction as determined by a positioning system of the mobile device.

15 . The access point as recited in claim 9 , wherein the access point controller is configured to said obtain the travel direction of the mobile device by determining the travel direction based on differentials of triangulation positioning, as determined from the access points that are within communication range of the mobile device.

16 . The access point as recited in claim 9 , wherein the access point controller is configured to said obtain the travel direction of the mobile device by determining the travel direction based on previous associations of the mobile device with the one or more access points.

17 . A method, comprising:
requesting a neighbor report for a mobile device, the request routed to an access point controller via an access point that has an established wireless connection with the mobile device; providing a travel direction of the mobile device; and receiving the neighbor report from the access point controller, the neighbor report listing one or more access points, each configured for a wireless connection with a communication system of the mobile device, the access points listed in order of connection likelihood and based on the travel direction of the mobile device.

18 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the neighbor report lists the access points in the order of connection likelihood based on the travel direction of the mobile device and based on one or more routes projected for the mobile device in the travel direction.

19 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the travel direction of the mobile device includes one or more projected routes of the mobile device in the travel direction, each of the one or more routes associated with a percentage that indicates a likelihood of the mobile device traveling along a particular route.

20 . The method as recited in claim 19 , further comprising:
determining a likely route of the mobile device in the travel direction based on the one or more routes and the percentage associated with each of the one or more routes; and selecting one of the access points listed in the neighbor report to initiate a wireless connection, the access point selected for the wireless connection based on said determining the likely route of the mobile device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Corp

Inventors

• Chang Chih-Chung
• Gupta Yatharth

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04B7/0413

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• H04L1/04

  using frequency diversity · CPC title

• H04B7/0417

  Feedback systems · CPC title