Accelerated network reconnect using previous connection parameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018375729-A1
Application number	US-201715630560-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A Wi-Fi device includes a controller coupled to a writeable memory implementing a MAC and PHY layer and to a transceiver. Connection data stored in the writeable memory includes Wi-Fi connection parameters including ≥1 router MAC level information or a most recently utilized (MRU) channel used, and IP addresses including ≥1 of an IP address of the Wi-Fi device, IP address of the MRU router, an IP address of a MRU target server, and an IP address of a network connected device. An accelerated reconnecting to a Wi-Fi network algorithm is implemented by the processor is for starting from being in a network disconnected state, establishing current connection parameters for a current Wi-Fi network connection using the Wi-Fi connection parameters for at least one MAC layer parameter for the MAC layer.

First claim

1 . A method of accelerated network reconnecting of a Wi-Fi device, comprising:
providing an accelerated reconnecting to a Wi-Fi network algorithm implemented by a processor having an associated writeable memory executing said method, said method including:
storing connection data in said writeable memory to provide stored Wi-Fi connection parameters and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for at least a most recently utilized (MRU) Wi-Fi network connection used by said Wi-Fi device, said Wi-Fi connection parameters including at least one of router media access control (MAC) level information obtained from a MRU router, a MRU channel used, and said IP addresses including at least one of an IP address of said Wi-Fi device, an IP address of said MRU router, an IP address of a MRU target server in Internet communications with said MRU router, and an IP address of at least one network connected device to said MRU Wi-Fi network connection;
from being in a network disconnected state, establishing current connection parameters for a current Wi-Fi network connection using said Wi-Fi connection parameters for at least one MAC layer parameter for a MAC layer of said Wi-Fi device, and
wirelessly communicating using said current Wi-Fi network connection.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing further comprises establishing networking parameters using said IP addresses for communicating in at least an IP layer of said Wi-Fi device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said Wi-Fi device is coupled to a sensor to provide said communications for said sensor, wherein said Wi-Fi device and said sensor are both mounted on a common substrate.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing current connection parameters is exclusive of any channel scanning and comprises re-utilizing said MRU Wi-Fi network connection.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said storing connection data further comprises storing connection data from a plurality of Wi-Fi network connections previous to said MRU Wi-Fi network connection collectively utilizing a plurality of different routers including said MRU router to provide a networks database, and then using said networks database to implement channel scanning across a set of last utilized channels including said MRU channel in a scan order based on at least one scan ordering rule.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said scan ordering rule comprises ordering based on stored network priorities for said plurality of Wi-Fi network connections.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising calculating a connection score for each of said Wi-Fi network connections found on said channel scanning, and aborting said channel scanning to proceed directly to said wirelessly communicating if said connection score is determined to provide at least a stored predetermined minimum connection score.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising running an accelerated multi-layer reconnection procedure comprising attempting to reconnect to regain a previously used connection to said Wi-Fi network stored in said writeable memory by re-utilizing said MAC level information and said IP addresses, and if said accelerated multi-layer reconnection procedure fails using said networks database to implement channel scanning across said last utilized channels.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising detecting at least one of said Wi-Fi connection parameters and said IP addresses have changed while performing said establishing current connection parameters, and in response to said detecting said Wi-Fi connection parameters have changed activating an early termination mechanism to abort said method.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said writeable memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

11 . A Wi-Fi device, comprising:
a controller comprising a processor coupled to an associated writeable memory implementing a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer and to a transceiver including a receive (Rx) chain including a digital portion and an analog portion and a transmit (Tx) chain that is adapted to be coupled to an antenna, stored connection data in said writeable memory providing stored Wi-Fi connection parameters and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for at least a most recently utilized (MRU) Wi-Fi network connection used by said Wi-Fi device, said Wi-Fi connection parameters including at least one of router media access control (MAC) level information obtained from a MRU router, a MRU channel used, and said IP addresses including at least one of an IP address of said Wi-Fi device, an IP address of said MRU router, an IP address of a MRU target server in Internet communications with said MRU router, and an IP address of at least one network connected device to said MRU Wi-Fi network connection, and an accelerated reconnecting to a Wi-Fi network algorithm that comprises software stored in said writeable memory that is implemented by said processor, said algorithm for:
from being in a network disconnected state, establishing current connection parameters for a current Wi-Fi network connection using said Wi-Fi connection parameters for at least one MAC layer parameter for said MAC layer.

12 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 11 , wherein said establishing further comprises establishing networking parameters using said IP addresses for communicating in at least an IP layer of said Wi-Fi device.

13 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 11 , wherein said Wi-Fi device is coupled to a sensor to provide said communications for said sensor, and wherein said Wi-Fi device and said sensor are both mounted on a common substrate.

14 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 11 , wherein said establishing current connection parameters is exclusive of any channel scanning and comprises re-utilizing said MRU Wi-Fi network connection.

15 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 11 , wherein said stored connection data comprises connection data from a plurality of Wi-Fi network connections previous to said MRU Wi-Fi network connection collectively utilizing a plurality of different routers including said MRU router to provide a networks database, and wherein said algorithm is further for using said networks database to implement channel scanning across a set of last utilized channels including said MRU channel in an order based on at least one scan ordering rule.

16 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 15 , wherein said scan ordering rule comprises ordering based on stored network priorities for said plurality of Wi-Fi network connections.

17 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 15 , wherein said algorithm is further for calculating a connection score for each of said Wi-Fi network connections found on said channel scanning, and aborting said channel scanning to proceed directly to said wirelessly communicating if a connection score is determined to provide at least a stored predetermined minimum connection score.

18 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 15 , wherein said algorithm is further for running an accelerated multi-layer reconnection procedure comprising attempting to reconnect to regain a previously used connection to said Wi-Fi network stored in said writeable memory by re-utilizing said MAC level information and said IP addresses, and if said accelerated multi-layer reconnection procedure fails using said networks database to implement channel scanning across said last utilized channels.

19 . The Wi-Fi device of claim 11 , wherein said algorithm is for further comprising detecting at least one of said Wi-Fi connection parameters and said IP addresses have changed while perform

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Tzoreff Yaniv
• Shveki Gilboa
• Baum Avi
• Cherches Barak

Classifications

• H04L43/08

  Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters · CPC title

• H04L41/0803

  Configuration setting · CPC title

• H04L61/103

  across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP] · CPC title

• H04W76/28

  Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title