Location based notification of wlan availability via wireless communication network

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications and computing, and specifically to a method of notifying a mobile terminal of the availability of a wireless local area network through a communications network, based on the location of the mobile unit.

[0002] Wireless access to communications and information services is a recent and growing trend in the telecommunications and data processing industries. Wireless communications services, such as cellular telephone services, have become ubiquitous and are today used to get wide area access to computer networks such as the Internet. Wireless local access to computer networks are also becoming commonplace, particularly in areas frequented by travelers, such as airport lounges, coffee shops, hotels, and the like. Concurrently, the line between consumer communications devices such as pagers and cellular telephones, and data processing devices such as laptop computers, continue to blur as each incorporates functionality of the other.

[0003] Due primarily to the different bandwidth needs between communications and computing devices, different wireless networks are built and deployed by service providers to address each application. Typically, wireless communication networks span large geographic regions, while wireless computing networks are more limited in geographic extent. Additionally, wireless computing networks are far less extensively deployed than are wireless communications networks in these limited areas. Thus, a number of wireless local access networks are typically subsumed within the coverage area of one or more wireless communications networks.

[0004] Wireless consumer electronics devices—both communications and computing devices—are nearly synonymous with battery-powered mobile devices. The minimization of power dissipation and the maximization of battery life are prime concerns. Many mobile consumer computing devices currently must either continuously search for a wireless local access network, wasting battery power, or alternatively the user may forego the advantages of the wireless local access network if the user is not aware of its presence and availability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention includes a method of alerting a mobile terminal connected to a wireless communication network of the availability of a wireless local area network. The method comprises determining the location of the mobile terminal; comparing that location with the known location of the wireless local area network; and notifying the mobile terminal of the wireless local area network via the wireless communication network in response to the comparison. The notification may include transferring data regarding the wireless local area network to the mobile terminal.

[0006] The present invention additionally includes a method of a mobile unit accessing a wireless local area network. The method comprises connecting to a wireless communication network operative to determine the location of the mobile unit; receiving from the wireless communication network, in response to the location determination, a notification of the availability of a wireless local area network; and accessing the wireless local area network in response to the notification. The mobile unit may include at least a communication device and a computing device. The two devices may be integrated into a common unit, or may be separate and connected in a data transfer relationship. The data may be transferred between the communication and computing devices via a wired connection such as a wire or optical cable or a wireless connection such as an infrared data link or a BLUETOOTH interface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a diagram depicting a wireless communications network and wireless local area networks;

[0008]FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting the lines of communication between the networks and separate wireless user devices;

[0009]FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting the lines of communication between the networks and wireless user devices connected by a data transfer interface;

[0010]FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting the lines of communication between the networks and integrated wireless user devices; and

[0011]FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting the method step according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012]FIG. 1 depicts a wireless communication network, indicated generally by the numeral <b>10</b>, providing wireless communication services to mobile terminals <b>60</b> over a large geographic area. The service area is divided into a plurality of regions or “cells” <b>12</b>. A cell <b>12</b> may be subdivided into sectors two or more sectors. Each cell <b>12</b> typically includes a base station <b>14</b> for communicating with mobile terminals <b>60</b> within that cell <b>12</b>. As used herein, the term “mobile terminal” means any device capable of wireless communications, and may include a cellular radiotelephone; a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) that combines a cellular radiotelephone with data processing capabilities; or a conventional laptop and/or palmtop computer including a radiotelephone transceiver. Mobile terminals may also be referred to as “pervasive computing” devices.

[0013] Wireless communication network <b>10</b> may provide voice services, data services, or both voice and data services. Numerous standards exist for wireless communication networks. Representative standards include Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) standards such as the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)/Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA) standard TIA/EIA-136, or the Global System for Wireless communication (GSM), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standards such as IS-95, cdma2000, and Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA). While the present invention is explained in the context of a CDMA network and provides examples utilizing features and capabilities specific to that standard, the present invention is not thus limited, and may be implemented by one of skill in the art in a wide variety of wireless communication networks, utilizing analogous features to implement the same or similar functions.

[0014]FIG. 1 additionally depicts Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) <b>20</b>. WLANs <b>20</b> provide wireless access to high-bandwidth data networks to appropriately equipped wireless computing devices <b>70</b>. As used herein, the term “wireless computing device” means a computing device, such as a laptop computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), equipped with a wireless interface for connecting wirelessly with a computer network, such as the Internet or private network, via a wireless access point. WLANs may be implemented according to a variety of protocols and technical standards, such as for example, IEEE 802.11(b) (also known as “Wi-Fi”); the short-range wireless ad hoc network developed and promulgated by Telefonaktiebolaget L. M. Ericsson, known commercially as BLUETOOTH; IEEE 802.11(a); or HiperLAN/2.

[0015] WLANs <b>20</b> are characterized by high bandwidth data communications, and have a limited service coverage area. WLANs <b>20</b> may be deployed for private use within offices, universities, laboratories, and the like, and for public use in airport lounges, coffee shops, hotels, and the like. WLANs <b>20</b> may additionally be deployed over wider areas, such as a university campus, or several city blocks. Two or more WLANs <b>20</b> may be interconnected to provide high-bandwidth data communications over a metropolitan area. The areas covered by WLANs <b>20</b> typically form islands surrounded by areas with no such service. These islands are commonly referred to as “hot spots.”

[0016] WLANs <b>20</b> may be provided by the same service provider as the wireless communication network <b>10</b>. Alternatively, WLANs <b>20</b> may be provided by independent service providers, such as Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) or site operators. User access to the WLANs <b>20</b> may be restricted, such as for example, by subscription with only subscribed users granted access, or open to the general public, either on a pay-per-use basis or without billing, such as to induce customers to patronize an establishment. The particulars of access to WLANs <b>20</b>, and billings therefore, are not germane to the present invention and are not further discussed herein.

[0017] Users of wireless computing devices <b>70</b> may prefer to access WLANs <b>20</b> whenever possible for network connectivity, such as Internet access, and for high-bandwidth data transfers. However, the radio frequency interfaces in wireless computing devices <b>70</b> may consume a great deal of power when constantly or periodically searching for an active WLAN <b>20</b> connection, dramatically reducing battery life.

[0018] The present invention provides a method of notifying subscribers to a wireless communication network <b>10</b> of WLAN availability when the user is in the vicinity of a WLAN <b>20</b>. The wireless communication network <b>10</b> tracks the current location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b> associated with the user and sends a notification to the subscriber via the mobile terminal <b>60</b> when there is a WLAN in the vicinity of the user's current location. The mobile terminal <b>60</b> may be integrated with a wireless computing device <b>70</b> to form an integrated mobile unit with two interfaces. Alternatively, the mobile terminal <b>60</b> and wireless computing device <b>70</b> may comprise two separate devices. In the latter case, the wireless computing device <b>70</b> may have a first WLAN interface (such as an IEEE 802.11(b) interface) for communicating with the WLAN <b>20</b> and a second interface (such as a BLUETOOTH radio interface) for communicating with the mobile terminal <b>60</b>. If the mobile terminal <b>60</b> and wireless computing device <b>70</b> are part of an integrated mobile unit, the mobile unit may automatically activate a WLAN interface responsive to the notification from the wireless communication network <b>10</b> and begin searching for the WLAN. If the mobile terminal comprises a separate device, the mobile terminal may forward the notification from the mobile terminal <b>60</b> to the wireless computing device <b>70</b> via the second interface, which may in turn activate its WLAN interface. If there is no interface between the mobile terminal <b>60</b> and the wireless computing device <b>70</b>, the user may manually activate wireless computing device <b>70</b> and/or the WLAN interface in the wireless computing device <b>70</b>. The present invention allows the wireless computing device an/or WLAN interface to be placed in an inactive mode when there is no WLAN available and awakened only when the wireless computing device <b>70</b> is in the vicinity of a WLAN, thus conserving battery power.

[0019]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary communication environment in which the present invention may be used. In FIG. 2, the user has two separate communication devices—a mobile terminal <b>60</b> for communicating with a first wireless communication network, such as a TIA/EIA/IS-2000 network <b>10</b>, and a separate wireless computing device <b>70</b> for communicating with a second wireless communication network <b>20</b>, such as WLAN <b>20</b>. The mobile terminal <b>60</b> includes a radio interface <b>62</b>, generally known as the A interface in the TIA/EIA/IS-2000 standards, for communicating with the wireless communication network <b>10</b>. Wireless communication network <b>10</b> connects the mobile terminal <b>60</b> to the PSTN and may additionally connect the mobile terminal to a packet data network, such as the Internet <b>40</b>. The mobile terminal <b>60</b> may further comprise a positioning receiver, such as a GPS receiver, for receiving signals from a GPS satellite <b>50</b> and determining its current location. The wireless computing device <b>70</b> includes an interface, such as an 802.11(b) compliant interface, for communicating with the WLAN <b>20</b>, which serves as an access point to the Internet <b>40</b> or other packet data network. The WLAN <b>20</b> may, for example, implement the IEEE 802.11(b) protocol.

[0020] The user may be roaming within the service area of the wireless communication network <b>10</b> and may want to know when a WLAN <b>20</b> is available. To alert a user that he or she is within range of a WLAN <b>20</b> (or to directly alert the user's computing device, as described below), the wireless communication network <b>10</b> must determine the user's location, which for the purposes of the present invention may be taken as the location of the user's mobile terminal <b>60</b>. In one embodiment, the location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b> may simply comprise the cell <b>12</b> within which the mobile terminal <b>60</b> is located, as indicated by the base station <b>14</b> that is serving the mobile terminal <b>60</b>. For example, referring to FIG. 1, the mobile terminal <b>60</b> in a cell <b>12</b> which at least partially overlaps the coverage area of a WLAN <b>20</b> would be alerted to search for the WLAN <b>20</b>, even though the mobile terminal <b>60</b> may not actually be within the coverage area of WLAN <b>20</b>. For example, a mobile terminal <b>60</b> located anywhere in cell B, C, D, or F would be alerted to search for a WLAN <b>20</b>, which my result in many unsuccessful searches by mobile terminals <b>60</b> within these cells but outside of the coverage area of a WLAN <b>20</b>. The location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b> may be determined with greater specificity in a sectored cell, such as cell D. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, mobile terminal <b>60</b> may only be alerted to the presence of WLAN <b>20</b> when it is being serviced within sector D<b>1</b> and might not be so alerted in sectors D<b>2</b> and D<b>3</b>. In one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the determination of the location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b> is simply an identification of the cell <b>12</b> or sector in which the mobile terminal <b>60</b> is operating, the alert transmitted by the wireless communication network <b>10</b> if a WLAN <b>20</b> is available in the cell <b>12</b> or sector (as described more fully below) may comprise a message broadcast to all mobile terminals <b>60</b> in the relevant cell <b>12</b> or sector.

[0021] While location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b> at the granularity of a cell <b>12</b> or sector allows the wireless computing device <b>70</b> to save power by not unnecessarily searching for WLANs <b>20</b> outside of a cell <b>12</b> or sector where a WLAN <b>20</b> is present, the wireless computing device <b>70</b> may still consume battery power unnecessarily searching for WLANs <b>20</b> when it is within the indicated cell <b>12</b> or sector but outside of the coverage area of the WLANs <b>20</b>. A wide variety of techniques are known in the wireless communication arts for more precisely determining the location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b> within the wireless communication network <b>10</b>, any of which may be advantageously applied to the present invention. For example, the relative signal strengths, signal propagation delay, phase shift, or the like of signals transmitted by the mobile terminal <b>60</b> to three or more base stations <b>14</b> may be compared to triangulate or more precisely locate the position of the mobile terminal <b>60</b>. The mobile terminal <b>60</b> may include a positioning receiver and processing circuit for receiving satellite navigation signals from a satellite <b>50</b> or terrestrial antenna, and determining its position therefrom, transmitting that position information to the communication network <b>10</b>. One example of such a satellite navigation system is the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). The mobile terminal <b>60</b> may determine its position from GPS signals independently, or alternatively, it may receive assistance data, such as satellite ephemeris data or approximate location, from the communication network <b>10</b>. A wide variety of systems and methods for determining and tracking the precise location of mobile terminals <b>60</b> within a wireless communication network <b>10</b> have been developed to support location-based services such as advertising and emergency call point-of-origin reporting. These systems and methods are known in the art, and may be advantageously applied to the present invention.

[0022] Once the wireless communication network <b>10</b> has determined the location of a mobile terminal <b>60</b>, that location may be compared to the known location and extent of WLANs <b>20</b>. the location of the WLAN <b>20</b> may be stored in various databases and other information resources within the communication network <b>10</b>. If the mobile terminal <b>60</b> is within a predetermined range of one or more WLANs <b>20</b> (for example, as measured from the center of the WLAN), the communication network <b>10</b> may notify the mobile terminal <b>60</b> of that fact via a transmission through the communication network <b>10</b>. Within the predetermined range, the mobile terminal <b>60</b> may be located within the coverage area serviced by the WLAN <b>20</b> or may be approaching such coverage area. In either case, the notification is desirable to bring the wireless computing device <b>70</b> out of an inactive state, to begin searching for WLAN <b>20</b>. In one embodiment, this notification may be as simple as a paging message sent to the mobile terminal <b>60</b>, causing the mobile terminal <b>60</b> to signal the user, such as by emitting a predefined “beep.” Alternatively, or in addition, the wireless communication network <b>10</b> may send the mobile terminal <b>60</b> a brief text message, such as for example, “WLAN DETECTED.” The communication network <b>10</b> may send the text message to the mobile terminal <b>60</b> using a defined protocol, such as the Short Message Service (SMS), which is displayed to the user. The user may then manually enable the wireless computing device <b>70</b> to search for a WLAN <b>20</b>.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, both the mobile terminal <b>60</b> and wireless computing device <b>70</b> may be equipped with a second interface <b>74</b> for communicating with one another. The second interface <b>74</b> may comprise a wireless interface, such as a radio interface (e.g., BLUETOOTH interface) or infrared interface, or a wire or optical cable interface. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the wireless communication network <b>10</b> determines the location of the user, which may comprise cell identification or ranging as described above, or may comprise receiving location information directly from the mobile terminal <b>60</b>, that calculates its location from satellite signals received from the GPS system <b>50</b>. If the user's location corresponds to the known service area of a WLAN <b>20</b>, as stored in a database accessible to the wireless communication network <b>10</b>, the network <b>10</b> sends an alert to the mobile terminal <b>60</b>. This alert may include data, such as the carrier frequency of the WLAN <b>20</b>, which can be sent utilizing in-band signaling within a SMS message. The signaling protocols could also be modified to enable such information to be transmitted to the mobile terminal <b>60</b> as a control message. The mobile terminal <b>60</b> may then signal the wireless computing device <b>70</b> (e.g., via a BLUETOOTH message) via interface <b>74</b>, causing the wireless computing device <b>70</b> to power-up or otherwise enable its WLAN interface <b>72</b> to establish wireless data communication with the WLAN <b>20</b>. The information signal sent to the mobile terminal <b>60</b> may simply indicate the availability of a WLAN <b>20</b>, causing the computing device <b>70</b> to search for the WLAN <b>20</b>. Alternatively, the information signal may include the carrier frequency of the WLAN <b>20</b>, and/or various information such as the WLAN <b>20</b> system operator, access policies and protocols, services available, billing information, and the like. In this embodiment, the enabling of the WLAN interface <b>72</b> on the wireless computing device <b>70</b> is completely automatic with respect to the user. As the user moves into range of a WLAN <b>20</b>, the wireless computing device <b>70</b> enables its WLAN interface <b>72</b> and connects to the WLAN <b>20</b>. As the user moves out of the range of a WLAN <b>20</b>, the wireless computing device <b>70</b> shuts down its WLAN interface <b>72</b>, such as by placing the circuit(s) in “sleep” mode, thus conserving battery power and compute resources.

[0024]FIG. 4 shows a third exemplary embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the mobile terminal <b>60</b> is integrated with the wireless computing device <b>70</b> to form an integrated mobile unit with at least two wireless interfaces <b>72</b> and <b>76</b>. The first wireless interface <b>72</b> is a WLAN interface and the second interface is a TIA/EIA/IS-2000 interface. The wireless computing device <b>70</b> communicates with the WLAN <b>20</b> via the WLAN interface <b>72</b> and communicates directly with the wireless communication network <b>10</b> via the second interface <b>76</b>. In this embodiment, the mobile computing device <b>70</b> may place the first wireless interface <b>72</b> in an inactive mode when it is outside the range of a WLAN <b>20</b>. As the mobile computing device moves closer to a WLAN <b>20</b>, the wireless communication network <b>10</b> sends a notification to the wireless computing device <b>70</b>, which is received via the second interface <b>76</b>. The notification may take any of the forms described above, but preferably includes information to facilitate establishing a connection with the WLAN <b>20</b>. Upon receiving the notification form the wireless communication network <b>10</b>, the wireless computing device <b>70</b> wakens its WLAN interface <b>72</b>, begins searching for the WLAN <b>20</b>, and establishes a connection if a WLAN <b>20</b> is found. Alternatively, the user may be prompted before connecting with the WLAN <b>20</b>.

[0025] The manner in which the wireless communication network <b>10</b> alerts the mobile terminal <b>60</b> of the presence of WLAN <b>20</b>, and the information communicated to the mobile terminal <b>60</b>, may vary according to a user-specific profile, for example stored in a subscriber database in the communication network <b>10</b> such as the Home Location Register (HLR), as is well known to those of skill in the art. For example, such a database may indicate the WLAN <b>20</b> systems to which the user subscribes, or billing charges the user is willing to incur. The database may also indicate the manner in which the user's mobile terminal <b>60</b> is to be notified, which may vary among users depending on their equipment and its capacities. In this manner, each user may customize the location-based alerts to available WLAN <b>20</b>, and their automatic connection thereto, along a wide variety of parameters.

[0026] In one embodiment, in addition to alerting the mobile terminal <b>60</b> of the presence of a WLAN <b>20</b> in response to the location of the mobile terminal <b>60</b>, the wireless communication network <b>10</b> may communicate with the WLAN <b>20</b> directly, such as across an IP interface <b>15</b>. The communication network <b>10</b> may receive data from the WLAN <b>20</b> concerning its operation, access, billing, available services, and the like for comparison to the user's preferences stored in a subscriber database, and/or for transmission to the user. The communication network <b>10</b> may also transfer information regarding the user to the WLAN <b>20</b>, such as the user's identification, enabling the WLAN <b>20</b> to access the user's email or perform other data processing in anticipation of the user registering with the WLAN <b>20</b>.

[0027] Those of skill in the art will readily recognize that the configuration depicted in FIGS. <b>2</b>-<b>4</b> is representative only. In particular, the communication network <b>10</b> may communicate with the WLAN <b>20</b> in a variety of ways, such as through an SS7 signaling network, across a dedicated T1/E1 trunk, through the Internet <b>40</b>, or the like. Similarly, the link <b>15</b> between the communication network <b>10</b> and the WLAN <b>20</b> may be omitted altogether, as may be the case if the respective service providers are separate business entities with no cooperative agreement or data-sharing protocol in place. In such a case, the communication network <b>10</b> may simply alert the mobile terminal <b>60</b> to the presence of the WLAN <b>20</b>, and allow the wireless computing device <b>70</b> to search for the WLAN <b>20</b> and perform all login and authentication procedures.

[0028] A flowchart depicting a method implemented in wireless communication network <b>10</b> of alerting a mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b> to the presence of a WLAN <b>20</b>. Initially, the wireless communication network <b>10</b> determines the location of the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b> (block <b>100</b>). This may be through cell or sector identification, ranging, triangulation, or other technique as described above, or may simply comprise receiving location information from the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b>, such as from a GPS receiver integrated therein. The current location of the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b> is compared with the known locations and extent of WLANs <b>20</b> to determine whether the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b> is within the proximity of, or within the coverage area of, a WLAN <b>20</b> (block <b>102</b>). If not, no alert is sent, and control returns to block <b>100</b> to monitor the location of the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b>. If the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b> is determined to be within a predetermined range of a WLAN <b>20</b>, the wireless communication network <b>10</b> sends a notification to the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b>, such as by a page, text message, in-band signaling data transfer, or the like, as described above (block <b>104</b>). The response of the mobile terminal <b>60</b> or wireless computing device <b>70</b> will depend upon the configuration of the user's mobile devices. If the notification is received by a mobile terminal <b>60</b> without an interface to the wireless computing device, the mobile terminal <b>60</b> may simply alert the user by beeping, turning on an indicator, or displaying a text message on a display. If the mobile terminal <b>60</b> has an interface for communicating with a wireless computing device <b>70</b>, the mobile terminal <b>60</b> may send a message to the wireless computing device <b>70</b> (block <b>106</b>). The wireless computing device <b>70</b> may also receive the notification directly form the wireless communication network <b>10</b> if the wireless computing device is equipped with a network interface <b>76</b>. In the latter two cases, the wireless computing device <b>70</b> may activate its WLAN interface <b>72</b>, begin searching for the WLAN <b>20</b>, and establish a connection with the WLAN <b>20</b> (block <b>108</b>) if a WLAN <b>20</b> is found. Control then returns to block <b>100</b>, where the communication network <b>10</b> continues to monitor the location of the wireless computing device <b>70</b>.

[0029] Although the present invention has been described herein with respect to particular features, aspects and embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that numerous variations, modifications, and other embodiments are possible within the broad scope of the present invention, and accordingly, all variations, modifications and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the scope of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.