Mobile Device Access Point Selection Using Historical Connection Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices suffer from reduced battery life and increased network signaling traffic due to frequent, short-lived wireless connections to access points, which do not provide sufficient benefits to users and burden networks with unnecessary traffic.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that collect historical connection data to predict the duration of wireless connections, selecting access points with expected connection durations above a threshold and excluding those below the threshold to conserve battery life and reduce signaling traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices automatically connect to available access points, then network accessibility is improved, but battery life deteriorates due to frequent short-lived connections
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting historical connection data and predicting future connection durations before actually connecting to access points. This allows the device to pre-determine which access points are worth connecting to based on predicted connection longevity, avoiding wasteful connections that would drain battery without providing sufficient network accessibility benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from historical connection data to continuously improve access point selection. By analyzing past connection durations and using this feedback to predict future connection outcomes, the system learns which access points provide meaningful connectivity versus those that result in short-lived, battery-draining connections
2Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices automatically connect to available access points, then network accessibility is improved, but network signaling traffic increases due to frequent connection establishment and teardown
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of historical connection data and predicts connection durations before initiating connections. This preliminary action filters out access points that would generate excessive signaling traffic due to short connection lifetimes, thereby reducing overall network signaling burden while maintaining network accessibility for promising connections
3Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices connect to access points with short connection durations, then network accessibility is improved, but TCP connection re-establishment frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary prediction of connection durations using historical data before establishing TCP connections. By identifying and selecting only access points with predicted connection durations exceeding the threshold, the system ensures that TCP connections are established only when likely to persist, thereby reducing re-establishment frequency and improving overall TCP connection stability while maintaining network accessibility
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is performed in a mobile device (104) for selecting or excluding an access point for use in wirelessly connecting to a network (110, 114, 120, 122). The method includes collecting historical connection data for a first access point (302), wherein the historical connection data identifies a plurality of previous wireless connections to the network using the first access point and identifies a corresponding duration of each previous wireless connection (306). The method further includes: detecting that the first access point is available for a current wireless connection to the network (304); calculating an expected connection duration for the first access point using the historical connection data (306); and determining whether to select or exclude the first access point as a candidate for the current wireless connection based on the expected connection duration calculated for the first access point (310, 312).