Connection Manager for Seamless Network Roaming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems for portable devices lack seamless roaming capabilities between different network types, such as WWAN, WLAN, and LAN, leading to inefficiencies in cost and performance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that employs a connection manager to automatically select and switch between available communication networks based on predetermined preferences, including cost and availability, using network adapters for WWAN, WLAN, and LAN, with an intelligent queuing system for data management and prioritization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a portable client device uses WWAN for wide area coverage, then connectivity availability is improved, but communication cost increases and bandwidth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between WWAN and WLAN networks based on real-time conditions including cost, availability, and performance requirements. The portable client device automatically transitions between network types without manual intervention, optimizing the balance between connectivity reliability and communication cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by switching between different network types (WWAN vs WLAN) based on varying conditions. When cost-effective WLAN networks are available, the system transitions to them; when wide area coverage is needed, it switches to WWAN, thereby adapting to different operational contexts.
2Loss of energy
If a portable client device switches between different network types, then cost efficiency is improved, but network switching complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The portable client device performs network selection and switching autonomously without requiring user intervention or complex manual configuration. The device monitors network conditions, evaluates cost and availability parameters, and automatically transitions between networks based on predetermined criteria and real-time conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to work with multiple network types (WWAN, WLAN, and other wireless networks) through a unified architecture. The same selection logic and switching mechanism handle different network protocols and types, reducing overall system complexity despite supporting multiple network standards.
3Power
If WLAN is used for high bandwidth connectivity, then communication performance is improved, but coverage area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts network selection based on location and coverage conditions. When the portable client device enters a WLAN coverage area, it automatically connects to high-bandwidth WLAN networks for optimal performance. When moving outside WLAN coverage, it seamlessly transitions to WWAN to maintain connectivity, thereby optimizing both bandwidth and coverage area utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system is provided in which a client device can communicate with a server via any one of plural communication networks, such as a WWAN, a WLAN, a wired LAN, a personal area network (e.g., Bluetooth), and any other networking architecture. More specifically, the communication client comprises a connection manager that is adapted to determine availability of each the plural communication networks to communicate data between the client and the server, select one of the communication networks from the available ones of the plural communication networks in accordance with predetermined preferences, and establish a connection with the selected one of the communication networks. The client may further comprise a client application. The connection manager provides a notification message to the client application upon establishment of the communication link. The client application then communicates data to and from the server via the selected one of the communication networks. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the communication system further includes an intelligent queuing system, comprising a client-side queue on the communication client and a server-side queue on the server. The connection manager is further adapted to determine cost associated with communicating the data on available ones of the plural communication networks and provide that information to the client-side queue. The client-side queue determines whether to communicate the data via the selected one of the communication networks based in part on the determined cost.