Mobile Device Velocity-Based Wireless Network Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communication devices face inefficiencies in scanning for wireless networks, leading to increased power consumption due to repeated scanning attempts across multiple network profiles without differentiation based on device velocity.
Innovation Solution
The mobile device identifies its velocity and selectively scans a subset of wireless network profiles, distinguishing between stationary and mobile networks to optimize scanning, thereby reducing power consumption by limiting the number of networks searched during each cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mobile device performs scanning operations across all stored network profiles repeatedly, then the device ensures comprehensive network coverage detection, but the power consumption increases and scanning efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network profiles into two distinct groups: mobile network profiles and stationary network profiles. This segmentation allows the device to apply different scanning strategies to each group, scanning mobile profiles more frequently and stationary profiles less frequently, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining reliable network detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic scanning behavior that adapts to the device's motion state. When the device detects it is stationary, it scans stationary network profiles; when in motion, it scans mobile network profiles. This dynamic approach ensures reliable network detection appropriate to the current context while minimizing unnecessary scanning and power consumption.
2Measurement precision
If the mobile device scans all wireless network profiles in each scanning operation, then the device maximizes network selection accuracy, but the scanning time and delay period increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides network profiles into mobile and stationary segments, allowing the device to scan only the relevant segment based on its current motion state. This segmentation maintains network selection accuracy by focusing on appropriate network types while significantly reducing the time required for each scanning operation compared to scanning all profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by scanning only a subset of network profiles (either mobile or stationary) rather than all profiles. This partial scanning approach is sufficient to achieve accurate network selection in the context of the device's current motion state, thereby reducing scanning time without compromising the quality of network selection.
3Reliability
If the mobile device repeats scanning operations frequently, then the device ensures continuous network availability, but the power consumption and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic scanning that adapts to the device's motion state, scanning mobile profiles when moving and stationary profiles when stopped. This dynamic approach ensures continuous network availability appropriate to the current context while reducing the frequency and intensity of scanning operations, thereby lowering power consumption and processing overhead compared to uniform frequent scanning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic scanning operations with variable intervals based on motion state. Instead of continuous or uniformly frequent scanning, the device performs periodic scans at appropriate intervals determined by whether it is in motion or stationary, ensuring network availability while minimizing energy loss from excessive scanning.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques for efficient scanning for WLANs based on mobile device velocity are described. In one illustrative example, a mobile device identifies whether its velocity is less than or greater than a threshold value. While it is identified that the velocity of the mobile device is less than the threshold value, the mobile device scans to search for one or more WLANs identified in a first subset of WLAN profiles (e.g. "stationary" WLANs). While it is identified that the velocity of the mobile device is greater than the threshold value, the mobile device scans to search for the one or more WLANs identified in a second subset of WLAN profiles (e.g. "mobile" WLANs). Advantageously, a suitable WLAN may be more efficiently identified with use of a technique which reduces power consumption of the mobile device.