Mobile Terminal Network Scanning Control Using Habit Logs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile terminals face power consumption issues due to frequent network scanning, which affects battery life, as they need to periodically power up transceivers to determine available wireless access networks for selecting the best connection.
Innovation Solution
A mobile terminal with a positioning module and processing apparatus that maintains a log of past network availability and usage patterns to control scanning based on geographical location and user habits, switching between location-dependent and habit-dependent scanning modes to optimize power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the mobile terminal performs frequent network scanning to determine available wireless access networks, then the network selection accuracy is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary network scanning and stores results in a log when networks are likely to be available (based on location and historical patterns), so that subsequent scanning can be reduced or skipped, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining accurate network selection
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the log of past network availability and current location information to dynamically adjust scanning frequency. When the log indicates networks are likely available, scanning is performed; when networks are unlikely to be available, scanning is reduced, optimizing the balance between selection accuracy and power consumption
2Reliability
If the mobile terminal performs periodic network scanning to maintain awareness of available networks, then the network availability information is kept current, but the battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous or fixed-period scanning, the system uses variable-period scanning based on the log data and current location. Scanning is performed periodically only when conditions suggest networks may be available, reducing overall scanning frequency while maintaining reliable network availability information
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses preliminary location-based assessment and historical log data to predict network availability before performing scans. This allows the system to skip scanning in situations where networks are unlikely to be available, extending battery life while maintaining information currency when it matters
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A mobile terminal, program and method for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network. The mobile terminal is configured to maintain a log of user habits in terms of past availability or use of one or more of the access networks, e.g., relative to time of day, week, month and/or year. The mobile terminal is further configured to control activation the transceiver to scan for subsequent availability of one or more of the wireless access networks, in dependence on the comparison of the one or more identified times with the current time. The mobile terminal switches between a first mode in which the scanning is controlled in dependence on the current geographical location of the mobile terminal, and a second mode in which the scanning is controlled in dependence on said log.