Roaming Access Point Selection via Neighbor Device Lists
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The scanning process for mobile devices to find better access points in wireless networks often causes the device to temporarily disconnect from its home access point, leading to disrupted transmissions and potential data packet loss.
Innovation Solution
A mobile computing device uses a short-range wireless communications interface to obtain a list of potential access points from nearby computing devices, allowing it to select a target access point without disconnecting from its home access point, and then roam to the selected access point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile devices scan for different access points to find better connections, then connection quality is improved, but transmission disruption and data packet loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having mobile devices obtain a list of candidate access points from nearby devices before actually roaming. This allows the device to prepare and evaluate potential target access points in advance, selecting the best candidate before disconnecting from the current access point, thereby minimizing transmission disruption time while ensuring connection quality.
2Reliability
If mobile devices scan for different access points, then better connections are found, but data packets are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent obtains candidate access point information in advance from nearby computing devices before initiating the roam scan. This preliminary acquisition of access point lists allows the mobile device to evaluate multiple candidates and select the optimal target before disconnecting, reducing the likelihood of data packet loss during the transition process.
3Reliability
If the device roams to a new access point, then network coverage is improved, but disconnection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by obtaining lists of candidate access points from nearby computing devices before the actual roam scan occurs. This advance preparation allows the mobile device to identify and evaluate potential target access points in advance, enabling a faster and more efficient roam transition that maintains network coverage while minimizing disconnection duration.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile computing device comprising: a wireless communications interface configured to connect to a network deployed by a plurality of access points; a short-range wireless communications interface configured to communicate with one or more nearby computing devices; a processor interconnected with the wireless communications interface and the short-range wireless communications interface, the processor configured to: obtain, from the one or more nearby computing devices via the short-range wireless communications interface, a list of potential access points, wherein each potential access point comprises one of the plurality of access points by which a respective nearby computing device is connected to the network; select one of the potential access points as a target access point, wherein the target access point is different from a home access point to which the wireless communications interface is currently connected; and control the wireless communications interface to roam to the selected target access point.