Pre-evaluating Wi-Fi Access Points for Stable Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Wi-Fi connection management software lacks the ability to evaluate the networking status of access points, including Internet connectivity and path performance, making it difficult for mobile devices to select the best Wi-Fi access points for stable and efficient network connections.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enable pre-evaluation of multiple Wi-Fi access points by collecting and analyzing both physical and network-level attributes, such as signal strength, MAC addresses, and Internet connectivity, to prioritize and automatically select the most suitable access points for mobile devices, using multiple Wi-Fi chipsets in parallel and user-driven or automated modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current Wi-Fi connection management software is used, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot evaluate network level attributes such as Internet connectivity and path performance
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of access points by testing network level attributes (Internet connectivity, path performance) before the mobile device actually connects. This advance assessment allows the device to select the best access point without having to connect and test each one, thereby improving measurement precision while managing system complexity through pre-computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary evaluation mechanism that acts between the mobile device and access points. This intermediary system performs the complex network level testing and returns results to the mobile device, allowing the device to benefit from detailed evaluation capabilities without directly implementing the complex testing infrastructure itself.
2Measurement precision
If multiple access points are evaluated in detail, then the selection accuracy improves, but the time required for connection establishment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs detailed evaluations of multiple access points in advance, before the mobile device needs to establish a connection. By completing the time-consuming network level tests (Internet connectivity, path performance) beforehand, the system maintains high selection accuracy while minimizing the time loss during actual connection establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation process is performed periodically or on-demand rather than continuously for all access points. The system can evaluate access points when they become available or when conditions change, balancing the need for accurate information with the need for quick connection establishment.
3Reliability
If comprehensive network level testing is performed, then the reliability of connection selection improves, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs comprehensive network level testing in advance, before the mobile device commits to a connection. This preliminary action ensures that the device selects the most reliable access point based on thorough testing, while the energy cost is distributed across multiple devices over time rather than being concentrated in a single device's battery consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation process leverages the resources of the access points and network infrastructure themselves to perform the testing. Rather than requiring the mobile device to consume all the energy for comprehensive testing, the system uses the network's own resources to evaluate its own quality, with the mobile device merely observing and selecting based on the results.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application describes, inter alia, novel techniques to perform pre-evaluations of multiple Wi-Fi Access Points (AP) and Access Networks (AN). A pre-evaluation determines whether or not an AP is connected to the Internet and measures the path performance that the AN, via that particular AP, can offer between the mobile device and a pre-specified Internet host. In addition, the invention also discloses methods to determine whether the AN requires a user to actively authenticate themselves through a redirect log-on page.