Geographic WLAN Profile Segmentation for Wireless Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless devices face inflexibility and management challenges with a single list of wireless local area network (WLAN) profiles, which grows large and cumbersome as users travel between geographic areas, leading to delayed connections and overwhelming information.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to generate and store separate lists of WLAN identifiers for different geographic locations, allowing users to select an active list for scanning and connection, with automatic switching based on GPS or network scans, and supporting hierarchical profiles for home, work, and public hotspots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single list of WLAN profiles is maintained in wireless devices, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the list grows large and cumbersome as users travel between geographic areas, leading to information overload and connection delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single large WLAN profile list into multiple geographically-segregated lists (e.g., home locations, work locations, public hotspots). Each list contains only WLAN profiles relevant to that specific geographic area, reducing the number of profiles users must manage in each context and eliminating information overload from irrelevant networks.
2Device complexity
If a single list of WLAN profiles is used, then device complexity is minimized, but connection speed decreases as the device must scan through increasingly large lists to find available networks
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the profile list geographically, the patent reduces the search space for available WLANs. When a user travels to a known location, the device can quickly scan only the relevant geographic list rather than searching through all profiles, significantly improving connection speed while maintaining manageable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization of WLAN profiles into geographic groups in advance. This pre-segmentation allows the device to immediately access the appropriate list when entering a known geographic area, eliminating the need to scan through unrelated profiles and accelerating connection establishment.
3Speed
If geographic location-based list selection is implemented, then connection speed improves and information overload is reduced, but device complexity increases due to multiple profile lists and automatic switching mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic geographic location detection and list selection, where the device self-manages the switching between profile lists based on GPS coordinates or network scans. This eliminates the need for manual user intervention to select the appropriate list, reducing the perceived complexity for users while maintaining the performance benefits of geographic segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal profile management system that automatically adapts to different geographic contexts. The same device and interface handle multiple geographic lists, automatic location detection, and list switching, providing a unified multi-functional solution that manages complexity internally while presenting simplicity to users.
4Loss of information
If all WLAN profiles are presented to users, then completeness of information is maximized, but user experience deteriorates due to overwhelming information and difficulty in selecting relevant networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments WLAN profiles by geographic location, presenting users with only the profiles relevant to their current or intended location. This maintains completeness of information within each geographic context while dramatically improving user experience by eliminating irrelevant networks from the selection view.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the information presented to each user's specific geographic context. Instead of a uniform presentation of all profiles, the system customizes the visible profile set based on location, ensuring users see complete and relevant information for their local area without being overwhelmed by distant or irrelevant networks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for selecting a wireless local area network (“WLAN”) for a wireless device, comprising: generating a first list of WLAN identifiers for a first group of one or more wireless local area networks (“WLANs”) accessible at a first geographic location and storing the first list in the wireless device; generating a second list of WLAN identifiers for a second group of one or more WLANs accessible at a second geographic location and storing the second list in the wireless device; selecting one of the first and second lists as an active list; and, scanning for WLANs identified by the active list to identify an available WLAN for the wireless device.