WLAN Proximity Detection via Wide Area Network Reference Signals

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile devices face power consumption issues due to frequent or continuous searching for wireless LANs, which can quickly discharge batteries while trying to maintain seamless network coverage between wide area and local area networks.

Innovation Solution

A wireless communications device that uses memory to store information about nearby networks and processors to determine proximity based on reference signals, allowing it to intelligently decide when to search for wireless LANs, thereby reducing unnecessary power usage by limiting searches to when the device is within the LAN's area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mobile devices perform frequent or continuous searching for wireless LANs, then network coverage and connectivity are improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork coverageVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing information about wireless LANs in advance and using reference signals from wide area networks to predict proximity, so that actual WLAN searching is only triggered when needed, avoiding continuous power-consuming searches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Reference signals from wide area network base stations serve as an intermediary indicator to infer proximity to wireless LANs, allowing the device to indirectly determine whether WLAN searching is necessary without directly continuously scanning for WLANs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If mobile devices continuously search for wireless LAN beacon signals, then seamless network coverage is maintained, but battery discharge rate increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseamless network coverageVSAvoidbattery life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system stores WLAN information and reference signal characteristics in advance, enabling predictive determination of WLAN proximity based on current wide area network signals, thus avoiding continuous battery-consuming beacon searches while maintaining coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous searching, the system employs periodic or event-triggered searching based on changes in reference signals from wide area networks, reducing the frequency of power-intensive operations while maintaining adequate network coverage monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP1913788B1Method and apparatus for locating a wireless local area network in a wide area network

Publication Date: 2018.02.14 QUALCOMM INC

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AI summary

The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device that measures characteristics or attributes of a first communications network that vary according to physical location within that first communications network to create a fingerprint, or signature, of a location within the first communications network. When the fingerprint of the current location of the mobile device is created it can be compared to a known fingerprint associated with a second communication network to determine the mobile device's proximity to the second communications network. For example, the first communications network may be a CDMA wide area wireless communication network and the second communications network may be a 802.11 wireless LAN.