Network selection methods and apparatus with use of a master service management module and a prioritized list of multiple aggregator service profiles

摘要

A communication device is configured to store one or more aggregator service application modules for use in accessing one or more different aggregator services. Each aggregator service offers access through a plurality of offered wireless networks identified by a plurality of offered wireless network identifiers. The communication device maintains a prioritized list of profiles which include one or more aggregator service profiles associated with the one or more aggregator services. A scanning operation is performed for identifying one or more available wireless networks in a geographic area of the device, for producing a scan list of one or more available wireless network identifiers corresponding to the one or more available wireless networks. One of the aggregator service profiles is selected from the prioritized list, causing one of the aggregator service application modules corresponding to the selected profile to be invoked. The invoked module causes one of the available wireless network identifiers from the scan list that matches one of the offered wireless network identifiers to be selected, if such matching identifier exists. A connection is established with one of the available wireless networks corresponding to the selected available wireless network identifier, for accessing a selected aggregator service corresponding to the selected aggregator service profile.

主权项

1. A network selection method for use in a communication device, the communication device being configured to store one or more hotspot aggregator service application modules for use in accessing one or more hotspot aggregator services provided by a hotspot aggregator that is external to the communication device, each said hotspot aggregator service offering access through a plurality of offered wireless networks, and the corresponding hotspot aggregator service application module providing a respective wireless network identifier, including service set identifiers (SSID), for each of the plurality of offered wireless networks, the method comprising:
maintaining, in memory, a prioritized list of profiles which include a plurality of wireless network profiles associated with a plurality of wireless networks and one or more hotspot aggregator service profiles associated with the one or more hotspot aggregator services provided by the one or more offered wireless networks, wherein the one or more hotspot aggregator service profiles each include an aggregator identifier which does not necessarily include wireless network identifiers, including SSIDs, for the one or more offered wireless networks; causing a scanning operation to be performed for identifying one or more available wireless networks in a geographic area of the communication device, for producing a scan list of one or more available wireless network identifiers corresponding to the one or more available wireless networks, wherein the scan list is stored in the memory; selecting, in prioritized order, one of the profiles in the prioritized list of profiles; when the selected profile is one of the hotspot aggregator service profiles, then: invoking one of the hotspot aggregator service application modules corresponding to a selected one of the hotspot aggregator service profiles from the prioritized list of profiles, the one of the hotspot aggregator service application modules configured to: identify one or more offered wireless network identifiers corresponding to one or more offered wireless networks that offer a hotspot aggregator service corresponding to the selected hotspot aggregator service profile; and compare the one or more available wireless network identifiers in the scan list with the one or more offered wireless network identifiers to identify one or more matching wireless network identifiers; return a list of one or more hotspot wireless network identifiers that corresponds to one or more wireless networks that are both offered and available; and cause a connection to be established with one of the wireless networks that are both offered and available corresponding to one of the identified hotspot wireless network identifiers in the list.