System, method and apparatus for dynamic wireless network discovery

摘要

A dynamic wireless network discovery system, apparatus and method are provided for users of wireless device to find, connect to, and use wireless networks in an automated manner. New gained knowledge about a wireless network is shared with a central server, which in turn aggregates knowledge about wireless networks collected from various wireless devices, and takes all this aggregated knowledge and reduces the individual data points to aggregate data that provides valuable information about the status of the networks. The central server then in turn distributes this information to a software client operating on wireless devices. Dynamically learned wireless network information is shared from one wireless device with other wireless devices through the distributed intelligence network, either through the central server or by communicating with other wireless devices, providing group-based intelligence about wireless networks to other wireless devices. Devices may further dynamically discover wireless networks that should not be used.

主权项

1. A method for dynamic wireless network discovery comprising:
connecting a mobile device through an available wireless network to a remote connection test server; updating wireless network configuration information stored in a configuration database local to the mobile device with information obtained from the connection to the connection test server; transmitting the updated local wireless network configuration information to a centralized server database that aggregates wireless network configuration information received from a plurality of mobile devices; generating modified wireless network configuration information at the centralized server for one or more wireless networks based on the aggregated wireless network configuration information; transmitting the modified wireless network configuration information from the centralized server to one or more mobile devices; updating the wireless network configuration information stored locally in the one or more mobile devices using the modified wireless network configuration information received from the centralized server; wherein for each wireless network the step of generating modified wireless network configuration information at the centralized server further comprises:
limiting the updated local wireless network configuration information received from each mobile device for each wireless network to a desired geographic region;determining whether wireless network configuration information has been previously stored at the centralized server for the wireless network and, if previously stored, updating the wireless network information with the local wireless network configuration information received from each mobile device;applying one or more business rules to the wireless network configuration information for the wireless network in order to characterize the wireless network and generate the modified wireless network configuration information; andif the characterized wireless network meets predetermined configuration requirements, storing the generated modified wireless network configuration information for the wireless network at the centralized server for distribution to the one or more mobile devices.