Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for scanning in wireless computing devices

US7263078B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
7References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 18, 2002
Grant dateAug 28, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 6, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D30/70
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for scanning in a wireless device having a wireless network interface card (NIC) is presented. The system has a scanning history table for storing scanning results and a scanning engine that adjusts the scanning period based upon a history of scanning results and commands the NIC to scan for available networks after the period has expired. The engine receives scan results from the NIC, stores the scan results in the scanning history table, determines a scanning period based upon a history of scan results, sets the scanning period, and commands the NIC to scan for available networks after the scanning period has expired. The engine is programmed to set the scanning period using an exponential function and to reset the scanning period to a default period if the scan results are different from a prior scan result or if a triggering event is received.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.