Patent ID: 9572190
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: H04W

Claim:
1. A method at a device that includes a processor and a wireless transceiver, comprising: transmitting a probe request to determine WiFi networks that are available for a connection to the device; receiving a probe response from a plurality of the WiFi networks; categorizing, by the processor, each one of the plurality of WiFi networks as one of a private WiFi network or a public WiFi network, the private WiFi network utilizing a first association process in which identification data of the device and an independent input is used to authorize a connection, the public WiFi network utilizing a second association process in which the identification data of the device is used to authorize a connection; determining that the plurality of WiFi networks includes a private WiFi network that is hidden when the private WiFi network broadcasts a probe response that does not comprise an identification; scanning, responsive to the determining that the private WiFi network is hidden, for the private WiFi network based at least in part on information from a previous connection between the private WiFi network and the device; when at least one of the plurality of the WiFi networks is categorized as a private WiFi network, executing a first automatic connection process using the first association process to attempt to connect to the private WiFi network based upon a first prioritized list; when the attempt to connect to the one of the private WiFi networks is unsuccessful, repeating the executing of the first automatic connection process for ones of the categorized private WiFi networks, based upon the first prioritized list, until a successful connection is established with one of the private WiFi networks or until the first automatic connection process is unsuccessful for all of the categorized private WiFi networks; and when the first automatic connection process is unsuccessful for all of the categorized private WiFi networks, executing a second automatic connection process until a successful connection is established to one of the public WiFi networks based upon a second prioritized list, wherein the first prioritized list is sorted as a function of a first predetermined order of preference for the private WiFi networks, and wherein the second prioritized list is sorted as a function of a second predetermined order of preference for the public WiFi networks.