Patent ID: 6985931
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. For use in a system comprising a plurality of wireless access points that are coupled via a wide area packet switched communication network to a network server that is implemented using one or more physical server platforms and is configured to manage roaming aspects of a wireless terminal apparatus as the wireless terminal apparatus roams into coverage areas supplied by different ones of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the network server and the wireless terminal apparatus communicate via one or more paths through the wide area packet switched communication network at a transport layer or above, a method of server-side processing comprising: maintaining state information including an indication that the wireless terminal apparatus is currently being provided wide area packet switched communication network access via a first wireless access point; receiving from the wireless terminal apparatus via the first wireless access point a representation of a member of the group consisting of a set of GPS coordinates indicative of a current location of the wireless terminal apparatus in the vicinity of a second wireless access point and an indication that the wireless terminal apparatus and the second wireless access point are in radio contact range; evaluating a performance criterion in connection with the first and second wireless access points in order to determine whether the second wireless access point better optimizes the performance criterion than the first wireless access point, wherein the performance criterion involves at least one user-preference parameter; and in response to a determination that the performance criterion is better optimized by the second wireless access point, sending to at least one member of the group consisting of the wireless terminal apparatus and the second wireless access point an indication that the wireless terminal apparatus is to switch wireless access connectivity to the second wireless access point, to thereby facilitate a roam operation.