Patent ID: 7920531
Filing Date: 2011-04-05
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for managing network connectivity on a device, the method being performed by one or more processors of the device and comprising: at multiple instances in a given duration in which the device is operational and not connected to a wireless local area network, determining an identifier of each wireless local area network that is available at a given location, wherein determining the identifier is performed without attempting to connect to any available wireless local area network at the given location; maintaining a list of identifiers for wireless local area networks that the device has connected to on one or more previous occasions; sorting the list of identifiers based at least in part on either (i) a most recently used prioritization scheme or (ii) a most commonly used prioritization scheme; making a determination as to whether each determined identifier of one or more network identifiers are known to the device, wherein making a determination includes comparing each determined identifier to the list of identifiers; and in response to the determination that at least one of the determined identifiers is known to the device, connecting to an available wireless local area network having the identifier that is known to the device, without first attempting to connect to any other available wireless local area network; in response to the determination that none of the determined identifiers are known to the device, prompting the user to perform an action for connecting to a new available wireless local area network having the identifier that is not known, without first attempting to connect to any wireless local area network.