Abstract:
A method enables users to automatically switch available network connections for the current position as indicated by GPS while maintaining Internet connection. The selection of the network connection depends on a network connection profile which may be built up gradually and the score of each connection. Moreover the local network topology for the GPS location may be overlaid on a geographic map as might be generated by satellite imagery to give the user a better understanding of the topology.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application is directed generally to intelligent wireless network connection management and network topology overlays on geographic maps. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Wireless devices such as wireless portable computers may have multiple interfaces to connect to the Internet. Some interfaces require communication paths that might be free but have relatively small bandwidths while other interfaces might use communication paths with robust bandwidths but with attendant costs. 
         [0003]    As understood herein, given that a mobile computing device might have multiple interfaces with which to communicate, a user might not know the most suitable interface to use for changing requirements and conditions. Furthermore, present principles understand that existing systems for enabling a user to view network topology give the user a less than complete understanding of the topology. For example, some systems permit showing topologies relative to a user-designated home location but not the available topology in a different location unless the user re-designates the new location as the home location, unfortunately leading to the loss of topology presentation related to the previously set home location. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, a mobile computing device includes a processor, a geographic position satellite (GPS) receiver communicating with the processor, and a display presented demanded images under control of the processor. At least a first wireless wide area network interface communicates with the processor for establishing wireless connectivity between the processor and the Internet. The processor presents on the display a geographic map of a current geographic location of the device as indicated by the GPS receiver. Also, the processor overlays on the geographic map a network topology map indicating network connectivity information for the current geographic location of the device. 
         [0005]    Without limitation, the network connectivity information may include images of network paths and nodes. The network connectivity information may further include alphabetic messages indicating whether coverage is available for an associated geographic area. 
         [0006]    A second wireless wide area network interface may be provided for communicating with the processor for establishing wireless connectivity between the processor and the Internet. The processor can automatically select which interface to use to communicate with the Internet based at least in part on signals from the GPS receiver. Thus, for example, the first interface can be a WiFi interface and the second interface can be a wireless telephony interface, and the WiFi interface can be selected by the processor when the GPS receiver outputs signals indicating the device is located in a home location, with the wireless telephony interface being selected when the GPS receiver outputs signals indicating the device is moving. If desired, the processor can prompt a user to enter the home location, or the processor may infer the home location based on comparing a signal from the GPS receiver with the geographic map. The geographic map may be obtained from satellite imagery. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, a mobile computing device includes a processor, a geographic position satellite (GPS) receiver communicating with the processor, and a display presented demanded images under control of the processor. The device may also include at least a first wireless wide area network interface communicating with the processor for establishing wireless connectivity between the processor and the Internet and at least a second wireless wide area network interface communicating with the processor for establishing wireless connectivity between the processor and the Internet. The processor automatically selects which interface to use to communicate with the Internet based at least in part on signals from the GPS receiver. 
         [0008]    In still another aspect, a method includes receiving, at a mobile communication device, GPS location information. The method includes using the GPS location information to establish which one of plural wireless communication interfaces for the device to use to communicate with the Internet, and also using the GPS location information to cause the device to present a geographic map on a display and to overlay on the map network topology information. 
         [0009]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an example mobile computing device in accordance with present principles; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of example set up logic; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of example operating logic for establishing which Internet interface to use based on geographic location; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a screen shot of an example geographic map presentation, prompting the user to select whether to overlay a network topology map thereon; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a screen shot of an example geographic map presentation with a network topology map overlaid thereon. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a mobile computing device  10  includes a lightweight hollow housing  12  typically supporting a visual display  14  and one or more audio speakers  14   a.  The device  10  also typically includes one or more input/output (I/O devices  16  such as but not limited to keypads, point-and-click devices, voice recognition modules, etc. for inputting signals a processor  18  in the housing  12 . The processor  18  controls the presentation on the display  14  and accesses a tangible computer readable storage medium  20  such as solid state storage, disk-based storage, removable storage, and any combination thereof. The medium  20  may store logic executable by the processor  18  in accordance with present principles as well as data such as but not limited to network topology data, geographic map data, etc. 
         [0016]    The example computing device  10  may also include multiple interfaces for wirelessly communicating with a network such as the Internet. Each interface typically is associated with a respective circuit/radio etc. In the example shown the device  10  includes a WiFi interface  22 , a WiMax interface  24 , a wireless telephony interface  26  such as but not limited to a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) interface, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) interface  28 , and a satellite communication interface  30 , it being understood that the interfaces shown in  FIG. 1  are exemplary only and non-limiting. Also, the mobile computing device  10  can include a position receiver such as a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver  32 . The processor  18  typically communicates with one of the interfaces  22 - 30  at a time to wirelessly exchange data with a network. The processor  18  also receives geographic position information including latitude/longitude information of the current location of the device  10  from the position receiver  32 . 
         [0017]    Without limitation, the mobile computing device  10  may be implemented as a mobile computer, a mobile telephone, a mobile personal digital assistant, etc. 
         [0018]    Now referring to  FIG. 2 , at block  34  default location-interface matches are defined, typically by the manufacturer of the device  10 . This may be done either by associating geographic locations input by the user during a registration process with respective wireless interfaces, or by associating generically-named locations (e.g., “home”, “work”, “on the go”) with respective interfaces. 
         [0019]    As one example, the location “home” may be associated with the WiFi interface  22 , representing a home-based WiFi network, while the location “work” may be associated with the WiMax interface  24 , representing a work network. In some cases the WiFi interface  22  may be associated with both home and work for use with different (home and work) WiFi networks. On the other hand, the location “on the go” may be associated with the wireless telephony interface  26 . 
         [0020]    In addition, anticipating that one of multiple interfaces may be used at any given location, at block  36  default rules are established typically by the manufacturer of the device  10 , for selecting which one of two or more available interfaces to use to communicate with the Internet. For example, one rule might be “use fastest connection at work and cheapest connection on the go”, while another rule might be to “use most secure connection on the go”, and so on. Other rules can be predicated on security, wireless speed, wireless signal quality and strength, and cost of using this connection. The various interfaces may then be ranked according to the rules. 
         [0021]    At block  38  the processor  18  may present a prompt on the display  14  to enter location information. For example, the processor  18  might present a prompt to “select current location as home, work, or on the go”, and when the user selects, e.g., “home”, the current geographic position of the device  10  as indicated by the output of the GPS receiver  32  is correlated to “home”. Thus, the current geographic position of the device  10  is also correlated with the associated “home” interface. Likewise, when the processor  18  receives a user input of “work” in response to a prompt to select the current location, the GPS position is correlated to the “work” interface. The processor  18  may further infer that the device  10  is “on the go” from changing position information from the GPS receiver  32  that exceeds some threshold rate, e.g., an indication that the device  10  is moving at five miles per hour or faster. 
         [0022]    Alternatively, the processor  18  may simply infer that a particular geographic location of the device  10  is “home” or “work”. In one embodiment the processor  18  may receive geographic map information indicating that the current location of the device  10  as indicated by the GPS receiver  32  is in an industrial park. If this location is received at a particular time of day, e.g., between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M., the processor  18  can infer that the device  10  is at “work” and establish the interface used to communicate with the Internet accordingly. Similarly, if the device  10  is located at a map area designated as “residential” after working hours, the device  10  may infer that it is at “home” and establish the interface used to communicate with the Internet accordingly. 
         [0023]    Proceeding to block  40 , the processor  18  may prompt the user to change default location-interface matches initially established at block  34  as well as to change the default interface selection rules initially established at block  36 . When changed, the new interface selections are used to establish wireless Internet connectivity in the associated location. 
         [0024]    Block  42  of  FIG. 3  indicates that during operation of the device  10 , the processor  18  receives geographic position information from the GPS receiver  32 . If only a single interface is correlated to the current position at decision diamond  44  (as normally is the case), the processor establishes wireless network connectivity using that interface at block  46 . In the event that more than a single interface has been correlated to the current location, at block  48  the rules established at block  36  as modified by user changes at block  40  are used to select the interface for communication. 
         [0025]    In addition, the location-interface matches and selection rules may be changed over time gradually based on observing actual usage of the device  10 . For example, if a user repeatedly selects the telephony interface  26  to communicate with the Internet when the GPS receiver  32  indicates the user is at “home”, the “home” interface may change from its current setting to “telephony interface  26 ”. 
         [0026]    In addition to the above,  FIGS. 4 and 5  show that an available network topology may be overlaid on a geographic map  50  and presented on the display  14 . The geographic map  50  may be received through one of the interfaces shown in  FIG. 1  and may be derived from, e.g., satellite imagery, e.g., the map  50  may be an image of the current geographic location of the device  10  as indicated by the GPS receiver  32 . In  FIG. 4 , as shown at  52  a marker (“A” in  FIG. 4 ) may be presented on the map  50  along with an alphanumeric prompt  54  to the user that a personal network topology is available for display by, e.g., clicking on the marker “A”. 
         [0027]    This causes an image  56  of the available wireless network topology to be overlaid on the map  50  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The topology map indicates network connectivity information for the current geographic location of the device. The network connectivity information may include images  58  of network paths and images  60  of network nodes. Also, the network connectivity information can further include alphabetic messages  62  indicating whether coverage is available for an associated geographic area as shown. Thus, in  FIG. 5  no Internet access currently is available in the topology area D 2  that exists in the geographic area over which it appears on the map  50 , whereas Internet access currently is available in the topology area D 1  that exists in the geographic area over which it appears on the map  50 . In this way, as the user is being travelling he can relate geographic map information to corresponding wireless network topology information. 
         [0028]    In an example embodiment the wireless network topology may be generally existing network topology as detected by the device  10  or the network topology that is made up by the individual user&#39;s wireless capable devices at least once. In any case, a convenient way is provided for the user to see the whole personal network topology every setup, with color or other ways to indicate whether a network is available or not at the current location that is obtained by the GPS receiver  32 . 
         [0029]    While the particular GPS-BASED WIRELESS NETWORK CONNECTION SELECTION AND NETWORK TOPOLOGY OVERLAY ON SATELLITE GEOGRAPHIC MAP is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.