Abstract:
A device includes a wireless transceiver and a memory storing a database. The database includes identification information of one or more secured wireless networks. When the device attempts to establish a wireless connection, the wireless transceiver attempts to connect to the one or more secured wireless networks prior to attempting to connect to further networks.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]    Wireless access points are typically identified by their service set identifier (“SSID”). Some access points broadcast their SSID, while others hide it to minimize unauthorized access. To connect to an access point that hides its SSID, a network device must send a variety of probe requests to find information concerning such access points. This process can be time-consuming and can result in poor roaming performance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a device including a wireless transceiver and a memory storing a database. The database includes identification information of one or more secured wireless networks. When the device attempts to establish a wireless connection, the wireless transceiver attempts to connect to the one or more secured wireless networks prior to attempting to connect to further networks. 
         [0003]    The present invention further relates to a method including receiving a request to connect to a wireless network, attempting to connect to one of a plurality of secured wireless networks corresponding to network identifiers stored in a database, and attempting to connect to at least one network not in the database, if the attempt to connect to the one of the wireless networks corresponding to the network identifiers stored in the database is unsuccessful. 
         [0004]    The present invention further relates to a computer readable storage medium storing a set of instructions executable by a processor. The instructions are operable to receive a request to connect to a wireless network, attempt to connect to one of a plurality of secured wireless networks corresponding to network identifiers stored in a database, and attempt to connect to at least one network not in the database, if the attempt to connect to the one of the wireless networks corresponding to the network identifiers stored in the database is unsuccessful. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary wireless communication network according to the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary database storing information of secure SSID networks according to the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary method for connecting to a secure SSID according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0008]    The exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments describe systems and methods for achieving faster connectivity and improved roaming performance in networks using secure SSID. In the exemplary embodiments, mobile devices maintain a database of access points using secure SSID to improve the process of connecting to those access points. 
         [0009]    Networks may utilize access points with secure SSID in order to minimize the occurrence of unauthorized attempts to access the network. Secure SSIDs are those which do not broadcast the SSID name in the beacon transmitted by the access point. To connect to a secure SSID, a device must send a probe request on the various allowable channels, including the SSID name, to find the details of the SSID in order to connect to the access point having the secure SSID. The details to be retrieved may include the channel of operation of the network, the MAC address, the supported data rates, etc. The necessity of transmitting probe requests on all the allowed channels until a response is received results in an increased time to connect. 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary device  100  that may attempt to connect to a wireless local area network (“WLAN”). The device  100  may be, for example, a notebook computer, desktop computers, a handheld or palmtop computer, a portable gaming device, or any other device that may be capable of connecting to a WLAN. The device  100  may include a display  110 , an input means  120  (e.g., a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch-sensitive display, etc.), data storage  130  (e.g., a hard drive), and a wireless network antenna  140 . Those of skill in the art will understand that this list is intended to be illustrative rather than comprehensive, and that various devices  100  may include other components in addition to those listed above. 
         [0011]    The wireless network antenna  140  enables the device  100  to communicate by various wireless networks that it may have access to. Communications may be coordinated, for example, by a drive and/or a software application stored in the data storage  130  and executed by a processor of the device  100 . While this software application may be capable of communicating with a WLAN using a secure SSID by the prior method described above, the exemplary embodiments provide for improved performance. The data storage  130  stores a database  150  storing data to be described in further detail with reference to  FIG. 2  below, and used in the operation of the exemplary method  300  of  FIG. 3 , also described below. Additionally, the data storage  130  may store an operating system, applications, documents, etc.  FIG. 1  further illustrates an exemplary access point  160  with which the device  100  may communicate, and which will be referenced in the description of the exemplary method  300  below. 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates the contents of an exemplary database  150  storing network information to aid in the connection of the device  100  to a WLAN using the exemplary method  300  described below. The database  150  stores a plurality of entries  210 ,  220  and  230 ; those of skill in the art will understand that the illustration of three database entries is only exemplary and that the precise number of entries will vary among different implementations of the database  150 . Each of the entries  210 ,  220  and  230  stores data required for the device  100  to connect to a corresponding WLAN with a secure SSID. For example, for each of the entries  210 ,  220  and  230 , the database  150  may include an SSID field  240 , a channel field  250 , a data rate field  260 , etc. Those of skill in the art will understand that other fields are possible in order to facilitate the connection of the device  100  to one of the networks denoted by database entries  210 ,  220  and  230 . 
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary method  300  by which a mobile device (e.g., the device  100  of  FIG. 1 ) may use an SSID database (e.g., the database  150  of  FIG. 2 ) to facilitate its connection to a network. While the method  300  will be described herein with specific reference to the device  100  and the database  150 , those of skill in the art will understand that various other devices may also be capable of performing the exemplary method  300 . 
         [0014]    In step  310 , the device  100  initiates the process of connecting to a wireless network. This may be done automatically or by a user who, for example, enters a command into a software interface or engages a hardware component (e.g., a button or a switch) to begin the process, etc. In step  320 , the device  100  tries to connect to an SSID via a name provided by the user or previously stored in data storage  130 . This connection step may follow the standard process that is known in the art. If this connection is successful, the method continues to step  390 ; if not, the method proceeds to step  330 , wherein the device  100  retrieves the database  150  from the data storage  130 . Alternately, in another exemplary embodiment, the database  150  may be retrieved when the device  100  is powered on and may reside in active memory until it is needed. 
         [0015]    In step  340 , the device  100  transmits probe requests to secure SSIDs maintained in the database  150 . These requests are typically standard probe requests known in the art (e.g., based on the 802.11 standard) but may alternately be of a proprietary format. The probe requests may contain the name of the SSID with which the device  100  wishes to connect, the channel on which it is attempting to connect, the data rates that the device  100  supports, the MAC address of the device  100 , etc. Subsequently, in step  350  the device  100  listens for responses from networks with SSIDs probed in step  340 . If a response is received, in step  360  the device  100  connects to an access point responding to the probe request. The connection process of step  360  follows standard methods that are well known in the art. 
         [0016]    Alternately, if no response is received in step  350 , then in step  370  the device  100  begins an active scan for network SSIDs on all permissible channels. The specific channels scanned in step  370  will depend on the country in which the device  100  is operating. Next, in step  380 , the device  100  connects to a network found during the active scan in step  370 . As above, this connection process may typically follow standard methods that are known in the art. Last, in step  390 , which follows the connection made in step  320 ,  360  or  380 , the device  100  may commence network operations via the SSID to which it has connected. Following step  390 , the method terminates. 
         [0017]    Those of skill in the art will understand that the same method  300 , save for step  310 , may be followed by a device  100  that roams out of the service area of an SSID to which it had previously been connected and needs to connect to a new SSID to continue its network operations. Initially, the database  150  may be received by the device  100  from an external source (e.g., the manufacturer of the device  100 , an internet service provider, etc.). It may subsequently be updated when the device  100  receives, upon an active scan, a beacon that does not contain an SSID name. 
         [0018]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present invention, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.