Patent Document ID: 8165101
Application ID: 11540070
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of initiating communications between a mobile user device and a network, the method comprising acts of: (A) accessing a list of known networks previously defined on the mobile user device, the list of known networks comprising at least one non-hidden network and a first plurality of hidden networks, the first plurality of hidden networks comprising one subset for which the mobile user device is configured to automatically probe, and another subset for which the mobile user device is configured to probe only upon receiving an instruction from the user; (B) automatically determining which of the at least one non-hidden network and the one subset of the first plurality of hidden networks are within transmission range of the mobile user device; (C) automatically determining whether at least one second hidden network, previously unknown to the mobile user device, is within transmission range of the mobile user device; (D) receiving an instruction from a user to determine whether one or more of the another subset of the first plurality of hidden networks is within transmission range of the mobile user device; (E) determining whether any of the one or more of the another subset of the first plurality of hidden networks is within transmission range of the mobile user device; (F) selecting, from among networks determined to be within transmission range of the mobile user device in (B), (C) or (E), a network to which to connect, the selecting employing a predefined precedence order encompassing at least one hidden network and at least one non-hidden network.