Blackberry Corporation

Research in Motion Corporation

Ahmad Mohammad Mohammad Kholaif

Nayef Fawaz Mendahawi

Ion Barbu

Krishna Kumar Bakthavathsalu

Denis Fedotenko

Rudy Eugene Rawlins

Sasan Adibi

Stephen Mccann

Nayef Mendahawi

A wireless communications device stores a first cryptographic key in connection with a profile, the profile indicating a security type requiring no credentials and a network name. An access point (AP) supports a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the security type and the WLAN requiring a second cryptographic key for encryption. The wireless communications device successfully authenticates and associates with the AP, thus joining the WLAN. Subsequent to joining the WLAN, the wireless communications device conducts encrypted communications with the AP and detects from the encrypted communications that there is a mismatch between the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key. Responsive to detecting the mismatch, the wireless communications device bans the profile or the AP or both.

Handling mismatch of cryptographic keys and related battery drain and communication exchange failures

In the event of an authentication process failure, a mobile station bans a connection profile storing the credentials provided by the mobile station when initiating the failed authentication process, thus affecting how subsequent scans&#x2014;other than discovery scans&#x2014;and connection attempts are handled. In the event of an authentication process failure, a mobile station bans or suppresses an access point with which the mobile station initiated the failed authentication process. The mobile station refrains from transmitting any communications addressed to the unique identifier of any banned access point. The mobile station may ignore any communications received from a banned access point. Suppressed access points are occasionally not made available to the mobile station for selection as a target for a connection attempt.

Authentication failure in a wireless local area network

A system and method of reducing the WLAN power consumption and limiting battery drain of a mobile communications device is provided. The mechanism continuously monitors for changes in the WLAN and cellular signal strength and modifies the WLAN profile scanning activity accordingly. By monitoring for changes, transitions can be detected which indicate the location of the mobile device (i.e., indoor or outdoor). An increase in cellular signal strength and a decrease in WLAN signal strength indicates the user is transitioning outdoors where WLAN coverage may be limited. To reduce battery power consumption, background scanning is suspended or its frequency significantly lowered. Moving indoors is indicated by a decrease in cellular signal strength and an increase in WLAN signal strength. Background/Connectivity scanning frequency is increased to provide shorter time-to-connect to WLAN Networks for the user within the WLAN coverage area.

Reducing WLAN power consumption on a mobile device utilizing a cellular radio interface

A wireless client device associated with an access point records at which time T after a transmission time of a most recent beacon frame it gained access to the wireless medium for transmission of an uplink packet to the access point. The wireless client device self-schedules target transmission times for one or more future uplink packets, where each of the target transmission times is T after a respective expected transmission time of a beacon frame. Rather than immediately attempting to gain access to the wireless medium when it determines that another uplink packet is ready for transmission, the wireless client device waits until shortly before its next upcoming target transmission time to make the attempt. Implementation in wireless client devices that are attempting to transmit uplink packets to the same access point may prolong the amount of time they can remain in a doze state, potentially reducing their power consumption.

Scheduling and power saving with unscheduled service periods in a wireless system

A method for network access and a mobile station configured for the same is described. In one embodiment, there is provided a method for network access on a mobile station comprising: scanning for Wi-Fi networks; receiving responses from available wireless access points (APs) of the Wi-Fi networks; selecting a Wi-Fi network in accordance with past connectivity data associated with the Wi-Fi networks of the available APs; and attempting to connect to the selected Wi-Fi network.

Network access and a mobile station configured for the same

A target access point is selected from the results of a discovery scan so that a mobile station can attempt a connection with the target access point. The mobile station determines whether the target access point belongs to a small office/home office (SOHO)-type wireless local area network (WLAN) deployment or to a corporate/enterprise-type WLAN deployment. The mobile station then configures itself according to the determination of the type of WLAN deployment to which the target access point belongs.

Configuring mobile station according to type of wireless local area network (WLAN) deployment

Techniques for use in controlling an access point mode of operation of a mobile terminal are described. Initially, the mobile terminal operates in the access point mode of operation for communication with one or more other mobile terminals. While operating in the access point mode, the mobile terminal receives, from the one or more other mobile terminals, network information comprising one or more network identifiers which identify one or more wireless networks within coverage of the one or more other mobile terminals. The mobile terminal disables the access point mode of operation in response to identifying that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to a predetermined wireless network or predetermined type of wireless network. In one example, the mobile terminal is operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11, the received network identifiers comprise service set identifiers (SSIDs), and the predetermined wireless network is an enterprise network.

Methods and apparatus for use in controlling an access point mode of operation for a mobile terminal

An emergency locator component for a mobile communication device enables the mobile communication device to obtain location information from other neighboring mobile devices in the event that the mobile communication device is unable to determine its own location. The mobile communication device employs a short-range radiofrequency transceiver to broadcast a request for location information to the neighboring mobile devices. A response containing location information may be received from another mobile device equipped with a similar emergency locator component. Accordingly, this technology enables mobile devices to exchange location information by setting up an ad-hoc network. The location information can be included, for example, in an emergency phone call to an emergency services call center.

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Ahmad Mohammad Mohammad Kholaif