Selecting a wireless networking technology on a device capable of carrying out wireless network communications via multiple wireless technologies

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the rendering a selection step further comprises applying global information to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein the global information includes priorities of data sets.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and 802.11b wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a network congestion factor.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and UWB wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a signal interference factor.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless technology selection framework further supports designating a set of weights applied to the factors and the wireless technology selection criteria comprise logical and/or arithmetic combination of weighted numerical factor values.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein the weighted numerical factor values are combined to render an overall selection score for each combination of available wireless technologies.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 further comprising issuing a prompt for user intervention when no available wireless technologies meet a requirement designated by at least one of the chosen criteria.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6 further comprising providing an interface through which a wireless technology selection criterion is configured dynamically by designating factors and/or weightings.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10 wherein the event comprises expiration of a period.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event associated with reassigning a weight to a factor referenced within a wireless technology selection criterion.

Claim 14

The method of claim 12 wherein the reassigning a weight is carried out in response to a detected event.

Claim 15

The method of claim 13 wherein the detected event corresponds to a change to a status of an application currently executing upon the computing device.

Claim 16

The method of claim 13 wherein the detected event concerns a power source for the computing device.

Claim 17

A computer storage medium including computer-executable instructions that facilitate selecting a wireless technology among multiple available wireless technologies on a computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of the multiple available wireless technologies, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of: maintaining a wireless technology selection framework comprising a set of factors; receiving one or more inputs to the wireless technology selection framework to designate a critical factor, an overriding factor, and a non-overriding factor; acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology; rendering numerical factor values for the factors; defining a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the factors are referenced in at least one criterion; dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria; and rendering a wireless technology selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, comprising giving precedence to the critical factor over the overriding factor and the non-overriding factor, and giving precedence to the overriding factor over the non-overriding factor, further comprising calculating an arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

Claim 18

A computer storage medium including computer-executable instructions that facilitate selecting a wireless technology among multiple available wireless technologies on a computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of the multiple available wireless technologies, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of: maintaining a wireless technology selection framework comprising a set of factors; receiving one or more inputs to the wireless technology selection framework to designate a critical factor, an overriding factor, and a non-overriding factor; acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology; rendering numerical factor values for the factors; defining a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the factors are referenced in at least one criterion; dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria; and rendering a wireless technology selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, comprising giving precedence to the critical factor over the overriding factor and the non-overriding factor, and giving precedence to the overriding factor over the non-overriding factor, further comprising calculating an arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

Claim 19

The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the rendering a selection step further comprises applying global information to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria.

Claim 20

The computer storage medium of claim 17 wherein the global information includes priorities of data sets.

Claim 21

The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and 802.11b wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a network congestion factor.

Claim 22

The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and UWB wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a signal interference factor.

Claim 23

The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the wireless technology selection framework further supports designating a set of weights applied to the factors and the wireless technology selection criteria comprise logical and/or arithmetic combination of weighted numerical factor values.

Claim 24

The computer storage medium of claim 21 wherein the weighted numerical factor values are combined to render an overall selection score for each combination of available wireless technologies.

Claim 25

The computer storage medium of claim 16 further comprising computer-executable instructions that facilitate issuing a prompt for user intervention when no available wireless technologies meet a requirement designated by at least one of the chosen criteria.

Claim 26

The computer storage medium of claim 21 further comprising computer-executable instructions that facilitate providing an interface through which a wireless technology selection criterion is configured dynamically by designating factors and/or weightings.

Claim 27

The computer storage medium of claim 21 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event.

Claim 28

The computer storage medium of claim 25 wherein the event comprises expiration of a period.

Claim 29

The computer storage medium of claim 25 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event associated with reassigning a weight to a factor referenced within a wireless technology selection criterion.

Claim 30

The computer storage medium of claim 27 wherein the reassigning a weight is carried out in response to a detected event.

Claim 31

The computer storage medium of claim 28 wherein the detected event corresponds to a change to a status of an application currently executing upon the computing device.

Claim 32

The computer storage medium of claim 28 wherein the detected event concerns a power source for the computing device.

Claim 33

A computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of multiple available wireless technologies, the computing device including an infrastructure supporting selecting a network and interface from a plurality of potential networks and interfaces, and wherein the interfaces potentially incorporate a variety of the available wireless technologies, the computing device comprising: a wireless technology factor designation framework supporting specifying a set of factors; an information gathering interface for acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology; and a processor programmed to perform a factor value rendering function for establishing numerical factor values for the specified factors based upon the information acquired, wherein the numerical factor values are different from the information acquired; a criterion specification framework supporting specifying a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the specified factors are referenced in at one criterion; a criterion selection engine for dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria at least in part by evaluating a criterion selection logic based on the information acquired; a wireless technology selection rendering engine for rendering a wireless interface selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, wherein applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria comprises arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

Claim 34

A computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of multiple available wireless technologies, the computing device including an infrastructure supporting selecting a network and interface from a plurality of potential networks and interfaces, and wherein the interfaces potentially incorporate a variety of the available wireless technologies, the computing device comprising: a wireless technology factor designation framework supporting specifying a set of factors; an information gathering interface for acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology; and a processor programmed to perform a factor value rendering function for establishing numerical factor values for the specified factors based upon the information acquired, wherein the numerical factor values are different from the information acquired; a criterion specification framework supporting specifying a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the specified factors are referenced in at one criterion; a criterion selection engine for dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria at least in part by evaluating a criterion selection logic based on the information acquired; a wireless technology selection rendering engine for rendering a wireless interface selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, wherein applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria comprises arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

Claim 35

The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technology selection rendering engine further applies global information to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria when rendering selections.

Claim 36

The computing device of claim 32 wherein the global information includes priorities of data sets.

Claim 37

The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and 802.11b wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a network congestion factor.

Claim 38

The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and UWB wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a signal interference factor.

Claim 39

The computing device of claim 31 wherein the criterion specification framework supports designating a set of weights applied to the factors and combining logically and/or arithmetically weighted numerical factor values.

Claim 40

The computing device of claim 36 wherein the weighted numerical factor values are combined to render an overall selection score for each combination of available wireless technologies.

Claim 41

The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technology factor designation framework supports designating an overriding factor.

Claim 42

The computing device of claim 31 further comprising a user interface for issuing a prompt for user intervention when no available wireless technologies meet a requirement designated by at least one of the chosen criteria.

Claim 43

The computing device of claim 36 further comprising an interface through which a wireless technology selection criterion is configured dynamically by designating factors and/or weightings.

Claim 44

The computing device of claim 36 wherein the wireless interface selection is performed in response to an event.

Claim 45

The computing device of claim 41 wherein the event comprises expiration of a period.

Claim 46

The computing device of claim 41 wherein the wireless interface selection is performed in response to an event associated with reassigning a weight to a factor referenced within a wireless technology selection criterion.

Claim 47

The computing device of claim 43 wherein the reassigning a weight is carried out in response to a detected event.

Claim 48

The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event corresponds to a change to a status of an application currently executing upon the computing device.

Claim 49

The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a power source for the computing device.

Claim 50

The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a change in a set of available networks.

Claim 51

The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a change in congestion/interference parameter values.

Claim 52

The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a change in connectivity of a network.