IP Library › Granted Patent US 12696143

Granted Patent B2

US 12696143 · App. 18/465,572 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

System and method for associating Wi-Fi with specific services

Inventors: Ronak Shah (Issaquah, WA); Richard Zaffino (Kirkland, WA)

Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

H04W36/00222 H04W84/12

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12696143
App. No.: 18/465,572
Granted: Jul 28, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a mobile device, with a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, including: initializing a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) radio; checking whether a Wi-Fi connection with a Wi-Fi access point is available; establishing a secure session with a border gateway via the Wi-Fi connection responsive to the checking; and facilitating a user of the mobile device with a switch function for control of user sessions, wherein the switch function does not affect the secure session or the Wi-Fi radio. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims (42)

1 . A mobile device, comprising:

a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) radio;

a radio access network (RAN) radio;

a user interface comprising a user-services Wi-Fi toggle element having an ON state and an OFF state;

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

performing a first check of whether a first Wi-Fi connection with a first Wi-Fi access point is available;

establishing a secure session with a border gateway via the first Wi-Fi connection responsive to the first check indicating that the first Wi-Fi connection is available; and

prioritizing conducting user sessions via the Wi-Fi radio rather than the RAN radio when the user-services Wi-Fi toggle element is in the ON state and at least one Wi-Fi connection is available, and instead conducting user sessions via the RAN radio when the user-services Wi-Fi toggle element is in the OFF state,

wherein whether the user-services Wi-Fi toggle element is in the ON state or the OFF state does not affect whether or not the Wi-Fi radio is powered on, and also does not modify or terminate the secure session.

2 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing the secure session with the border gateway via a first RAN connection over a RAN responsive to the first check indicating an absence of the first Wi-Fi connection.

3 . The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:

performing a second check of whether a second Wi-Fi connection with a second Wi-Fi access point is available; and

handing over the secure session with the border gateway from the first RAN connection to the second Wi-Fi connection responsive to the second check indicating that the second Wi-Fi connection is available.

4 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise blocking the user sessions from being conducted using the second Wi-Fi connection responsive to the handing over of the secure session from the first RAN connection to the second Wi-Fi connection.

5 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise facilitating the user sessions being conducted using the RAN responsive to the handing over of the secure session from the first RAN connection to the second Wi-Fi connection.

6 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the first and second Wi-Fi access points are the same Wi-Fi access point.

7 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the first and second Wi-Fi access points are different Wi-Fi access points.

8 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the secure session comprises an emergency beacon.

9 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the secure session comprises a secure connection tunnel to the border gateway.

10 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the user interface does not comprise an element that controls whether the Wi-Fi radio is powered on or powered off.

11 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a mobile device, the processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

performing a first check of whether a first Wi-Fi connection with a first Wi-Fi access point is available, wherein the mobile device comprises a Wi-Fi radio, a radio access network (RAN) radio, and a user interface comprising a user-services Wi-Fi toggle element having an ON state and an OFF state;

establishing a secure session with a border gateway via the first Wi-Fi connection responsive to the first check indicating that the first Wi-Fi connection is available; and

12 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise establishing the secure session with the border gateway via a first RAN connection over a RAN responsive to the first check indicating an absence of the first Wi-Fi connection.

13 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

performing a second check of whether a second Wi-Fi connection with a second Wi-Fi access point is available; and

14 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise blocking the user sessions from being conducted using the second Wi-Fi connection and facilitating the user sessions being conducted using the RAN responsive to the handing over of the secure session from the first RAN connection to the second Wi-Fi connection.

15 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first and second Wi-Fi access points are the same Wi-Fi access point.

16 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the secure session comprises a secure connection tunnel to the border gateway.

17 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the secure session comprises an emergency beacon.

18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the user interface does not comprise an element that controls whether the Wi-Fi radio is powered on or powered off.

19 . A method, comprising:

providing, by a processing system including a processor, on a user interface of a mobile device, a user-services Wi-Fi toggle element having an ON state and an OFF state, wherein conducting user sessions via a Wi-Fi radio of the mobile device rather than a RAN radio of the mobile device is prioritized when the user-services Wi-Fi toggle element is in the ON state and at least one Wi-Fi connection is available, and instead user sessions are conducted via the RAN radio when the user-services Wi-Fi toggle element is in the OFF state;

performing a check of whether a Wi-Fi connection is available for the mobile device; and

establishing, by the processing system, a secure session with a network element via the Wi-Fi connection responsive to the check indicating that the Wi-Fi connection is available,

wherein whether the user-services Wi-Fi toggle element is in the ON state or the OFF state does not affect whether or not the Wi-Fi radio of the mobile device is powered on, and also does not modify or terminate the secure session.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:

establishing, by the processing system, the secure session with the network element via a RAN connection over a RAN responsive to the check indicating an absence of the Wi-Fi connection.