Wireless connection terminal and roaming method for providing stable wireless connection to access point
A control unit of a wireless connection terminal compares the received signal strength indicator of an access point currently connected to by the wireless connection terminal with the received signal strength indicator of a neighboring access point. If the difference between the two received signal strength indicators is higher than or equal to 40%, the connection to the current access point is severed and roaming in which the connection is switched to the neighboring access point is performed. Even when the difference between the two received signal strength indicators is not higher than or equal to 40%, roaming in which the connection is switched to the neighboring access point is performed if the received signal strength indicator of the access point to which the wireless connection terminal is currently connected becomes lower than or equal to 20%.
1. A wireless connection terminal comprising:
wireless connection means for establishing a connection to one of a plurality of access points located in a wireless network through wireless communication;
first signal strength detecting means for detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from a first access point representing a current connection point connected to by the wireless connection means, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a first reception signal strength;
connection point detecting means for detecting one of the access points other than the first access point that is capable of being connected to the wireless connection means, the detected access point being defined as a second access point;
second signal strength detecting means for detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from the second access point detected by the connection point detecting means, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a second reception signal strength; and
connection point switching means for comparing the detected first and second reception signal strengths with each other and switching the connection point connected to by the wireless connection means from the first access point to the second access point when the second reception signal strength is greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to a predetermined percentage of a maximum value of the first reception signal strength.
2. The wireless connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the connection point switching means switches the connection point connected to by the wireless connection means from the first access point to the second access point when the second reception signal strength is greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to 40% of the maximum value of the first reception signal strength on the basis of the comparison result.
3. The wireless connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum value of the first reception signal strength is determined based on one of:
a known maximum transmission power of the first access point;
the received signal strength at a position closest to the first access point; or
the received signal strength at time when the wireless connection terminal is first connected to the first access point.
4. A wireless connection terminal comprising:
wireless connection means for establishing a connection to one of a plurality of access points located in a wireless network through wireless communication;
first signal strength detecting means for detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from a first access point representing a current connection point, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a first reception signal strength;
connection point detecting means for detecting one of the access points other than the first access point that is capable of being connected to the wireless connection means, the detected access point being defined as a second access point;
second signal strength detecting means for detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from the second access point detected by the connection point detecting means, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a second reception signal strength; and
connection point switching means for comparing the detected first and second reception signal strengths detected with each other, and switching the connection point connected to by the wireless connection means from the first access point to the second access point when the second reception signal strength is greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference more than or equal to a first predetermined percentage of a maximum value of the first reception signal strength,
wherein the connection point switching means further switches the connection point connected to by the wireless connection means from the first access point to the second access point if the first reception signal strength reduces to a value less than or equal to a second predetermined percentage of the maximum value of the first reception signal strength even when the second reception signal strength is not greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to the first predetermined percentage of the maximum value of the first reception signal strength.
5. The wireless connection terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the connection point switching means switches the connection point connected to by the wireless connection means from the first access point to the second access point if the first reception signal strength reduces to a value less than or equal to 20% of the maximum value of the first reception strength even when the second reception signal strength is not greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to the first predetermined percentage.
6. The wireless connection terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the maximum value of the first reception signal strength is determined based on one of:
a known maximum transmission power of the first access point;
the received signal strength at a position closest to the first access point; or
the received signal strength at time when the wireless connection terminal is first connected to the first access point.
7. A roaming method of wireless communication comprising the steps of:
establishing a connection to one of a plurality of access points in a wireless network through wireless communication;
detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from a first access point representing a current connection point, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a first reception signal strength;
detecting one of the access points other than the first access point that is capable of being connected to, the detected access point being defined as a second access point;
detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from the detected second access point, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a second reception signal strength; and
comparing the detected first and second reception signal strengths with each other and switching the connection point of the wireless communication from the first access point to the second access point when the second reception signal strength is greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to a predetermined percentage of a maximum value of the first reception signal strength.
8. The roaming method of wireless communication according to claim 7 , wherein, in the step of switching the connection point of the wireless communication from the first access point to the second access point, the first access point is switched to the second access point when the second reception signal strength is greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to 40% of the maximum value of the first reception signal strength on the basis of the comparison result.
9. The roaming method of wireless connection according to claim 7 , wherein the maximum value of the first reception signal strength is determined based on one of:
a known maximum transmission power of the first access point;
the received signal strength at a position closest to the first access point; or
the received signal strength at time when the wireless connection terminal is first connected to the first access point.
10. A roaming method of wireless communication comprising the steps of:
establishing a connection to one of a plurality of access points in a wireless network through wireless communication;
detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from a first access point representing a current connection point, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a first reception signal strength;
detecting one of the access points other than the first access point that is capable of being connected to, the detected access point being defined as a second access point;
detecting a reception signal strength of a signal from the detected second access point, the detected reception signal strength being defined as a second reception signal strength; and
comparing the detected first and second reception signal strengths with each other and switching the connection point of the wireless communication from the first access point to the second access point when the second reception signal strength is greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to a first predetermined percentage of a maximum value of the first reception signal strength, and further switching the connection point of the wireless communication from the first access point to the second access point if the first reception signal strength reduces to a value less than or equal to a second predetermined percentage of the maximum value of the first reception signal strength even when the second reception signal strength is not greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to the first predetermined percentage of the maximum value of the first reception signal strength.
11. The roaming method of wireless communication according to claim 10 , wherein, in the step of switching the connection point of the wireless communication from the first access point to the second access point, even when the second reception signal strength is not greater than the first reception signal strength by a difference of more than or equal to the first predetermined percentage, the first access point is switched to the second access point if the first reception signal strength reduces to a value less than or equal to 20% of the maximum value of the first reception strength.
12. The roaming method of wireless connection according to claim 10 , wherein the maximum value of the first reception signal strength is determined based on one of:
a known maximum transmission power of the first access point;
the received signal strength at a position closest to the first access point; or
the received signal strength at time when the wireless connection terminal is first connected to the first access point.