Spatial mapping of wireless access point service area

1. A wireless terminal in a communication network, the communication network including a WACN (Wireless Access Control Node), the wireless terminal comprising:

a radio that is operable to detect the WACN; and

a processing module to determine a communication link quality of a communication link between the wireless terminal and the WACN; and wherein:

based on a history of locations of the wireless terminal and a corresponding history of communication link qualities of communication links between the wireless terminal and the WACN, the processing module is operable to generate a spatial map that indicates coverage corresponding to a plurality of coverage regions partitioned from a wireless service area as provided by the WACN in which the radio can connect to the WACN and that also indicates a plurality of operational parameters, such that each of the plurality of operational parameter corresponds to one of the plurality of coverage regions, to govern communication between the wireless terminal and the WACN respectively within each of the plurality of coverage regions;

the communication link between the wireless terminal and the WACN operated using at least one operational parameter selected from the plurality of operational parameters by the wireless terminal and the WACN based on the spatial map;

the radio is implemented to operate using a plurality of preferred operational parameters when communicating with at least one additional wireless terminal;

the communication link between the WACN and the radio is governed, at least in part, by an operational parameter;

when the operational parameter is included within the plurality of preferred operational parameters, then the spatial map includes the WACN; and

when the operational parameter is not included within plurality of preferred operational parameters, then the spatial map excludes the WACN.

2. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

the WACN is a wireless local area network access point, a WiMAX access point, or a cellular access point.

3. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) module that is operable to determine the location of the wireless terminal on Earth.

4. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) module that is operable to identify a location of the wireless terminal on Earth; and wherein:

the wireless terminal is operable to receive information from the WACN and to determine a distance between the wireless terminal and the WACN there from;

the spatial map, that is generated by the processing module, indicates the distance between the wireless terminal and the WACN.

5. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

the WACN is included within a plurality of WACNs;

based on a history of connectivity between the radio and the plurality of WACNs, WACNs with which the radio has previously connected are included within a plurality of available WACNs;

based on the history of connectivity between the radio and the plurality of WACNs, WACNs with which the radio has not previously connected are included within a plurality of unavailable WACNs; and

among the plurality of unavailable WACNs and the plurality of available WACNs, the spatial map includes coverage provided by only the plurality of available WACNs.

6. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

the spatial map also includes a physical feature within the vicinity of the wireless terminal, the first WACN, and the second WACN; and

the physical feature is at least one of a geological feature and a building or component thereof.

7. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:

a user interface that is operable to provide information to and to receive input from a user; and wherein:

the spatial map is also operable to include a physical feature within the vicinity of the wireless terminal and the WACN;

the wireless terminal is operable to present the spatial map and a connection authorization request to the user via the user interface; and

the radio is operable to connect to the communication network via the WACN when the user authorizes the connection authorization request via the user interface.

8. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:

a user interface that is operable to provide information to and receives input from a user; and wherein:

the radio is operable to detect a change in the communication link quality between the WACN and the wireless terminal; and

the wireless terminal is operable to present information to the user via the user interface indicating the change in communication link quality between the WACN and the wireless terminal.

9. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

the processing module to:

determine coverage corresponding to at least one additional plurality of coverage regions within at least one additional wireless service area as provided by at least one additional WACN within a vicinity of the wireless terminal and the at least one additional WACN; and

update the spatial map to indicate the coverage provided by the at least one additional WACN.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

the spatial map is generated at a first time; and

the processing module to update the spatial map to indicate an updated coverage corresponding to an updated plurality of coverage regions within the wireless service area as provided by the WACN at a second time.

11. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

the wireless terminal is a cellular telephone, a two-way radio, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, or a home entertainment equipment.

12. A wireless terminal in a communication network, the communication network including WACNs (Wireless Access Control Nodes), the wireless terminal comprising:

a radio that:

when the wireless terminal is located in a first location, is operable to detect a first plurality of WACNs; and

when the wireless terminal is located in a second location, is operable to detect a second plurality of WACNs; and

a processing module to:

determine a first plurality of communication link qualities such that each communication link quality of the first plurality of communication link qualities corresponds to one communication link between the wireless terminal and one WACN within the first plurality of WACNs; and

determine a second plurality of communication link qualities such that each communication link quality of the second plurality of communication link qualities corresponds to one communication link between the wireless terminal and one WACN within the second plurality of WACNs; and wherein:

based on a first location of the wireless terminal, the second location of the wireless terminal, the first plurality of communication link qualities, and the second plurality of communication link qualities, the processing module is operable to generate a spatial map indicating a plurality of coverage regions partitioned from a plurality of wireless service areas as provided by the first plurality of WACNs and the second plurality of WACNs with respect to a plurality of locations of the wireless terminal within a vicinity of the first plurality of WACNs and the second plurality of WACNs and also indicating a plurality of operational parameters, such that each of the plurality of operational parameters corresponds to one of the plurality of coverage regions, to govern communication between the wireless terminal and each WACN of the first plurality of WACNs and the second plurality of WACNs;

at least one communication link between the wireless terminal and at least one of the first plurality of WACNs or the second plurality of WACNs operated using at least one operational parameter selected from the plurality of operational parameters by the wireless terminal and the at least one of the first plurality of WACNs or the second plurality of WACNs based on the spatial map;

the radio is implemented to operate using a plurality of preferred operational parameters when communicating with at least one additional wireless terminal;

a communication link between one WACN of the first plurality of WACNs and the second plurality of WACNs and the radio is governed, at least in part, by an operational parameter;

when the operational parameter is included within the plurality of preferred operational parameters, then the spatial map includes the one WACN of the first plurality of WACNs and the second plurality of WACNs; and

when the operational parameter is not included within plurality of preferred operational parameters, then the spatial map excludes the one WACN of the first plurality of WACNs and the second plurality of WACNs.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 12 , wherein:

one WACN within the first plurality of WACNs or the second plurality of WACNs is a wireless local area network access point, a WiMAX access point, or a cellular access point.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 12 , further comprising:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) module that is operable to determine the first location of the wireless terminal on Earth and the second location of the wireless terminal on Earth.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 12 , wherein:

the spatial map also includes a physical feature within a vicinity of the wireless terminal, the first WACN, and the second WACN; and

the physical feature is at least one of a geological feature and a building or component thereof.

16. The wireless terminal of claim 12 , wherein:

the radio is operable to detect a third plurality of WACNs;

the processing module to:

determine a third plurality of communication link qualities such that each communication link quality of the third plurality of communication link qualities corresponds to one communication link between the wireless terminal and one WACN within the third plurality of WACNs; and

update the spatial map to indicate the third plurality of communication link qualities between each WACN of the third plurality of WACNs and the wireless terminal.

17. The wireless terminal of claim 12 , further comprising:

a user interface that is operable to provide information to and to receive input from a user; and wherein:

the radio is operable to detect a change in at least one communication link quality between the one WACN, within the first plurality of WACNs or the second plurality of WACNs, and the wireless terminal; and

the wireless terminal is operable to present information to the user via the user interface indicating the change in the at least one communication link quality.

18. A method performed by a wireless terminal in a communication network, the communication network including a plurality of wireless access control nodes (WACNs), the method comprising:

determining a history of locations of a wireless terminal;

detecting a first WACN;

detecting a second WACN;

determining a first plurality of communication link qualities of a first plurality of communication links between the first WACN and the wireless terminal corresponding to a first subset of the history of locations of the wireless terminal;

determining a second plurality of communication link qualities of a second plurality of communication links between the second WACN and the wireless terminal corresponding to a second subset of the history of locations of the wireless terminal;

based on the history of locations of the wireless terminal, the first plurality of communication link qualities, and the second plurality of communication link qualities, generating a spatial map indicating coverage corresponding to a plurality of coverage regions partitioned from a plurality of service areas as provided by the first WACN and the second WACN in which the wireless terminal can connect to at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN and also indicating a plurality of operational parameters, such that each of the plurality of operational parameters corresponds to one of the plurality of coverage regions, to govern communication between the wireless terminal and at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN respectively within each of the plurality of coverage regions;

operating at least one communication link between the wireless terminal and the at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN operated using at least one operational parameter selected from the plurality of operational parameters by the wireless terminal and the at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN based on the spatial map;

operating the wireless terminal using a plurality of preferred operational parameters when communicating with at least one additional wireless terminal;

governing the at least one communication link between the wireless terminal and the at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN, at least in part, by an operational parameter;

when the operational parameter is included within the plurality of preferred operational parameters, updating the spatial map to include the at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN; and

when the operational parameter is not included within plurality of preferred operational parameters, updating the spatial map to exclude the at least one of the first WACN and the second WACN.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein: the first WACN or the second WACN is a wireless local area network access point, a WiMAX access point, or a cellular access point.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting a third WACN; and

updating the spatial map to indicate coverage provided by the third WACN.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting a change in at least one of the first plurality of communication link qualities between the first WACN and the wireless terminal or at least one of the second plurality of communication link qualities between the second WACN and the wireless terminal; and

based on the change, updating the spatial map to indicate an updated coverage provided by the first WACN and the second WACN.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the spatial map also includes a physical feature within a vicinity of the wireless terminal, the first WACN, and the second WACN; and

the physical feature is at least one of a geological feature and a building or component thereof.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

determining the location of the wireless terminal using GPS (Global Positioning System).