Location based WI-FI radio activation and deactivation for mobile devices

1. A WI-FI connection management system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

detecting that a mobile device is within a coverage area provided by a WI-FI network,

requesting authentication credentials from a WI-FI authentication server,

receiving the authentication credentials from the WI-FI authentication server,

generating a first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate a WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network, wherein generating the first trigger comprises generating the first trigger to further instruct the mobile device to connect to the WI-FI network utilizing the authentication credentials, and

sending the first trigger to the mobile device.

2. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

detecting that the mobile device is outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network;

generating a second trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device; and

sending the second trigger to the mobile device.

3. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising instructing the WI-FI authentication server to negotiate a secure connection to the WI-FI network when the mobile device attempts to connect to the WI-FI network.

4. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1 , wherein the WI-FI network is operated by a mobile telecommunications carrier that operates a mobile telecommunications network that the mobile device is capable of connecting to.

5. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 4 , wherein generating the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network comprises generating the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate a cellular radio configured to connect the mobile device to the mobile telecommunications network.

6. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 5 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

detecting that the mobile device is outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network;

generating a second trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and to reactivate the cellular radio of the mobile device; and

sending the second trigger to the mobile device.

7. The WI-FI connection management system of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the mobile device is within the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network is determined based at least in part on location information associated with the mobile device, wherein the location information is provided by the mobile device.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, by a WI-FI connection management system, that a mobile device is within a coverage area provided by a WI-FI network;

requesting, by the WI-FI connection management system, authentication credentials from a WI-FI authentication server;

receiving, by the WI-FI connection management system, the authentication credentials from the WI-FI authentication server;

generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, a first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate a WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network, wherein generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger comprises generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger to further instruct the mobile device to connect to the WI-FI network utilizing the authentication credentials; and

sending, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting, by the WI-FI connection management system, that the mobile device is outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network;

generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, a second trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device; and

sending, by the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger to the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising instructing, by the WI-FI connection management system, the WI-FI authentication server to negotiate a secure connection to the WI-FI network when the mobile device attempts to connect to the WI-FI network.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the WI-FI network is operated by a mobile telecommunications carrier that operates a mobile telecommunications network that the mobile device is capable of connecting to.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to activate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and connect to the WI-FI network comprises generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate a cellular radio configured to connect the mobile device to the mobile telecommunications network.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

detecting, by the WI-FI connection management system, that the mobile device is outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network;

generating, by the WI-FI connection management system, a second trigger to instruct the mobile device to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and to reactivate the cellular radio of the mobile device; and

sending, by the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger to the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein detecting, by the WI-FI connection management system, that the mobile device is within the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network is determined based at least in part on location information associated with the mobile device, wherein the location information is provided to the WI-FI connection management system by the mobile device.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a cellular radio;

a WI-FI radio;

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a first trigger from a WI-FI connection management system, the first trigger comprising authentication credentials and further comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to activate the WI-FI radio and connect to a WI-FI network utilizing the authentication credentials,

activating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the first trigger, and

connecting to the WI-FI network per the instructions included in the first trigger.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein receiving the first trigger comprises receiving the first trigger in response to the mobile device being within a coverage area provided by the WI-FI network.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

in response to the mobile device being outside of the coverage area provided by the WI-FI network, receiving a second trigger from the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device; and

deactivating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the second trigger.

18. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a second trigger from the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and reactivate the cellular radio based at least in part upon a load of the WI-FI network;

deactivating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the second trigger; and

reactivating the cellular radio per the instructions included in the second trigger.

19. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the WI-FI network is operated by a mobile telecommunications carrier that operates a mobile telecommunications network that the mobile device is capable of connecting to, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

in response to the mobile device being outside of a coverage area provided by the WI-FI network, receiving a second trigger from the WI-FI connection management system, the second trigger comprising instructions from the WI-FI connection management system to deactivate the WI-FI radio of the mobile device and reactivate the cellular radio;

deactivating the WI-FI radio per the instructions included in the second trigger; and

reactivating the cellular radio per the instructions included in the second trigger.

20. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise providing location information associated with the mobile device to the WI-FI connection management system.