Methods and apparatus for use in controlling an access point mode of operation for a mobile terminal
Techniques for use in controlling an access point mode of operation of a mobile terminal are described. Initially, the mobile terminal operates in the access point mode of operation for communication with one or more other mobile terminals. While operating in the access point mode, the mobile terminal receives, from the one or more other mobile terminals, network information comprising one or more network identifiers which identify one or more wireless networks within coverage of the one or more other mobile terminals. The mobile terminal disables the access point mode of operation in response to identifying that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to a predetermined wireless network or predetermined type of wireless network. In one example, the mobile terminal is operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11, the received network identifiers comprise service set identifiers (SSIDs), and the predetermined wireless network is an enterprise network.
1. A method for use in controlling an access point mode of operation of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
operating the mobile terminal in an access point mode of operation, for communication with one or more other mobile terminals which are associated with the mobile terminal;
receiving, at the mobile terminal while operating in the access point mode of operation, from the one or more other mobile terminals, network information comprising one or more network identifiers which identify one or more infrastructure wireless networks within coverage of the one or more other mobile terminals, the network information also comprising an access point identifier associated with each received network identifier; and
in response to identifying by the mobile terminal that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to a predetermined infrastructure wireless network or predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network, disabling the access point mode of operation by the mobile terminal;
wherein identifying that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to a predetermined infrastructure wireless network or predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network comprises counting a number of different access point identifiers that are associated with the same received network identifier and identifying that the received network identifier corresponds to the predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network when the number exceeds a predetermined number.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal is operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11, and the received network identifiers comprise service set identifiers (SSIDs).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal comprises a memory for storing a preferred network profile list, and the preferred network profile list comprises one or more stored network identifiers which includes a predetermined network identifier corresponding to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network, the method further comprising:
comparing each one of the network identifiers with the one or more stored network identifiers in the preferred network profile list.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile terminal comprises a memory for storing a preferred network profile list, the preferred network profile list comprises one or more stored network identifiers which include a predetermined network identifier corresponding to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network, the predetermined network identifier being designated in the preferred network profile list as an enterprise network.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a request for the network information to the one or more other mobile terminals that are associated with the mobile terminal; and
receiving the network information from the one or more other mobile terminals in response to the sending.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending one or more requests for a measurement to the one or more other mobile terminals that are associated with the mobile terminal; and
receiving one or more measurement reports from the one or more other mobile terminals in response to the sending, the measurement reports including the network information comprising the one or more network identifiers.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining operation in the access point mode of operation in response to identifying at the mobile terminal that none of the received network identifiers corresponds to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network or the predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network.
8. The method of claim 1 , which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer instructions executable by one or more processors of the mobile terminal for performing the method.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal, while operating in the access point mode of operation, is unable to scan for network identifiers identifying infrastructure wireless networks.
10. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver module;
one or more processors coupled to the RF transceiver module;
the one or more processors being configured to:
operate the mobile terminal in an access point mode of operation for communication with one or more other mobile terminals which are associated with the mobile terminal;
receive, during the access point mode of operation, from the one or more other mobile terminals, network information comprising one or more network identifiers which identify one or more infrastructure wireless networks within coverage of the one or more other mobile terminals, the network information further comprising an access point identifier associated with each received network identifier; and
in response to identifying that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to a predetermined infrastructure wireless network or predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network, disable the access point mode of operation;
wherein identifying that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to a predetermined infrastructure wireless network or predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network comprises counting a number of different access point identifiers that are associated with the same received network identifier and identifying that the received network identifier corresponds to the predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network when the number exceeds a predetermined number.
11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , which is operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11.
12. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein a memory of the mobile terminal is for storing a preferred network profile list, the preferred network profile list comprises one or more stored network identifiers which includes a predetermined network identifier corresponding to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network, and the one or more processors are further configured to compare each one of the received network terminals identifiers with the one or more stored network identifiers in the preferred network profile list.
13. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein a memory of the mobile terminal is for storing a preferred network profile list, the preferred network profile list comprises one or more stored network identifiers which include a predetermined network identifier corresponding to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network, and the predetermined network identifier being designated in the preferred network profile list as an enterprise network.
14. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send a request for the network information to the one or more other mobile terminals and receive the network information in response to the sending.
15. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send one or more requests for a measurement report to the one or more other mobile terminals, and to receive one or more measurement reports from the one or more other mobile terminals in response to the sending, the measurement reports including the network information comprising the one or more network identifiers.
16. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maintain operation in the access point mode of operation in response to identifying at the mobile terminal that none of the received network identifiers corresponds to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network or the predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network.
17. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the received network identifiers comprise service set identifiers (SSIDs).
18. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable a client terminal mode of operation in response to identifying that at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to the predetermined infrastructure wireless network or the predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network.
19. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable the access point mode of operation in response to identifying at least one of the received network identifiers corresponds to the predetermined type of infrastructure wireless network.
20. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the mobile terminal, while operating in the access point mode of operation, is unable to scan for network identifiers identifying infrastructure wireless networks.