Mobile terminal apparatus for automatically generating/changing wireless local area network (WLAN) access information and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A mobile terminal apparatus for automatically generating/changing WLAN access information and a method for controlling the same. A database (DB) stores pre-registered WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access information of the mobile terminal apparatus. An access information manager manages the DB. An access information collector collects information of all the APs (Access Points) being accessible at a current position of the mobile terminal apparatus. An access information analyzer analyzes the collected information result of the access information collector, and creates a list of APs being accessible at the current position of the mobile terminal apparatus on the basis of the analyzed result. A comparator compares the list of APs with WLAN access information stored in the access information management DB. An access information automatic changer automatically changes current WLAN access information of the mobile terminal apparatus to another on the basis of WLAN access information matched with APs contained in the list of APs. An access information generator automatically generates new WLAN access information when no WLAN access information is matched with the APs contained in the list of APs.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mobile terminal apparatus, comprising: 
 an access information management database (DB) for storing pre-registered WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access information of the mobile terminal apparatus;    an access information collector for collecting information of all the WLAN Aps (Access Points) being accessible at a current position of the mobile terminal apparatus;    an access information analyzer for analyzing the collected information of the access information collector, and creating a list of the WLAN APs being accessible at the current position of the mobile terminal apparatus based on the analysis;    a comparator for comparing the list of the WLAN APs with WLAN access information stored in the access information management DB;    an access information automatic changer for automatically changing current WLAN access information of the mobile terminal apparatus to another on the basis of WLAN access information matched with APs contained in the list of the WLAN APs; and    an access information generator for automatically generating new WLAN access information to be adapted to automatically change current WLAN access information to another when no WLAN access information is matched with the APs contained in the list of WLAN APs.    
     
     
         2 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the access information management DB includes: 
 an AP information field for storing setup information of APs which are connected to an Internet by wire and provide WLAN service for a plurality of mobile terminal apparatuses located within a prescribed distance range; and    a network information field for storing network information of the mobile terminal apparatuses corresponding to any AP stored in the AP information field.    
     
     
         3 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the access information collector operates as a result of resetting or booting the mobile terminal apparatus.  
     
     
         4 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the access information collector operates when either reception field intensity received from any AP connected to the mobile terminal apparatus or the amount of load of the AP is outside of a predetermined reference range.  
     
     
         5 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the access information generator combines one wired network information among a plurality of wired network information pre-registered in the mobile terminal apparatus with information of a prescribed AP among a plurality of APs contained in the list of APs, and automatically generates new WLAN access information.  
     
     
         6 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the access information generator selects at least one AP having a prescribed condition, wherein either the reception field intensity of the mobile terminal apparatus is in a prescribed range based on information transmitted from the AP, or the amount of the AP's load is in a prescribed reference range, from among the APs contained in the list of APs, and generates new WLAN access information based on information of the selected APs.  
     
     
         7 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an access information manager for managing the access information management DB.    
     
     
         8 . The mobile terminal apparatus as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the access information generator additionally registers the automatically generated WLAN access information in the access information management DB over the access information manager.  
     
     
         9 . A method for automatically generating/changing WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access information, comprising the steps of: 
 a) constructing an access information management database (DB) for storing WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access information of a mobile terminal apparatus;    b) collecting information of all the WLAN APs (Access Points) being accessible at a current position of the mobile terminal apparatus on the basis of a prescribed access information collection condition;    c) analyzing the collected information, and creating a list of the WLAN APs being accessible at the current position of the mobile terminal apparatus based on the analysis;    d) comparing the list of the WLAN APs with WLAN access information stored in the access information management DB;    e) automatically changing current WLAN access information of the mobile terminal apparatus to another on the basis of WLAN access information matched with APs contained in the list of the WLAN APs;    f) automatically generating new WLAN access information when there is no WLAN access information matched with the APs contained in the list of WLAN APs in the access information management DB; and    g) automatically changing WLAN access information of the mobile terminal apparatus on the basis of the new WLAN access information generated.    
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein step (a) includes the steps of: 
 constructing an AP (Access Point) information field for storing setup information of APs which are connected to an Internet by wire and provide WLAN service for a plurality of mobile terminal apparatuses located within a prescribed distance range; and    constructing a network information field for storing network information of the mobile terminal apparatuses corresponding to any AP stored in the AP information field.    
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein step (b) operates upon resetting or booting the mobile terminal apparatus.  
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein step (b) operates when either reception field intensity received from any AP connected to the mobile terminal apparatus or the amount of load of the AP is outside of a predetermined reference range.  
     
     
         13 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein step (g) includes the steps of: 
 g1) selecting at least one AP having a prescribed condition, wherein either the reception field intensity of the mobile system  100  is in a prescribed range based on information transmitted from the AP, or the amount of the AP's load is in a prescribed reference range, from among the APs contained in the list of WLAN APs;    g2) loading one arbitrary network information among a plurality of network information pre-stored in the mobile terminal apparatus; and    g3) combining the AP selected at step (g1) with the network information loaded at step (g2), and automatically generating new WLAN access information.    
     
     
         14 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein step (g) further includes the steps of: 
 g4) determining whether a network status between any mobile terminal apparatus and its AP is normal on the basis of the new WLAN access information automatically generated at step (g3); and    g5) if the network status between the mobile terminal apparatus and its AP is abnormal, repeatedly executing steps (g2) to (g4).    
     
     
         15 . The method as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein step (g) further includes the step of: 
 g6) adding the automatically generated new WLAN access information to the access information management DB.