WLAN Connection Setup Application and Profile Manager

Abstract

A sequence of screens are displayed for a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection setup application to enable a user of a handheld WLAN client device to scan for and set up a new WLAN connection. Various connection parameters may be saved in a profile. A profile management application lists profiles in decreasing order of priority.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for displaying a list of available wireless local area networks, the method comprising:
 displaying on a display of a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ client device a list of wireless local area networks that are available to the WLAN client device, by displaying first in the list a WLAN to which the WLAN client device is currently connected, regardless of its received signal strength at the WLAN client device, and by displaying further in the list any other available wireless local area networks ordered by decreasing received signal strength at the WLAN client device.   
     
     
         2 . A method for displaying a list of available wireless local area networks, the method comprising:
 displaying on a display of a WLAN client device a list of wireless local area networks that are available to the WLAN client device, by distinguishing in the list available wireless local area networks for which a preferred connection profile is saved in the WLAN client device from any other available wireless local area networks.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein distinguishing available wireless local area networks for which a preferred connection profile is saved in the WLAN client device from any other available wireless local area networks comprises:
 displaying the available wireless local area networks for which a preferred connection profile is saved in the WLAN client device in a sublist with a header that identifies the available wireless local area networks in the sublist as preferred; and   displaying any other available wireless local area networks in another sublist with a different header than the header.   
     
     
         4 . A method for saving a connection profile of a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’, the method comprising:
 obtaining information regarding a particular WLAN for which a connection profile is not stored in a WLAN client device; 
 attempting to connect to the particular WLAN; 
 displaying via a display of the WLAN client device that the attempt was unsuccessful; and 
 saving the information in a connection profile in the WLAN client device. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , the information includes a network name of the particular WLAN, the method further comprising:
 receiving the network name via a user input element of the WLAN client device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , the information includes a network name of the particular WLAN, the method further comprising:
 gleaning the network name from a signal received at the WLAN client device over the particular WLAN.   
     
     
         7 . A method for handling one or more virtual private network ‘VPN’ profiles defined in a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ client device, the method comprising:
 in response to connecting to a WLAN, enabling input, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, of an indication whether to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 if more than one VPN profile has been defined in the WLAN client device, enabling selection, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection over the WLAN.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN;   receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection; and   associating the VPN profile for which the indication has been received with a connection profile of the WLAN that is saved or to be saved in the WLAN client device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN;   receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection; and   attempting to establish the VPN connection.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 if a single VPN profile has been defined in the WLAN client device, displaying via a display of the WLAN client device an indication of the VPN profile.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN; and   associating the VPN profile with a connection profile of the WLAN that is saved or to be saved in the WLAN client device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN; and   attempting to establish the VPN connection.   
     
     
         14 . A method for handling hotspots, the method comprising:
 detecting that a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ to which a WLAN client device has just connected is offered by a hotspot, where access to a public network is provided by the WLAN via a gateway; and   launching a browser application of the WLAN client device with an Internet Protocol address that ought to trigger an Internet Protocol filtering rule of the gateway.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein launching the browser application occurs automatically in response to detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 displaying via a display of the WLAN client device an indication that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot; and   receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to register at the hotspot,   wherein launching the browser application occurs in response to receiving the indication to register at the hotspot.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot comprises:
 sending a hypertext transfer protocol request via the WLAN, where the request is to an Internet Protocol address that is not normally redirected; and   receiving via the WLAN a redirection response to the request.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein detecting that the WLAN is offered by a hotspot occurs in the background. 
     
     
         19 . A method for displaying a list of connection profiles of wireless local area networks, the method comprising:
 displaying on a display of a wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ client device a list of connection profiles of wireless local area networks stored in the WLAN client device along with indications of relative priorities of the connection profiles, where the connection profiles are ordered in the list according to their decreasing relative priority, in which a newly created connection profile is automatically selected in the list.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 automatically assigning a lowest relative priority to the newly created connection profile.