System and method for accessing broadband connectivity over local wireless network

• US 10,021,730 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cleveland, Paul Ancle
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharma, Gautam
• Application Number:
  US15/062,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A system for broadband communication over a local wireless communication channel includes a router configured to wirelessly access a wireless communication network, and a wireless broadband access device having wireless access to a wireless broadband communication network, the wireless broadband access device configured to wirelessly access the wireless communication network and configured to provide a bi-directional wireless communication channel to the router using the wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A system for broadband communication over a local wireless communication channel, comprising:

a local area network (LAN) router configured to wirelessly access a wireless LAN, the LAN router including controller logic configured to periodically send a discovery message; and

a wireless broadband access device having wireless access to a wireless broadband communication network, the wireless broadband access device located to optimize a connection to the wireless broadband communication network, the discovery message advertising for the wireless broadband access device, and the wireless broadband access device configured to respond to the discovery message with an acknowledgement message to the LAN router acknowledging the presence of the wireless broadband access device to the controller logic of the LAN router, the wireless broadband access device configured to, based on receipt of the acknowledgement message by the LAN router, wirelessly access the wireless LAN and establish a bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband communication network and the LAN router using the LAN.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a remote device coupled to the LAN router can use the bi-directional wireless communication channel to bi-directionally access the wireless broadband communication network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller logic is configured to authenticate the wireless broadband access device to establish the bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband access device and the LAN router.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband access device and the LAN router is a secure wireless connection.

5. A method for communication, comprising:

establishing a local wireless communication channel on a wireless local area network (LAN) between a LAN router and a wireless broadband access device, the wireless broadband access device located to optimize a connection to a wireless broadband communication network, wherein establishing the local wireless communication channel includes the LAN router periodically sending a discovery message advertising for the wireless broadband access device, and the wireless broadband access device responding to the discovery message with an acknowledgement message to the LAN router acknowledging the presence of the wireless broadband access device; and

using the local wireless communication channel to access the wireless broadband communication network to provide a bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband communication network and the LAN router.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a remote device wirelessly coupled to the LAN router can use the bi-directional wireless communication channel to bi-directionally access the wireless broadband communication network.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising authenticating the wireless broadband access device to establish the bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband access device and the LAN router.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband access device and the LAN router is a secure wireless connection.

9. A device, comprising:

means for establishing a local wireless communication channel between a local area network (LAN) router and a wireless broadband access device, the wireless broadband access device located to optimize a connection to a wireless broadband communication network, wherein the means for establishing the local wireless communication channel includes means for periodically sending, by the LAN router, a discovery message advertising for the wireless broadband access device, and means for responding to the discovery message, by the wireless broadband access device, with an acknowledgement message to the LAN router acknowledging the presence of the wireless broadband access device; and

means for using the local wireless communication channel to access the wireless broadband communication network to provide a bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband communication network and the LAN router.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising

means for wirelessly coupling a remote device to the LAN router;

and

means for allowing the remote device to bi-directionally access the wireless broadband communication network.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising means for authenticating the wireless broadband access device to establish the bi-directional wireless communication channel between the wireless broadband access device and the LAN router.