Apparatus and method for wireless network services in moving vehicles

• US 10,687,371 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gunasekara, Don, Nallani, Laxman
• Primary Examiner(s): Huq, Obaidul
• Application Number:
  US15/919,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20180279391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 370310, 370328, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/141 Indication of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8235 Access based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing backhaul access connectivity to e.g., a vehicular hotspot. In one embodiment, a wireless network of access points comprises so-called “parent access points” (PAPs), “child access points” (CAPs), and “transit access points” (TAPs). Each PAP operates as a service gateway and provides a wireless coverage area, which is further augmented by the coverages of its subsidiary CAPs. Each TAP can connect to either a PAP or a CAP for backhaul access. During exemplary operation, a user'"'"'s Wi-Fi client device connects to a TAP located in the vehicle (e.g., car, train, bus, etc.), and provides connectivity to a host managed content distribution network to which the user subscribes.

Claims

1. A computerized device configured to operate within a wireless network, the computerized device comprising:

processor apparatus;

a backhaul data interface in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to transact digital data with a plurality of access points, each of the plurality of access points being in data communication with a network entity of the wireless network;

a client data interface in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to transact the digital data with one or more client devices; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in data communication with the processor apparatus and having at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized device to;

establish a first wireless data connection with a first one of the plurality of access points via the backhaul data interface when the computerized device is disposed in a first location;

establish a second wireless data connection with a client device; and

responsive to a first signal quality parameter associated with the first one of the plurality of access points falling below a threshold, establish a third wireless data connection with a second one of the plurality of access points while maintaining the second wireless data connection with the client device, and terminate the first wireless data connection with the first one of the plurality of access points, the second one of the plurality of access points also being in data communication with the network entity of the wireless network.

2. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein:

the computerized device comprises a vehicular access point configured to provide data network connectivity to a plurality of client devices based on one or more network parameters via at least the second wireless data connection, the vehicular access point being further configured to provide the data network connectivity using a centrally managed allocation scheme for the plurality of client devices; and

the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the vehicular access point to grant a respective amount of bandwidth based on a prioritization of bandwidth according to the centrally managed allocation scheme;

wherein the centrally managed allocation scheme is configured to reduce interference among the plurality of client devices.

3. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein the establishment of the third wireless data connection and the termination of the first wireless data connection are configured to occur in response to the computerized device moving from the first location to a second location;

and

wherein the second location corresponds to a different signal quality parameter than the first signal quality parameter associated with the first one of the plurality of access points.

4. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein the establishment of the second wireless data connection with the client device comprises a determination of at least one of (i) whether a subscriber of the client device is authorized to access the computerized device and (ii) whether the subscriber of the client device is authorized to prevent at least one other subscriber from requesting access to the computerized device.

5. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized device to perform a handover between (i) the second one of the plurality of access points of the wireless network and (ii) a third access point of a different wireless network, the third access point being in data communication with a different network entity than the network entity of the wireless network.

6. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein a data transmission rate corresponding to the transaction of the digital data with the one or more client devices is commensurate with a quality of the backhaul data interface.

7. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein:

the computerized device is associated with a network address that is unique within the wireless network;

the second wireless data connection comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection with the client device established using the network address, the WLAN connection enabling the client device to transact the digital data with the network entity of the wireless network.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

the computerized device comprises a mobile access point configured to provide wireless connectivity to the client device via the second wireless data connection and at least one of the plurality of access points; and

the first signal quality parameter associated with the first one of the plurality of access points falling below the threshold is caused at least in part by the mobile access point moving to a second location that is different from the first location.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a storage apparatus having at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause a network apparatus to:

establish a first backhaul data connection with a first access point in data communication with a network entity of a first network;

establish a wireless data connection with a client device;

responsive to the network apparatus moving from a first location to a second location, establish a second backhaul data connection with a second access point in data communication with the network entity of the first network via the first access point, and concurrently maintain the wireless data connection with the client device; and

responsive to the network apparatus moving from the second location to a third location, establish a third backhaul data connection with a third access point in data communication with a network entity of a second network;

wherein the network apparatus is associated with a persistent identifier configured to allow the network apparatus to maintain the wireless data connection with the client device when the network apparatus moves from the second location to the third location, the wireless data connection being configured to enable data communication between the client device and one or more of the first network or the second network.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the persistent identifier comprises unique identifier data corresponding to the network apparatus, the unique identifier data being stored in a registration database on the first network and the second network, the registration database comprising respective unique identifier data corresponding to a plurality of recognized network apparatus.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the network apparatus is configured to maintain a data connection to both the first network and the second network simultaneously.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the establishment of the second backhaul data connection with the second access point is configured to occur responsive to a signal quality associated with the first backhaul data connection established with a first access point achieving a value lower than a reception threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the reception threshold corresponds to (i) a minimum signal strength required to sustain the first backhaul data connection or (ii) a signal strength determined based on a likelihood of data loss;

and

wherein the reception threshold is adjustable based on one or more of (i) a velocity of the network apparatus and (ii) the signal strength.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the network apparatus comprises a Wi-Fi-enabled transit access point configured to deliver digital data to the client device, the client device comprising a Wi-Fi-enabled user device;

wherein the Wi-Fi-enabled transit access point is configured to be installed on a vehicle capable of moving the transit access point among the first, second, and third locations so as to enable the first, second, and third backhaul data connections; and

wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause the network apparatus to modify a data throughput of the Wi-Fi-enabled transit access point to the client device based on a respective distance to the first, second, and third access points.

15. A computerized method of operating a wireless network using a mobile access point, the computerized method comprising:

establishing a first wireless data connection to a backhaul access point;

providing wireless connectivity coverage for one or more computerized client devices, the wireless connectivity coverage being provided via one or more second wireless data connections;

providing digital data to the one or more computerized client devices from the backhaul access point via respective ones of the one or more second wireless data connections;

monitoring a link quality associated with the first wireless data connection to the backhaul access point;

causing the backhaul access point to initiate a third wireless data connection of the one or more computerized client devices with another backhaul access point, the other backhaul access point being in data communication with the backhaul access point, the causing based at least on determining that the third wireless data connection with the other backhaul access point is available and is associated with a link quality greater than the link quality associated with the first wireless data connection;

after the initiation of the third wireless data connection, providing the digital data to the one or more computerized client devices from the other backhaul access point via the third wireless data connection and via the respective ones of the one or more second wireless connections;

monitoring the link quality associated with the third wireless data connection; and

evaluate a link quality associated with at least one other backhaul access point based on the monitored link quality associated with the third wireless data connection falling below a threshold link quality, the threshold link quality corresponding to at least one of (i) a minimum signal strength required to sustain the third wireless data connection or (ii) a signal strength determined based on a likelihood of data loss.

16. The computerized method of claim 15, wherein the monitoring of the link quality associated with the first wireless data connection comprises measuring the link quality associated with the first wireless data connection at intervals prescribed dynamically based on at least one of one or more physical conditions, the one or more physical conditions comprising one or more of velocity, acceleration, or deceleration of a vehicle in which the mobile access point is installed;

and

wherein the method further comprises adjusting, based on the monitored link quality associated with the first wireless data connection, the providing of the digital data to the one or more computerized client devices from the backhaul access point.

17. The computerized method of claim 15, wherein the causing of the backhaul access point to initiate the third wireless data connection comprises causing a handover based on (i) a movement from a first location to a second location of a computerized mobile access point providing the wireless connectivity coverage, the second location being associated with the other backhaul access point, and (ii) the link quality associated with the third wireless connection exceeding the link quality associated with the first wireless connection according to one or more prescribed metrics.

18. The computerized method of claim 17, further comprising:

broadcasting one or more beacons;

enabling at least one of the one or more computerized client devices to discover the computerized mobile access point based on the broadcasted one or more beacons; and

enabling the at least one or more computerized client devices to determine signal strength with respect to the computerized mobile access point and to determine whether to connect with the computerized mobile access point based at least on the determined signal strength.

19. The computerized method of claim 15, further comprising receiving data representative of one or more network parameters, the one or more network parameters comprising one or more of (i) a service set identifier (SSID), (ii) a data rate associated with the first wireless connection with the backhaul access point, and (iii) an interval for broadcasting beacons to the one or more computerized client devices.

20. The computerized method of claim 15, further comprising arbitrating for resources associated with the wireless connectivity coverage, the arbitrating comprising implementing one or more operations to (i) avoid collision among at least the backhaul access point and the one or more computerized client devices, (ii) assign the time slots for the providing of the digital data, or (iii) assign uplink and downlink frequencies.

21. A computerized vehicular access point configured to provide data network connectivity to a plurality of client devices based on one or more network parameters and using a centrally managed allocation scheme configured to reduce interference among the plurality of client devices, the computerized vehicular access point comprising:

processor apparatus;

a backhaul data interface in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to transact digital data with a plurality of access points, each of the plurality- of access points being in data communication with a network entity of the wireless network;

a client data interface in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to transact the digital data with one or more client devices; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in data communication with the processor apparatus and having at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized device to;

establish a first wireless data connection with a first one of the plurality of access points via the backhaul data interface when the computerized device is disposed in a first location;

establish a second wireless data connection with a client device; and

responsive to a first signal quality parameter associated with the first one of the plurality of access points falling below a threshold, establish a third wireless data connection with a second one of the plurality of access points while maintaining the second wireless data connection with the client device, and terminate the first wireless data connection with the first one of the plurality of access points, the second one of the plurality of access points also being in data communication with the network entity of the wireless network;

and wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the vehicular access point to grant a respective amount of bandwidth based on a prioritization of bandwidth according to the centrally managed allocation scheme.