System and method for content delivery using alternate data paths in a wireless network

• US 20040203800A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson, Shieh, Hugh, Myhre, John
• Application Number:
  US10/324,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203800A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for allowing a mobile telephone or mobile terminal to interact with its wireless telephone/data service, including conventional 2G and 3G systems (hereinafter the “wireless network”), and also to interact with local-area services such as WLAN, BlueTooth, and personal area networks, and to communicate with and use systems and peripherals available on those networks. Since the mobile terminal is a trusted device on the wireless network, it also then acts as a gateway to allow other local-area services and devices to connect and communicate with the wireless network. When a user of the mobile terminal or a local-area device requests a data service that can be delivered over either the wireless network or the local-area network, the more-efficient data path is determined and the user can select the preferred data path.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

circuitry for connecting to a wide-area wireless network system and communicating with a first device on the wide-area wireless network system;

circuitry for connecting to a local-area wireless network system and communicating with a second device on the local-area wireless network system;

means for determining a more-efficient data path for delivery of a data service as between the wide-area wireless network and the local area wireless network; and

means for receiving the data service over the more-efficient data path.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a user selection of the more-efficient data path.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising means for sending the data service from the mobile terminal to the second device.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the data service is a multimedia file.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the data service is a streaming video.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the data service is a conversational bearer.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the more-efficient data path is via the wide-area wireless network.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the determination of the more-efficient data path depends on the content of the data service and the characteristics of the wide-area wireless network and the local-area wireless network.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the wide-area wireless network is a cellular packet-switched network.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the local-area network is an internet-connected WLAN network.

11. A method for data communications, comprising:

communicating, in a wide-area wireless network, with a mobile terminal;

receiving, from the mobile terminal, data identifying at least one local-area wireless network communicating with the mobile terminal;

storing a profile corresponding to the local-area wireless network;

determining, for a data service, a more-efficient data path as between the wide-area wireless network and the local-area wireless network; and

delivering the data service to the mobile terminal according to the more-efficient data path.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a user selection of the more-efficient data path.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising delivering the data service from the mobile terminal to a device on the local-area wireless network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data service is a multimedia file.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data service is a streaming video.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data service is a conversational bearer.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the more-efficient data path is via the wide-area wireless network.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the determination of the more-efficient data path depends on the content of the data service and the characteristics of the wide-area wireless network and the local-area wireless network.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the wide-area wireless network is a cellular packet-switched network.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the local-area network is an internet-connected WLAN network.