Advanced multi-network client device for wideband multimedia access to private and public wireless networks
First Claim
1. A wireless device automatically adaptable to work with any of a plurality of wireless networks implementing different wireless transmission technologies, wherein the wireless device is adaptable without altering hardware in the wireless device supporting said transmission technology, the wireless device comprising:
- a transceiver for receiving position data that includes information indicating a current physical position of the wireless device;
a memory for storing configuration data including wireless device profile information, network profile information, and the position data, wherein the network profile information comprises information concerning a plurality of contracted networks, including physical boundaries of at least one of the contracted networks, and wherein said plurality of contracted networks are networks with which a contractual relationship has been pre-established for said device to use said networks, and wherein the wireless device profile information includes identification information for said wireless device; and
a processor configured to (a) select a wireless network from the plurality of wireless networks to access based on a comparison of the physical boundaries of at least one of the contracted networks with the position data, wherein said processor is configured to (b) select a transmission technology from a plurality of available transmission technologies based on the selected wireless network, and said processor is configured to (c) cause the transceiver to be adapted for the selected transmission technology of the selected wireless network, and wherein the transceiver is configured to register the wireless device with the network using said wireless device profile information, and to communicate with the selected wireless network using the selected transmission technology.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless device (e.g., a wireless smart phone) uses Global Positioning System (GPS) data, or other position-indicating data, to accurately determine its location in relation to multi-layered wireless networks that the device may see concurrently. If location information is available, the device employs a user-defined priority table to select the order of user-contracted networks available at that location in which the device will register. If location information is unavailable, the device employs a technology priority table to select Common Air Interface (CAI) options for the invention device radio parameters (e.g., GSM, cdma2000, IS-136, IEEE 802.11x, etc.) to search for an available network to access. Information is gathered and stored in databases within the invention device allowing it to be registered in multiple wireless networks. The inventive device provides unique access codes to each wireless network with which a user has contracted, without the intervention of any “anchor” (home) network. The invention facilitates equivalent “home”, or personalized, service in any network by using these features for automatic technology adaptation. This allows the invention device to receive service as if it is in a “home” network no matter what network it is traveling through. The invention provides a ubiquitous experience allowing the user to traverse multiple wireless networks with seamless access to multiple systems and services provided by those networks. It also provides a platform to facilitate the customization of wireless services for business customers.
-
Citations
45 Claims
-
1. A wireless device automatically adaptable to work with any of a plurality of wireless networks implementing different wireless transmission technologies, wherein the wireless device is adaptable without altering hardware in the wireless device supporting said transmission technology, the wireless device comprising:
-
a transceiver for receiving position data that includes information indicating a current physical position of the wireless device;
a memory for storing configuration data including wireless device profile information, network profile information, and the position data, wherein the network profile information comprises information concerning a plurality of contracted networks, including physical boundaries of at least one of the contracted networks, and wherein said plurality of contracted networks are networks with which a contractual relationship has been pre-established for said device to use said networks, and wherein the wireless device profile information includes identification information for said wireless device; and
a processor configured to (a) select a wireless network from the plurality of wireless networks to access based on a comparison of the physical boundaries of at least one of the contracted networks with the position data, wherein said processor is configured to (b) select a transmission technology from a plurality of available transmission technologies based on the selected wireless network, and said processor is configured to (c) cause the transceiver to be adapted for the selected transmission technology of the selected wireless network, and wherein the transceiver is configured to register the wireless device with the network using said wireless device profile information, and to communicate with the selected wireless network using the selected transmission technology. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A wireless device automatically adaptable to work with any of a plurality of wireless networks implementing different wireless transmission technologies, wherein the wireless device is adaptable without altering hardware in the wireless device supporting said transmission technology, the wireless device comprising:
-
a transceiver for receiving position data that includes information indicating a current physical position of the wireless device;
a memory for storing configuration data including wireless device profile information, network profile information, and the position data, wherein the network profile information comprises information concerning a plurality of networks, including physical boundaries of at least one of the networks, and wherein the wireless device profile information includes identification information for said wireless device;
a processor configured to determine that either no position information has been received, or that a comparison of received position information with said network profile information fails to yield a known network at a current position of said wireless device;
wherein the transceiver is configured to search for information on at least one available network at the current position of the wireless device using Common Air Interface (CAI) protocol parameters; and
wherein said processor is configured to select a transmission technology from the plurality of available transmission technologies based on the at least one available network, and said processor is configured to adapt the transceiver for the selected transmission technology of the available network, wherein the transceiver is configured to register the wireless device with the network using said wireless device profile information, and communicates with the selected wireless network using the selected transmission technology. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method for accessing a network using a wireless device, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) determining a physical location of the wireless device;
(b) accessing a list of all available networks at the physical location;
(c) selecting a network from the list of all available networks based on the physical location of the wireless device, if available, said selected network having a particular transmission technology;
(d) retrieving a network profile for the selected network, wherein the network profile indicates information usable by the wireless device to communicate with the network;
(e) automatically configuring the wireless device for communication with the selected network using the transmission technology of the selected network without the addition of specific hardware that supports only said selected transmission technology; and
(f) transmitting registration data to the selected network using the configured wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method for accessing a network using a wireless device, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) attempting to determine a physical location of the wireless device;
(b) if the physical location of the wireless device is known, accessing a list of all available networks at the physical location;
(c) determining that either no position information has been received, or that a comparison of received position information with said network profile information fails to yield a known network at a current position of said wireless device;
(d) searching out information on at least one available network using Common Air Interface (CAI) protocol parameters;
(e) automatically configuring the wireless device for communication with the unavailable network using a transmission technology of the selected network without the addition of specific hardware that supports only said selected transmission technology; and
(f) transmitting registration data to the available network using the configured wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A method for adapting a wireless device to operate with a network, wherein the network operates on a first communications protocol not known to the wireless device, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) requesting a download from the network in a known second communications protocol in which the device is already configured to communicate with, wherein the download contains information necessary to implement the first communications protocol, and wherein the first protocol and the known protocol are different;
(b) automatically adapting the wireless device to communicate using the first communications protocol without the addition of hardware; and
(c) communicating with the network using the first communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
-
Specification