System and method for optimizing mobility access

• US 20060068795A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A telecommunications processing device (110) includes a wireless network interface (120); and a processor (401) operably coupled to an auto detect module (121) configured to maintain a prioritized WiFi network connection list; wherein said processor (401) is programmed to attempt access a wireless packet network (102) using said wireless network interface (120) via a wireless network access point defined on said prioritized WiFi network connection list in a first mode and is programmed to access the wireless packet network (102) using said wireless network interface (120) via a cellular telephone (108) programmed to function as a wireless network access point in a second mode.

Claims

1. A telecommunications processing device, comprising:

a wireless network interface; and

a processor operably coupled to an auto detect module configured to maintain a prioritized WiFi network connection list;

wherein said processor is programmed to attempt access a wireless packet network using said wireless network interface via a wireless network access point defined on said prioritized WiFi network connection list in a first mode and is programmed to access the wireless packet network using said wireless network interface via a cellular telephone programmed to function as a wireless network access point in a second mode.

2. A telecommunications processing device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said auto detect module is configured to implement an algorithm for searching said prioritized WiFi connection list, said algorithm comprising a least cost algorithm.

3. A telecommunications method, comprising:

configuring a WiFi connection list at a telecommunications processing device;

selectively attempting to connect to a wireless packet network using listed wireless access point connections; and

attempting to connect to said wireless packet network using a cellular telephone as a wireless access point if a listed wireless access point connection is determined to be unavailable.

4. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said selectively attempting comprises implementing a least cost analysis of listed WiFi connections and attempting to connect on a least cost basis.

5. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said using said cellular telephone as a wireless access point comprises access said cellular telephone using a wireless access point connection and accessing the wireless network using a cellular telephone modem function.

6. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said cellular telephone modem function includes a GPRS modem function.

7. A telecommunications method, comprising:

providing a prioritized list of wireless network access points for connecting a computer, said prioritized list including a cellular telephone wireless access point;

using an auto detect module on the computer to determine one or more available networks on the list and accessing a network according to the listed priority.

8. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said cellular telephone wireless access point has lower priority than at least one wireless network access point.

9. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 8, wherein a plurality of wireless network access points have differing priorities.

10. A telecommunications method for use in a personal computer, the method comprising using an auto-detect module to find a plurality of available wireless networks and a prioritized list of said plurality to determine which wireless network to access, wherein a cellular telephone wireless network access point is assigned a relatively low priority.

11. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a wireless packet network;

a cellular telephone network;

at least one computing device including a wireless network interface card for communicating over the wireless packet network;

at least cellular telephone device, the cellular telephone device having a cellular telephone mode for communicating over the cellular network and a packet network mode for communicating over the packet network;

wherein the cellular telephone device is configured to function as a cellular telephone wireless access point for said at least one computing device by interfacing the wireless network interface card to the wireless packet network via the cellular network;

wherein the at least one computing device maintains a prioritized list of wireless access points for accessing the wireless packet network, the cellular telephone wireless access point having a lower priority than a wireless network access point.

12. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to attempt to access the wireless packet network via the cellular telephone device if another higher priority wireless access point cannot be detected.

13. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the cellular network comprises a GPRS network.

14. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the wireless packet network comprises the Internet.

15. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a wireless packet network including a plurality of wireless access points;

a cellular telephone network;

a cellular telephone configured to function as a cellular telephone wireless access point;

a computing device including a wireless network interface and an autodetect module for maintaining a prioritized list of wireless networks and associated wireless access points, wherein the computing device will attempt to log in according to the order of priority, and wherein a cellular telephone wireless access point has a lower priority than a wireless access point.

16. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 15, wherein a wireless access point associated with a private network has a higher priority than a public wireless access point.