Enabling desired wireless connectivity in a high frequency wireless local area network

• US 20060258285A1
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Riddles, Philip John
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus to enable desired wireless connectivity in a high frequency and/or high speed wireless local area network for providing mobile communications to a user of a wireless communication device which may be otherwise unable to connect to the high frequency and/or speed wireless local area network in response to a request for a wireless service. By using a chipset disposed in another wireless communication device, a neural network may be formed for enabling such wireless connectivity. In one embodiment, availability of wireless connectivity may be determined to a first user of a wireless service at a first wireless communication device to communicate with an access point associated with a Wi-Fi wireless network that offers the wireless service. Absent such wireless connectivity at the first wireless communication device, additional bandwidth available at a second wireless communication device may be used to connect the first user at the first wireless communication device over another network that offers the wireless service, for example, a wide area network capable of communicating mobile or cellular data. Accordingly, a user that desires use of a wireless service in a wireless network of sparsely populated Wi-Fi access points may obtain desired wireless connectivity for mobile communications across a relatively longer range and/or at much higher transfer speeds than otherwise available.

Claims

1. A method of enabling wireless connectivity in a high frequency wireless local area network, the method comprising:

determining whether wireless connectivity is available to a first user of a wireless service at a first wireless communication-enabled device to communicate with an access point associated with said high frequency wireless local area network that offers said wireless service; and

if said wireless connectivity is unavailable, using bandwidth available at a second wireless communication-enabled device to connect said first user over another network that offers said wireless service.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether said first wireless communication-enabled device is within a range of a hotspot; and

if said first wireless communication-enabled device is outside said range, establishing a backhaul connection for said first user from said second wireless communication-enabled device within a coverage area.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein establishing a backhaul connection for said first user further comprising:

enabling said first wireless communication-enabled device to share at least a portion of said bandwidth available on said second wireless communication-enabled device; and

in response to a request associated with said wireless service from said first user at said first wireless communication-enabled device, communicating for said first user on said backhaul connection from said second wireless communication-enabled device over a wide area network.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein enabling said first user of said first wireless communication-enabled device to share at least a portion of said bandwidth further comprising:

disposing a chipset in said second wireless communication-enabled device to form a Wi-Fi neural network with a Wi-Fi chipset and a wide area network chipset to connect said first user to Internet for offering said wireless service.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein communicating for said first user on said backhaul connection further comprising:

providing an option to said second user of said second wireless communication-enabled device for selectively sharing said at least portion of said bandwidth with said first user of said first wireless communication-enabled device.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

signaling said high frequency wireless local area network to establish a broadband connection from said first wireless communication-enabled device to said access point for said first user; and

if said first wireless communication-enabled device is unable to establish said broadband connection, establishing a backhaul connection to transfer mobile data for said first user using said bandwidth of said second wireless communication-enabled device to connect said first wireless communication-enabled device to a wide area network capable of communication said mobile data for offering said wireless service to said first user.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein using bandwidth available at a second wireless communication-enabled device further comprising:

using a neural network to bridge said wireless connectivity from a midband backhaul connection to a Wi-Fi broadband connection at said second wireless communication-enabled device to connect said first wireless communication-enabled device to Internet for offering said wireless service to said first user; and

combining a firewall with said neural network to protect data associated with at least one of said first and second users.

8. A method of enabling desired wireless connectivity that provides mobile communications on a non-requested connection, the method comprising:

enabling wireless connectivity for a first wireless communication-enabled device at a second wireless communication-enabled device based on a Wi-Fi neural network to connect a first user of a wireless service at said first wireless communication-enabled device to a network that offers said wireless service.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

providing backhaul bandwidth defined at least in part by Third Generation mobile communication network standard at said second processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device for use within a coverage area of a Wi-Fi network defined at least in part by IEEE 802.11x standard; and

in response to a request for said wireless service from said first user, sharing a predefined percentage of said backhaul bandwidth across a plurality of mobile users outside a range of a hotspot in which an access point provides said wireless service to said plurality of mobile users through a high speed wireless local area network.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

reselling at least a portion of said backhaul bandwidth within said coverage area to said first user to subsidize cost of a backhaul connection to transfer mobile data to and from said second wireless communication-enabled device.

11. A chipset to enable desired wireless connectivity in a high frequency wireless local area network for providing mobile communications, said chipset comprising:

an integrated circuit that provides wireless connectivity for a first processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device, wherein said chipset is disposed at a second processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to form a neural network for said high frequency wireless local area network to connect a first user of a wireless service at said first processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to a network different than said high frequency wireless local area network that offers said wireless service.

12. A chipset, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said neural network comprises a Wi-Fi chipset and a wide area network chipset.

13. A chipset, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said Wi-Fi chipset provides a broadband connection to a Wi-Fi network defined at least in part by IEEE 802.11x standard providing backhaul bandwidth defined at least in part by Third Generation mobile communication network standard at said second processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device for use within a coverage area of a Wi-Fi network defined at least in part by IEEE 802.11x standard.

14. A chipset, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said wide area network chipset provides additional bandwidth for a backhaul connection defined at least in part by Third Generation mobile communication network standard at said second processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device for use within a coverage area of a Wi-Fi network defined at least in part by IEEE 802.11x standard.

15. A chipset, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said chipset based on said neural network causes sharing of a predefined percentage of said additional bandwidth on said backhaul connection across a plurality of mobile users outside a range of a hotspot in which an access point provides said wireless service to said plurality of mobile users through said high frequency wireless local area network in response to a request for said wireless service from said first user.

16. A communication system to enable desired wireless connectivity in a high frequency wireless local area network for providing mobile communications, said communication system comprising:

a processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device including a chipset that provides wireless connectivity for another processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device, wherein said chipset to form a neural network for said high frequency wireless local area network to connect a user of a wireless service at said another processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to a network different than said high frequency wireless local area network that offers said wireless service.

17. A communication system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein said processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device further comprising:

a wireless network card capable of connecting another user at said processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to Internet over a broadband connection from a public hotspot;

a mobile data card coupled to said wireless network card to provide said neural network, wherein said mobile data card capable of connecting said user at said another processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to said Internet over a backhaul connection and providing additional bandwidth, said chipset to cause sharing of a predefined percentage of said additional bandwidth across a plurality of mobile users outside a range of said public hotspot in which an access point provides said wireless service to said plurality of mobile users through said high frequency wireless local area network in response to a request for said wireless service from said user; and

a firewall associated with said neural network to protect data associated with at least one of said another user and said user at said another processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device, wherein said wireless network card at said processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device and said mobile data card to form a first node of said neural network and another wireless network card at said another processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to form a second node of said neural network such that said first and second nodes of said neural network to coordinate mobile communications associated with said wireless service for said user of said another processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device using a connection of said another user through said processor-based, wireless communication-enabled device to said Internet.

18. A communication system, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said mobile data card defined at least in part by Third Generation mobile communication network standard, said additional bandwidth available for use within a coverage area of a Wi-Fi network defined at least in part by IEEE 802.11x standard.

19. An apparatus to enable wireless connectivity in a high frequency wireless local area network, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether wireless connectivity is available to a first user of a wireless service at a first wireless communication-enabled device to communicate with an access point associated with said high frequency wireless local area network that offers said wireless service; and

means for using bandwidth available at a second wireless communication-enabled device to connect said first user over another network different than said high frequency wireless local area network that offers said wireless service if said wireless connectivity is unavailable.

20. An apparatus for enabling desired wireless connectivity provides mobile communications on a non-requested connection, the apparatus comprising:

means for enabling wireless connectivity for a first wireless communication-enabled device at a second wireless communication-enabled device based on a Wi-Fi neural network; and

means for connecting a first user of a wireless service at said first wireless communication-enabled device from said second wireless communication-enabled device to a network that offers said wireless service.