System and method for communicating with a network access node

• US 20070167149A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hertzberg, Jason, Lemke, Steven, Comstock, Kenneth, Wong, Yoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications

Abstract

A system and method for crediting an account of a network access node includes receiving a data signal at a network access node, forwarding the data signal wirelessly to a network user node, and providing account crediting information to an accounting system. The account crediting information represents a credit to be recorded for an account associated with the network access node.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

a transceiver circuit configured for wireless communication; and

a computing circuit configured to communicate with a network by communicating with one of a fixed wireless access point having a wired connection to the network and a mobile device communicating wirelessly with the network, wherein the computing circuit is configured to determine which of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device to use to communicate with the network based on signals received from the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the computing circuit is configured to determine which of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device to communicate with based on network speeds.

3. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the computing circuit is configured to determine which of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device to communicate with based on charges associated with the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device.

4. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the computing circuit is configured to determine which of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device to use to communicate with the network based on user selection.

5. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the portable computer comprises a laptop computer.

6. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the portable computer comprises a handheld device.

7. The portable computer of claim 6, wherein the handheld device comprises a wireless phone and a connected organizer.

8. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured for wireless local area network communication with the mobile device.

9. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the computing circuit is configured to communicate with the mobile device via a short range wireless transceiver.

10. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the computing circuit is configured to receive a signal from the fixed wireless access point when the computing circuit is within range of the fixed wireless access point and then to determine it will communicate with the fixed wireless access point.

11. A method for communicating between a portable computer and a network, comprising:

communicating with a network by communicating from a portable computer with one of a fixed wireless access point having a wired connection to the network and a mobile device communicating wirelessly with the network;

receiving a signal at the portable computer from one of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device;

determining to communicate with the other of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device; and

communicating with the other of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising determining to communicate with the other of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device based on network speeds.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising determining to communicate with the other of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device based on charges associated with communication over the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a user selection of which of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device to use to communicate with the network.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable computer comprises a laptop computer.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating between the portable computer and the mobile device via a wireless local area network.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a signal from the fixed wireless access point when the computing circuit is within range of the fixed wireless access point and then to determine it will communicate with the fixed wireless access point.

18. A method for communicating between a laptop computer and a network, comprising:

communicating with a network by communicating from a laptop computer with one of a fixed wireless access point having a wired connection to the network and a mobile device communicating wirelessly with the network;

receiving a signal at the laptop computer from one of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device;

determining to communicate with the other of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device based on at least one of network speeds and communication charges; and

communicating with the other of the fixed wireless access point and the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating with the mobile device via a local area network communication.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating with the mobile device via a short range wireless transceiver.