METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING CONTENT OVER DISTINCT WIRELESS ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES

• US 20070249387A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: GORTI, SREENIVASA, DORADLA, ANIL
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for exchanging content over distinct wireless access technologies. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a multimode access network server (MANS) (102) having a controller that manages operations of a communications interface that communicates with multimode communication devices (MCDs) in a communication system. The controller can be programmed to receive from an MCD status information associated with a plurality of wireless access points (WAPs), each WAP operating according to a disparate wireless access technology, and determine with the MCD a coordination plan for transmitting partitioned content by way of at least two of the WAPs. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A multimode access network server (MANS), comprising:

a controller that manages operations of a communications interface that communicates with multimode communication devices (MCDs) in a communication system, wherein the controller is programmed to;

receive from an MCD status information associated with a plurality of wireless access points (WAPs), each WAP operating according to a disparate wireless access technology; and

determine with the MCD a coordination plan for transmitting partitioned content by way of at least two of the WAPs.

2. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to:

receive the content from a source;

partition the content according to the coordination plan; and

transmit to the MCD the partitions of content by way of the at least two WAPs.

3. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to:

receive partitions of content from the at least two WAPs originated by the MCD; and

reconstruct the content from the partitions according to a reconstruction plan.

4. The MANS of claim 3, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit the reconstructed content to a computing device as directed by the MCD.

5. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the status information for each of the WAPs comprises at least one among a bit error rate (BER), a signal to noise ratio, a symbol error rate, a frame error rate, a packet loss rate, a transmission delay, a signal strength indication, a speed of data transmission, and a speed of data reception, and wherein the WAPs operate according to one among a group of wireless access technologies comprising cellular, Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), ultra wide band (UWB), and software defined radio (SDR).

6. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to determine the coordination plan according to at least one among a cost for transmitting content over each WAP, a time to transmit the partitioned content over each WAP to a targeted destination, one or more preferences for selecting WAPs supplied by an end user of the MCD, one or more preferences for selecting WAPs supplied by an end user of the MANS, whether the end user of the MCD is roaming or in a home network, and one or more monitored conditions of each WAP for transmitting content wirelessly thereto.

7. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to receive a location reading from the MCD, and determine the coordination plan therefrom.

8. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to determine the coordination plan according to one or more preferences for selecting WAPs received from a web portal, wherein the one or more preferences comprise at least one among a time of day for selecting WAPs, selecting WAPs according to a content type, selecting WAPs according to a content source, and selecting WAPs according to one or more communication features of the MCD.

9. The MANS of claim 1, wherein the status information received from the MCD has a transmission periodicity defined by one among the MANS, the MCD, and a joint plan defined between the MANS and the MCD.

10. A multimode communication device (MCD), comprising:

a controller that manages operations of a wireless transceiver that communicates with wireless access points (WAPs) and a multimode access network server (MANS) in a communication system, wherein the controller is programmed to;

monitor communication parameters associated with a plurality of WAPs, each WAP operating according to a dissimilar wireless access technology;

transmit to the MANS the communication parameters; and

coordinate with the MANS a coordination plan for transmitting partitioned content by way of at least two of the WAPs.

11. The MCD of claim 10, wherein the controller is programmed to:

receive from each of the at least two WAPs content partitioned by the MANs; and

reconstruct the content from the partitions according to a strategy.

12. The MCD of claim 10, wherein the controller is programmed to:

partition the content according to the coordination plan; and

transmit to the MANS the partitions of content by way of the at least two WAPs.

13. The MCD of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed to receive the content from one among a source, and a memory managed by the controller.

14. The MCD of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit to the MANS an identification of a computing device for which the content is directed.

15. The MCD of claim 10, wherein the status information for each of the WAPs comprises at least one among a bit error rate (BER), a symbol error rate, a frame error rate, a packet loss rate, a transmission delay, a signal strength indication, a speed of data transmission, and a speed of data reception.

16. The MCD of claim 10, comprising a location determination device, wherein the controller is programmed to:

determine a location of the MCD; and

supply the location to the MANs for determining the coordination plan.

17. A multimode communication device (MCD), comprising:

a controller that manages operations of a wireless transceiver that communicates with wireless access points (WAPs) and other MCDs in a communication system, wherein the controller is programmed to;

monitor communication parameters associated with a plurality of WAPs, each WAP operating according to a distinct wireless access technology;

transmit to another MCD the communication parameters; and

communicate to the other MCD a strategy for transmitting content partitioned among at least two of the WAPs.

18. The MCD of claim 17, wherein the controller is programmed to:

receive from each of the at least two WAPs content partitioned by the other MCD; and

reconstruct the content from the partitions according to the strategy.

19. The MCD of claim 17, wherein the controller is programmed to:

partition the content according to the strategy; and

transmit to the other MCD the partitions of content by way of the at least two WAPs.

20. The MCD of claim 19, wherein the controller is programmed to receive the content from one among a source, and a memory managed by the controller.

21. The MCD of claim 17, wherein the status information for each of the WAPs comprises at least one among a bit error rate (BER), a symbol error rate, a frame error rate, a packet loss rate, a transmission delay, a signal strength indication, a speed of data transmission, and a speed of data reception, wherein the WAPs operate according to one among a group of wireless access technologies comprising cellular, Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), ultra wide band (UWB), and software defined radio (SDR), and wherein the controller is programmed to determine the strategy according to a usage cost for each of the WAPs, and a portion of the communication parameters.

22. A computer-readable storage medium in a multimode access network server (MANS), comprising computer instructions for determining with a multimode communication device (MCD) a coordination plan for partitioning content over two or more wireless access points (WAPs).

23. A computer-readable storage medium in a multimode communication device (MCD), comprising computer instructions for communicating to a computing device a coordination plan for partitioning content over two or more wireless access points (WAPs).