AD HOC SERVICE PROVIDER CONFIGURATION FOR BROADCASTING SERVICE INFORMATION

• US 20090046676A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Suri, Atul, Krishnaswamy, Dilip
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

An ad hoc service provider includes a processing system configured to enable access by one or more mobile clients to a first wireless network via a second wireless network. The processing system is further configured to assemble service information for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients. The service information includes attributes of access to the first wireless network, the access being offered by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.

Claims

1. An ad hoc service provider, comprising:

a processing system configured to enable access by one or more mobile clients to a first wireless network via a second wireless network, the processing system further configured to assemble service information for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients,

wherein the service information comprises attributes of access to the first wireless network, the access being offered by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.

2. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network from a server.

3. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to dynamically update at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network based on a status of the ad hoc service provider.

4. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, wherein the attributes of access to the first wireless network comprise at least one of a quality of service parameter and a fee rate of access to the first wireless network, and

wherein the quality of service parameter comprises at least one of an expected data rate of access to the first wireless network, an expected duration of access to the first wireless network, a latency of access to the first wireless network, a frequency of access to the first wireless network, and an amount of transferred data.

5. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, wherein the attributes of access to the first wireless network comprise a service provider goodness metric based on prior access to the first wireless network provided by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.

6. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to construct a beacon frame suitable for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients, the beacon frame comprising the service information.

7. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, wherein the service information further comprises parameters of access to the second wireless network comprising a service set identifier,

wherein the processing system is further configured to incorporate at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network into the service set identifier.

8. The ad hoc service provider of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver for broadcasting the assembled service information to one or more mobile clients.

9. An ad hoc service provider, comprising:

means for enabling access by one or more mobile clients to a first wireless network via a second wireless network; and

means for assembling service information for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients,

wherein the service information comprises attributes of access to the first wireless network, the access being offered by the ad hoc service provider to the one or more mobile clients.

10. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, wherein the ad hoc service provider further comprises means for receiving at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network from a server.

11. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, wherein the ad hoc service provider further comprises means for dynamically updating at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network based on a status of the ad hoc service provider.

12. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, wherein the attributes of access to the first wireless network comprise at least one of a quality of service parameter and a fee rate of access to the first wireless network, and

wherein the quality of service parameter comprises at least one of an expected data rate of access to the first wireless network, an expected duration of access to the first wireless network, a latency of access to the first wireless network, a frequency of access to the first wireless network, and an amount of transferred data.

13. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, wherein the attributes of access to the first wireless network comprise a service provider goodness metric based on prior access to the first wireless network provided by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.

14. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, wherein the means for assembling service information further constructs a beacon frame suitable for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients, the beacon frame comprising the service information.

15. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, wherein the service information further comprises parameters of access to the second wireless network comprising a service set identifier,

wherein the means for assembling service information further incorporates at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network into the service set identifier.

16. The ad hoc service provider of claim 9, further comprising means for broadcasting the assembled service information to one or more mobile clients.

17. A method of providing service information from an ad hoc service provider configured to enable access by one or more mobile clients to a first wireless network via a second wireless network, the method comprising:

assembling service information for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients,

wherein the service information comprises attributes of access to the first wireless network, the access being offered by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network from a server.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising dynamically updating at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network based on a status of the ad hoc service provider.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the attributes of access to the first wireless network comprise at least one of a quality of service parameter and a fee rate of access to the first wireless network, and

wherein the quality of service parameter comprises at least one of an expected data rate of access to the first wireless network, an expected duration of access to the first wireless network, a latency of access to the first wireless network, a frequency of access to the first wireless network, and an amount of transferred data.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the attributes of access to the first wireless network comprise a service provider goodness metric based on prior access to the first wireless network provided by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the assembling step further comprises constructing a beacon frame suitable for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients, the beacon frame comprising the service information.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the service information further comprises parameters of access to the second wireless network comprising a service set identifier,

wherein the assembling step further comprises incorporating at least one attribute of access to the first wireless network into the service set identifier.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising broadcasting the assembled service information to one or more mobile clients.

25. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processing system in an ad hoc service provider, the instructions comprising code for:

enabling access by one or more mobile clients to a first wireless network via a second wireless network; and

assembling service information for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients,

wherein the service information comprises attributes of access to the first wireless network, the access being offered by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.