HETEROGENEOUS WIRELESS AD HOC NETWORK

• US 20090073943A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Suri, Atul, Krishnaswamy, Dilip
• Application Number:
  US12/192,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• 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

A heterogeneous wireless ad-hoc network includes a server and a number of ad-hoc service providers that provide connectivity to a network for mobile clients. The mobile client is configured to search for ad-hoc service providers with wireless backhauls to the network and associate with one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search based on one or more parameters.

Claims

1. A mobile client, comprising:

a processing system configured to search for ad-hoc service providers with wireless backhauls to a network, the processing system being further configured to associate with one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search based on one or more parameters.

2. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive the one or more parameters from said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

3. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the one or more parameters includes a quality metric relating to performance of said one of the ad-hoc service providers during previous sessions with other mobile clients.

4. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the one or more parameters include fee rates for access to the network.

5. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the one or more parameters include at least one quality of service parameter.

6. The mobile client of claim 5 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected data rate of access to the network.

7. The mobile client of claim 5 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected duration of access to the network.

8. The mobile client of claim 5 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes latency of access to the network.

9. The mobile client of claim 5 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes frequency of access to the network.

10. The mobile client of claim 5 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes an amount of data that the mobile client is permitted to transfer through the network.

11. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to support a tunnel between the mobile client and a server through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

12. The mobile client of claim 11 wherein the tunnel comprises an encrypted tunnel for encrypted data that cannot be deciphered by the said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

13. The mobile client of claim 12 wherein the tunnel comprises a SSL VPN tunnel.

14. The mobile client of claim 12 wherein the tunnel comprises an IPsec tunnel.

15. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to support an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

16. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to register with a server to allow the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

17. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to provide credentials to a server to enable the server to authenticate the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

18. The mobile client of claim 17 wherein the processing system is further configured to provide the credentials to the server through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

19. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to support a handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to another one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

20. The mobile client of claim 19 wherein the processing system is further configured to support a tunnel between the mobile client and a server that is maintained during the handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to said another one of the ad-hoc service providers.

21. The mobile client of claim 19 wherein the processing system is further configured to support an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said another one of the ad-hoc service providers during the handoff.

22. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to maintain an active list of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

23. The mobile client of claim 22 wherein the processing system is further configured to provide the active list to a server.

24. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive video, audio and advertising services from a server.

25. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to associate with a second one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search while associating with said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

26. The mobile client of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to provide an access point to the network for other mobile clients.

27. A mobile client, comprising:

means for searching for ad-hoc service providers with wireless backhauls to a network; and

means for associating with one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search based on one or more parameters.

28. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for receiving the one or more parameters from said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

29. The mobile client of claim 27 wherein the one or more parameters includes a quality metric relating to performance of said one of the ad-hoc service providers during previous sessions with other mobile clients.

30. The mobile client of claim 27 wherein the one or more parameters include fee rates for access to the network.

31. The mobile client of claim 27 wherein the one or more parameters include at least one quality of service parameter.

32. The mobile client of claim 31 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected data rate of access to the network.

33. The mobile client of claim 31 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected duration of access to the network.

34. The mobile client of claim 31 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes latency of access to the network.

35. The mobile client of claim 31 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes frequency of access to the network.

36. The mobile client of claim 31 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes an amount of data that the mobile client is permitted to transfer through the network.

37. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for supporting a tunnel between the mobile client and a server through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

38. The mobile client of claim 37 wherein the tunnel comprises an encrypted tunnel for encrypted data that cannot be deciphered by the said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

39. The mobile client of claim 38 wherein the tunnel comprises a SSL VPN tunnel.

40. The mobile client of claim 38 wherein the tunnel comprises an IPsec tunnel.

41. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for supporting an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

42. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for registering with a server to allow the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

43. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for providing credentials to a server to enable the server to authenticate the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

44. The mobile client of claim 43 wherein the means for providing the credentials to the server is configured to provide such credentials through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

45. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for supporting a handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to another one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

46. The mobile client of claim 45 further comprising means for supporting a tunnel between the mobile client and a server that is maintained during the handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to said another one of the ad-hoc service providers.

47. The mobile client of claim 45 further comprising means for supporting an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said another one of the ad-hoc service providers during the handoff.

48. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for maintaining an active list of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

49. The mobile client of claim 48 further comprising means for providing the active list to a server.

50. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for receiving video, audio and advertising services from a server.

51. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for associating with a second one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search while associating with said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

52. The mobile client of claim 27 further comprising means for providing an access point to the network for other mobile clients.

53. A method of accessing a network through an ad-hoc service provider, comprising:

searching for ad-hoc service providers with wireless backhauls to a network; and

associating with one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search based on one or more parameters.

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising receiving the one or more parameters from said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein the one or more parameters includes a quality metric relating to performance of said one of the ad-hoc service providers during previous sessions with other mobile clients.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein the one or more parameters include fee rates for access to the network.

57. The method of claim 53 wherein the one or more parameters include at least one quality of service parameter.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected data rate of access to the network.

59. The method of claim 57 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected duration of access to the network.

60. The method of claim 57 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes latency of access to the network.

61. The method of claim 57 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes frequency of access to the network.

62. The method of claim 57 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes an amount of data that the mobile client is permitted to transfer through the network.

63. The method of claim 53 further comprising supporting a tunnel between the mobile client and a server through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the tunnel comprises an encrypted tunnel for encrypted data that cannot be deciphered by the said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the tunnel comprises a SSL VPN tunnel.

66. The method of claim 64 wherein the tunnel comprises an IPsec tunnel.

67. The method of claim 53 further comprising supporting an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

68. The method of claim 53 further comprising registering with a server to allow the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

69. The method of claim 53 further comprising providing credentials to a server to enable the server to authenticate the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein the credentials are provided to the server through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

71. The method of claim 53 further comprising supporting a handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to another one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

72. The method of claim 71 further comprising supporting a tunnel between the mobile client and a server that is maintained during the handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to said another one of the ad-hoc service providers.

73. The method of claim 71 further comprising means supporting an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said another one of the ad-hoc service providers during the handoff.

74. The method of claim 53 further comprising maintaining an active list of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

75. The method of claim 74 further comprising providing the active list to a server.

76. The method of claim 53 further comprising receiving video, audio and advertising services from a server.

77. The method of claim 53 further comprising associating with a second one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search while associating with said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

78. The method of claim 53 further comprising providing an access point to the network for other mobile clients.

79. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processing system in a mobile client, the instructions comprising:

code for searching for ad-hoc service providers with wireless backhauls to a network; and

code for associating with one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search based on one or more parameters.

80. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for receiving the one or more parameters from said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

81. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the one or more parameters includes a quality metric relating to performance of said one of the ad-hoc service providers during previous sessions with other mobile clients.

82. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the one or more parameters include fee rates for access to the network.

83. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the one or more parameters include at least one quality of service parameter.

84. The machine-readable medium of claim 83 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected data rate of access to the network.

85. The machine-readable medium of claim 83 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes expected duration of access to the network.

86. The machine-readable medium of claim 83 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes latency of access to the network.

87. The machine-readable medium of claim 83 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes frequency of access to the network.

88. The machine-readable medium of claim 83 wherein said at least one quality of service parameter includes an amount of data that the mobile client is permitted to transfer through the network.

89. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for supporting a tunnel between the mobile client and a server through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

90. The machine-readable medium of claim 89 wherein the tunnel comprises an encrypted tunnel for encrypted data that cannot be deciphered by the said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

91. The machine-readable medium of claim 90 wherein the tunnel comprises a SSL VPN tunnel.

92. The machine-readable medium of claim 90 wherein the tunnel comprises an IPsec tunnel.

93. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for supporting an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

94. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for registering with a server to allow the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

95. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for providing credentials to a server to enable the server to authenticate the mobile client to use said one of the ad-hoc service providers to access the network.

96. The machine-readable medium of claim 95 wherein the code for providing credentials to the server is configured to provide such credentials through said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

97. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for supporting a handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to another one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

98. The machine-readable medium of claim 97 wherein the instructions further comprises code for supporting a tunnel between the mobile client and a server that is maintained during the handoff of the mobile client from said one of the ad-hoc service providers to said another one of the ad-hoc service providers.

99. The machine-readable medium of claim 97 wherein the instructions further comprises code for supporting an encrypted wireless link between the mobile client and said another one of the ad-hoc service providers during the handoff.

100. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for maintaining an active list of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search.

101. The machine-readable medium of claim 100 wherein the instructions further comprises code for providing the active list to a server.

102. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for receiving video, audio and advertising services from a server.

103. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for associating with a second one of the ad-hoc service providers detected in the search while associating with said one of the ad-hoc service providers.

104. The machine-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the instructions further comprises code for providing an access point to the network for other mobile clients.