Selection and Utilization of Shared Wireless Wide Area Network Modems

• US 20110051642A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Krishnaswamy, Dilip
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device chooses to use any one of a number of nodes with wireless wide area network (WWAN) modems, depending on whether utilization of one of the nodes will mitigate the power consumption of the device. The choice might also be a function of an energy level of the nodes. The choice can also be based on a link performance indicator. The chosen node is selected as a WWAN modem for communication and utilizes the identity of the device for application data services being supported in this mode.

Claims

1. A method performed by a mobile device for selecting a wireless wide area network communicator, comprising:

evaluating an energy consumption level for each of a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes comprises a wireless wide area network modem;

selecting a node from the plurality of nodes as the wireless wide area network communicator, the selecting is a function of mitigation of the energy consumption level of the mobile device; and

utilizing a credential of the mobile device to communicate with a wireless wide area network through the node selected as the wireless wide area network communicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the node from the plurality of nodes comprising:

comparing the energy consumption level of the mobile device and the energy consumption level for each of the plurality of nodes; and

selecting a direct link to the wireless wide area network if the energy consumption level of the mobile device is lower than the energy consumption level for the plurality of nodes or selecting an indirect link to the wireless wide area network if the energy consumption level of at least one of the plurality of nodes is less than the energy consumption level of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the node from the plurality of nodes comprising:

evaluating a direct link quality and a quality for each of a plurality of indirect links, each indirect link is associated with a respective node from the plurality of nodes; and

choosing a direct link to the wireless wide area network if the direct link quality is better than the quality for each of the plurality of indirect links or choosing one of the plurality of indirect links if the one of the plurality of indirect links is a better quality than the direct link quality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the node from the plurality of nodes, further comprises selecting the node based on compliance with a tolerable amount of delay.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the credential of the mobile device comprises utilizing the credential that is shared between the mobile device and the node selected as the wireless wide area network communicator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving packets from the wireless wide area network over a direct link; and

determining a best estimate of received packets based on reception of a first set of packets along the direct link and based on receipt of a second set of packets over an indirect link through the node selected as the wireless wide area network communicator and another node that receives a third set of packets from the wireless wide area network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

choosing to receive a first set of packets from, but not transmit packets to, the wireless wide area network over a direct link.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network; and

determining a best estimate of a received set of packets based on reception of the first set of packets along the direct link and a second set of packets along an indirect link.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a best estimate of a received set of packets based on reception of the first set of packets along the direct link and based on receipt of a second set of packets over an indirect link through the node selected as the wireless wide area network communicator and another node that receives a third set of packets from the wireless wide area network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to sleep, or automatically entering sleep, when there is no information flow from the node selected as the wireless wide area network communicator.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication to discover at least one node in the wireless wide area network before evaluating the energy consumption level for each of the plurality of nodes.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communication tasks and a subset of computational tasks associated with the mobile device, wherein the communication tasks and the subset of computational tasks are processed by the wireless wide area network communicator.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

partitioning tasks between the mobile device and the wireless wide area network communicator based on at least one of energy levels of the mobile device, an energy level of the wireless wide area network communicator, an energy spent in the mobile device and the wireless wide area network communicator based on a partitioning, a performance of wireless wide area network links and peer to peer links, or a delay associated with a task partitioning, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from the wireless wide area network communicator, wherein the wireless wide area network communicator buffers the information for a period of time, aggregates prior buffered information with new information, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to the wireless wide area network communicator, a configuration for processed information; and

receiving the processed information if there is a conformance to the configuration.

16. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to determining if an energy consumption level of the wireless communications apparatus is mitigated by usage of a communicator selected from a plurality of communicators, selecting the communicator, supplying a credential of the wireless communications apparatus to the communicator, and communicating with a wireless wide area network through a modem of the communicator with the credential of the wireless communications apparatus; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory retains further instructions related to utilizing a direct link to communicate with the wireless wide area network if the energy consumption level of the wireless communications apparatus is lower than an energy level consumed by each of the plurality of communicators.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory retains further instructions related to evaluating a quality of a direct link and qualities of indirect links associated with each of the plurality of communicators and utilizing the direct link if the quality of the direct link is better that the qualities of the indirect links associated with each of the plurality of communicators or utilizing one indirect link from the indirect links associated with each of the plurality of communicators if the quality of at least one indirect link from the indirect links is better than the quality of the direct link.

19. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory retains further instructions related to receiving packets from the wireless wide area network over a direct link and determining a best estimate of received packets based on reception of a first set of packets along the direct link and based on receipt of a second set of packets over an indirect link through the communicator and another node that receives a third set of packets from the wireless wide area network.

20. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory retains further instructions related to choosing to receive a first set of packets from, but not transmit packets to, the wireless wide area network over a direct link, receiving the first set of packets over the direct link, and determining a best estimate of a set of received packets based on reception of the first set of packets along the direct link and a second set of packets along an indirect link.

21. A wireless communications apparatus that selects a communicator for exchanging traffic with a wireless wide area network, comprising:

means for evaluating whether an energy consumption level of the wireless communications apparatus is mitigated by usage of the communicator selected from a plurality of communicators;

means for selecting the communicator;

means for supplying a credential of the wireless communications apparatus to the communicator; and

means for communicating with the wireless wide area network through a modem of the communicator with credentials of the wireless communications apparatus.

22. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to evaluate an energy consumption level for each of a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes comprises a wireless wide area network modem;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to select one node from the plurality of nodes as a wireless wide area network communicator, the selecting is a function of mitigation of an energy level consumed by a mobile device; and

a third set of codes for causing the computer to utilize a credential of the mobile device to communicate with a wireless wide area network through the one node selected as the wireless wide area network communicator.

23. At least one processor configured to select a wireless wide area network communicator, comprising:

a first module for evaluating whether an energy level is mitigated by usage of a communicator selected from a plurality of communicators;

a second module for selecting the communicator;

a third module for supplying a credential to the communicator; and

a fourth module for communicating with a wireless wide area network through a modem of the communicator with the credential.

24. A method, performed by a node, for receiving packets intended for a client device in a wireless wide area network, comprising:

receiving a first set of packets from the wireless wide area network, wherein the first set of packets are intended for the client device; and

selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device, wherein the node was selected by the client device to mitigate resource consumption at the client device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a best estimate of a set of received packets based on reception of the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network, based on reception of a second set of packets by a shared node that receives from, but does not transmit to, the wireless wide area network, and based on a third set of packets received by the client device.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a best estimate of a set of received packets based on reception of the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network and based on reception of a second set of packets by a shared node that receives from, but does not transmit to, the wireless wide area network.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting packets to the wireless wide area network on behalf of the client device; and

determining a best estimate of received packets based on reception of the first set of packets at the node and based on reception of a second set of packets at the client device.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a best estimate of received packets based on reception of the first set of packets at the node, based on reception of a second set of packets at a shared node that receives from, but does not transmit to, the wireless wide area network, and based on a third set of packets received by the client device, wherein the client device does not transmit a fourth set of packets directly to the wireless wide area network.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein selectively conveying the first set of packets comprises terminating a subset of client applications locally.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein selectively conveying the first set of packets comprises forwarding the first set of packets to another device that accepts the first set of packets for the client device.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

buffering the first set of packets;

waking up the client device; and

delivering the first set of packets to the client device after a delay.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

selecting a most energy efficient subset of wireless modems for communication, wherein the most energy efficient subset of wireless modems meets at least one parameter for delivery of information and wherein there are a plurality of wireless modems available between the node and the client device.

33. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving physical channels or radio bearers assigned to the node for use on behalf of the client device.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving logical channels or radio bearers assigned to the node for use on behalf of the client device.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

allowing the client device to sleep when there is no information to communicate to the client device or when there is no information flow from the node to the client device for a specific interval.

36. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

processing a subset of computational tasks associated with the client device and one or more communication tasks before selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device.

37. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

buffering the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network for a defined period of time before selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device.

38. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

aggregating prior buffered information with information from the first set of packets before selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device.

39. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

processing the first set of packets before selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

determining, based on the processing, whether to transmit information related to the first set of packets.

41. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

partitioning tasks related to the client device between the node and the client device, wherein the partitioning is a function of an energy level of the client device, an energy level of the node, an amount of energy spent by the client device and the node based on a partitioning, a performance of wireless wide area networking links and peer to peer links, a delay associated with a task partitioning, or combinations thereof.

42. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to receiving a first set of packets from a wireless wide area network, wherein the first set of packets are intended for a client device and selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device, wherein the wireless communications apparatus was selected by the client device to mitigate resource consumption at the client device; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

43. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, the memory retains further instructions related to determining a best estimate of received packets based on receipt of the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network, based on receipt of a second set of packets by a shared node that receives from, but does not transmit to, the wireless wide area network, and based on a third set of packets received by the client device.

44. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, the memory retains further instructions related to determining a best estimate of received packets based on reception of the packets from the wireless wide area network and based on reception of the first set of packets by a shared node that receives from, but does not transmit to, the wireless wide area network.

45. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, the memory retains further instructions related to transmitting packets to the wireless wide area network on behalf of the client device and determining a best estimate of received packets based on receipt of the first set of packets at the wireless communications apparatus and based on receipt of a second set of packets at the client device.

46. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, the memory retains further instructions related to determining a best estimate of received packets based on receipt of the first set of packets at the wireless communications apparatus, based on receipt of a second set of packets at a shared node that receives from, but does not transmit to, the wireless wide area network, and based on a third set of packets received by the client device, wherein the client device does not transmit a fourth set of packets directly to the wireless wide area network.

47. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, wherein the set of instructions for selectively conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device further terminates a subset of client applications locally or forwards the first set of packets to another device that accepts the first set of packets for the client device

48. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, the memory retains further instructions related to selecting a most energy efficient subset of wireless modems for communication, wherein the most energy efficient subset of wireless modems meets at least one parameter for delivery of information and wherein there are a plurality of wireless modems available between the wireless communications apparatus and the client device.

49. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, wherein the memory retains further instructions related to receiving physical channels or radio bearers assigned to the wireless communications apparatus for use on behalf of the client device or related to receiving logical channels or radio bearers assigned to the wireless communications apparatus for use on behalf of the client device.

50. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a first set of packets from a wireless wide area network, wherein the first set of packets are intended for a client device;

means for determining a best estimate of received packets; and

means for conveying the first set of packets from the wireless wide area network to the client device, wherein the wireless communications apparatus was selected by the client device to mitigate resource consumption at the client device.