MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE, MOBILE NETWORK SHARING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120051344A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chueh, Hsin-Ti, Taylor, Matthew W., Chen, Chia-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention discloses a mobile communication device, an electronic device and a mobile network sharing method between these two devices. The mobile communication device includes a communication module and a control unit. The communication module includes a mobile communication unit and a local communication unit. The mobile communication unit is used for connecting to a mobile communication network. The local communication unit has an active mode and a passive mode. The control unit is coupled to the communication module. When a trigger signal from an electronic device is received by the local communication unit under the passive mode, the control unit switches the local communication unit into the active mode, so as to connect the electronic device to the mobile communication network via the local communication unit and the mobile communication unit.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a communication module comprising;

a mobile communication unit for connecting to a mobile communication network; and

a local communication unit, having a passive mode and an active mode; and

a control unit coupled with the communication module, when a trigger signal from an electronic device is received by the local communication unit under the passive mode, the control unit switching the local communication unit into the active mode, so as to connect the electronic device to the mobile communication network through the local communication unit and the mobile communication unit.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the local communication unit under the passive mode receives the trigger signal from the electronic device via a point-to-point connection.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the point-to-point connection comprises an Ad Hoc connection.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the mobile communication device establishes the point-to-point connection to the electronic device according to a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the electronic device.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication network is based on 2G mobile communication technology, 3G mobile communication technology, 3.5 mobile communication technology or 4G mobile communication technology.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the local communication unit is based on Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication technology.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein the trigger signal is a Wi-Fi packet, and the Wi-Fi packet comprises a specific Service Set Identifier (SSID).

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is equivalently served as a wireless access point (AP) when the local communication unit is under the active mode.

9. A mobile network sharing method, suitable for a mobile communication device, the mobile network sharing method comprising:

activating a local communication unit under a passive mode;

judging whether a trigger signal from an electronic device is received through the local communication unit under the passive mode;

linking to a mobile communication network and switching the local communication unit into an active mode when the trigger signal is received; and

connecting the electronic device to the mobile communication network through the local communication unit.

10. The mobile network sharing method of claim 9, wherein in the step of receiving the trigger signal through the local communication unit, the mobile communication device receives the trigger signal via a point-to-point connection.

11. The mobile network sharing method of claim 10, wherein the point-to-point connection comprises an Ad Hoc connection.

12. The mobile network sharing method of claim 10, wherein the point-to-point connection to the electronic device is established according to a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the electronic device.

13. The mobile network sharing method of claim 9, wherein the mobile communication network is based on 2G mobile communication technology, 3G mobile communication technology, 3.5 mobile communication technology or 4G mobile communication technology.

14. The mobile network sharing method of claim 9, wherein the local communication unit is based on Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication technology.

15. The mobile network sharing method of claim 9, wherein the trigger signal is a Wi-Fi packet, and the Wi-Fi packet comprises a specific Service Set Identifier (SSID).

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a local communication unit; and

a control unit coupled with the local communication unit, the control unit utilizing the local communication unit to search and judge whether there is an accessible wireless access point, the control unit utilizing the local communication unit to transmit a trigger signal to a mobile communication device when there is no accessible wireless access point, so as to enable the electronic device to connect to a mobile communication network through the mobile communication device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the local communication unit receives the trigger signal from the electronic device via a point-to-point connection.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the point-to-point connection comprises an Ad Hoc connection.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the electronic device establishes the point-to-point connection to the mobile communication device according to a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the mobile communication device.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the trigger signal is a Wi-Fi packet, and the Wi-Fi packet comprises a specific Service Set Identifier (SSID).