Method and System for Facilitating Wireless Communication Via Alternate Wireless Pathway

• US 20120170521A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Vogedes, Jerome, Panda, Ajit, Hede, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile device system and related method are disclosed by which the device is able to communicate wirelessly not only via a Wide Area Network (WAN) communication link but also via an alternate communication link such as a Wi-Fi communication link. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting an availability of an additional (alternate) communication link made possible via an access point (AP), determining whether one or more first criteria relating to one or both of the AP and the device have been met and, provided that the one or more first criteria are met, automatically launching a browser to communicate with one or both of the AP and a remote server. The method further includes determining based upon one or more interactions whether one or more second criteria have been met and, provided that the one or more second criteria are met, conducting communications via the additional communication link.

Claims

1. With respect to a mobile device capable of communicating wirelessly via a Wide Area Network (WAN) communication link, a method of operating the mobile device comprising:

(a) detecting an availability of an additional communication link made possible via an access point (AP);

(b) determining whether one or more first criteria relating to one or both of the AP and the mobile device have been met;

(c) provided that the one or more first criteria are met, automatically launching at the mobile device a browser program to communicate with one or both of the AP and a remote server via the additional communication link;

(d) determining, based upon one or more interactions between the browser program and one or both of the AP and the remote server, whether one or more second criteria for allowing communications to proceed via the additional communication link have been met; and

(e) provided that the one or more second criteria are met, conducting the communications wirelessly via the additional communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional communication link is a Wi-Fi communication link and the AP is a hotspot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications via the additional communication link occur in relation to either the remote server or an additional server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communications involve receiving of a software update from the remote server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the communications involve one or both of transmitting first content information for receipt by either the remote server or the additional server, or receiving second content information from either the remote server or the additional server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactions in (d) occur between the browser program and the remote server, the remote server being a redirect server associated with the AP.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first criteria include one or more of:

(1) whether the mobile device has been stationary or substantially stationary for a first minimum period of time;

(2) whether a signal strength established by the AP satisfies a threshold;

(3) whether the mobile device is in receipt of a signal from the AP for a second minimum period of time; and

(4) whether the AP has been one or more of (i) used before, (ii) whitelisted, or (iii) blacklisted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second criteria include one or more of:

(1) whether continued communications with the AP can proceed on a free basis;

(2) whether one or more terms or conditions required to be met for the continued communications with the AP to proceed can be addressed automatically by way of the mobile device; and

(3) whether one or more additional terms or conditions required to be met for the continued communications with the AP to proceed can be addressed upon the mobile device receiving input information from a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) further comprises:

identifying one or more terms or conditions required to be met for continued communications with the AP to proceed;

automatically obtaining stored information pertinent for addressing the one or more terms or conditions; and

utilizing one or more portions of the stored information to satisfy the one or more terms or conditions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information is obtained from a cache memory of the mobile device, the stored information residing in the cache memory as a consequence of earlier communications or earlier attempted communications with the AP or one or more other APs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) further comprises:

identifying one or more terms or conditions required to be met for continued communications with the AP to proceed;

determining that the one or more terms or conditions cannot be met with receiving at least some input information from a user of the mobile device;

providing an output message on the mobile device for receipt by the user and indicative of a need for the at least some input information;

receiving the at least some input information; and

utilizing the at least some input information to satisfy the one or more terms or conditions.

12. A mobile device capable of conducting both Wide Area Network (WAN) communications and Wi-Fi communications, the mobile device comprising:

at least one memory portion;

a first communication device having one or both of a first transmitter and a first receiver capable of conducting the WAN communications;

a second communication device having one or both of a second transmitter and a second receiver capable of conducting the Wi-Fi communications; and

at least one processor portion at least indirectly in communication with each of the at least one memory portion, the first communication device, and the second communication device,

wherein the at least one processor portion determines that one or more first criteria are met regarding one or both of the mobile device and an access point (AP) with which it is possible for the Wi-Fi communications to be established,

wherein, upon determining that the one or more first criteria are met, the at least one processor portion launches a browser program stored on the at least one memory portion by which the mobile device is capable of interacting with a remote server, and

wherein upon one or more second criteria being met as a result of operation of the browser program, the Wi-Fi communications are conducted by the mobile device via the second communication device and the WAN communications are ended.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein at least one memory portion includes one or more software programs including the browser program, and wherein at least one of the one or more software programs are deleted, replaced, or modified in response to receiving a software upgrade via the Wi-Fi communications.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein one or both of the at least one processor portion and an additional component of the mobile device allow the mobile device to determine one or more of (i) a movement of the mobile device and (ii) a strength of a signal sent by the AP, and wherein based upon the determined movement or strength, the at least one processor determines that the one or more first criteria are met.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the Wi-Fi communications conducted by the mobile device include one or both of (i) transmission of first content information for receipt by a content provider website (CPW), and (ii) receipt of second content information provided by the CPW or another CPW.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device only proceeds to determine whether the one or more first criteria are met upon receiving an instruction from a device management (DM) server that the Wi-Fi communications should be established.

17. With respect to a mobile device capable of communicating wirelessly via a Wide Area Network (WAN) communication link, a method of operating the mobile device comprising:

(a) detecting an availability of an additional communication link made possible via a first access point (AP);

(b) launching at the mobile device a client application to communicate with one or both of the first AP and a remote server via the additional communication link;

(c) determining that communications via the additional communication link can proceed on a free basis;

(d) upon determining that the communications can proceed on the free basis, further determining, based upon one or more interactions between the client application and one or both of the first AP and the remote server, whether one or more additional criteria for allowing the communications to proceed via the additional communication link have been met; and

(e) provided that the one or more additional criteria are met, conducting the communications wirelessly via the additional communication link.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein (d) further comprises:

identifying one or more terms or conditions required to be met for the communications with the first AP to proceed;

determining that the one or more terms or conditions cannot be met with receiving at least some input information from a user of the mobile device;

providing an output message on the mobile device for receipt by the user and indicative of a need for the at least some input information;

receiving the at least some input information; and

utilizing the at least some input information to satisfy the one or more terms or conditions.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein there is detected an additional availability of a further communication link made possible via an additional AP, and wherein during one or more of (a)-(e) a further determination is made to conduct the communications via the additional communication link by way of the first AP rather than via the further communication link via the additional AP.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein prior to (e) the mobile device further determines whether one or more preliminary criteria met, and wherein the preliminary criteria include one or more of:

(1) whether the mobile device has been stationary or substantially stationary for a first minimum period of time;

(2) whether a signal strength established by the first AP satisfies a threshold;

(3) whether the mobile device is in receipt of a signal from the first AP for a second minimum period of time; and

(4) whether the first AP has been one or more of (i) used before, (ii) whitelisted, or (iii) blacklisted.