MOBILE ROUTER METHOD WITH PRIORITY RATE LIMITING

• US 20120257526A1
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: MOELLER, DOUGLAS S., Pashey, Ronald W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS

Abstract

A method of operating a mobile router comprises: storing priority information associated with predetermined types of download data and data rate information associated with the priority information; determining the priority of download data received via the wide area network interface; determining if data is being transferred via the local area network interface; and controlling the data rate for the download data based on the download data priority, the priority information, the data rate configuration information, and whether data is being transferred via the local area network interface.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile router, comprising a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and a local area network interface to provide access to devices for transfer of data, said method comprising:

storing priority information associated with predetermined types of download data and data rate information associated with said priority information;

determining the priority of download data received via said wide area network interface;

determining if data is being transferred via said local area network interface; and

controlling the data rate for said download data based on said download data priority, said priority information, said data rate configuration information, and whether data is being transferred via said local area network interface.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

controlling the data rate of said download data based on said priority information and said data rate configuration information when data is being transferred via said local area network interface.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

setting the data rate of said download data at a maximum data rate when data is not being transferred via said local area network interface.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, comprising:

storing said data rate configuration information and said priority information.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, comprising:

receiving priority information and said data rate configuration information via said wide area network interface.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said priority information is selected such that data downloads of one or more predetermined types are assigned one or more corresponding lower priorities and data transfers initiated by a device coupled to said local area network interface is assigned a higher priority.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, comprising:

controlling the data rate of said download data based on said priority information and said data rate configuration information when data is being transferred via said local area network interface.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

controlling said data rate of said download data at a maximum data rate when data is not being transferred via said local area network interface.

9. A method of operating a mobile router, comprising a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to transfer data via said cellular network, and a local area network interface to provide transfer of data to one or more devices coupleable thereto, said method comprising:

storing priority information and data rate configuration information corresponding to said priority information;

determining the priority of said download data;

monitoring said local area network interface to determine if any of said one or more devices are coupled thereto;

controlling the data rate for said download data based on whether any one of said one or more devices are coupled to said local area network, priority, said priority information and said data rate information.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

controlling said data rate of said download data to be a maximum data rate if none of said one or more devices are coupled to said local area network.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, comprising:

controlling said data rate of said download data to be determined by said priority, said priority information and said data rate information if at least one of said one or more devices is coupled to said local area network.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, comprising:

receiving said priority information and data rate configuration information corresponding to said priority information via said wide area network interface.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein:

each said data download of one or more predetermined types is assigned a corresponding low priority and data transfers with a device coupled to said local area network interface is assigned a higher priority.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein:

said priority information and said data rate information are related such that lower priority corresponds to a slower data rate.