MOBILE ROUTER WITH RATE LIMITING

• US 20120257573A1
• 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., Pashby, Ronald W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

One embodiment of a mobile router, comprises: a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to receive downloaded data; a memory comprising a data rate limiting rule; and a processor. The processor is operable to generate usage data based on the quantity of the downloaded data during a predetermined time period, and is operable to control the data rate of downloaded data based on the usage data and the data rate limiting rule.

Claims

1. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to receive downloaded data ;

a memory, said memory comprising a data rate limiting rule; and

a processor;

said processor is operable to generate usage data based on the quantity of said downloaded data during a predetermined time period, and is operable to control the data rate of downloaded data based on said usage data and said data rate limiting rule.

2. A mobile router in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

said data rate limiting rule is received via said wide area network interface.

3. A mobile router in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

said processor operates said mobile router to download data at a first data rate.

4. A mobile router in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said data rate limiting rule comprises a data quantity and a second data rate.

5. A mobile router in accordance with claim 4, comprising:

said processor operates said mobile router at said first data rate to receive downloaded data unless said usage data exceeds said data quantity during said predetermined time period; and

said processor operates said mobile router at said second data rate subsequent to said usage data exceeding said data quantity during said predetermined time period.

6. A mobile router in accordance with claim 5, wherein:

said second data rate is slower than said first data rate.

7. A mobile router in accordance with claim 6, comprising:

said data rate limiting rule being received via said wide area network interface.

8. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network to receive download data;

a memory, said memory comprising a plurality of data rate limiting rules; and

a processor;

said processor is operable to generate usage data based on the quantity of said downloaded data during a predetermined time period;

said processor is operable to control the data rate of downloaded data based on said usage data and said plurality of data rate limiting rules.

9. A mobile router in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

said plurality of data rate limiting rules are received via said wide area network interface.

10. A mobile router in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

said processor is operable to control downloading of said download data at a first data rate.

11. A mobile router in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

said plurality of data rate limiting rules comprise at least a first data quantity and a corresponding second data rate, and a second data quantity and a third data rate.

12. A mobile router in accordance with claim 11, comprising:

said processor controls the downloading of said download data at said first data rate unless said usage data usage data exceeds said first data quantity during said predetermined time period; and

said processor controls the downloading of said download data at said second data rate subsequent to said usage data exceeding said first data quantity during said predetermined time period.

13. A mobile router in accordance with claim 12, wherein:

said second data rate is slower than said first data rate.

14. A mobile router in accordance with claim 13, comprising:

said processor controls the downloading of said download data at said second data rate unless said usage data usage data exceeds said second data quantity during said predetermined time period; and

said processor controls the downloading of said download data at said third data rate subsequent to said usage data exceeding said second data quantity during said predetermined time period.

15. A mobile router in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

said third data rate is slower than said second data rate.

16. A mobile router comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network;

a data rate limiting rule;

a processor operable to utilize said data rate limiting rule to control the data rate of data transferred via said cellular network.

17. A mobile router in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

said data rate limiting rule comprises one or more predetermined conditions for changing said data rate.

18. A mobile router in accordance with claim 17, wherein:

said predetermined conditions comprise accumulated transferred data quantities.

19. A mobile router in accordance with claim 18, wherein:

said processor accumulates a total quantity of said transferred data, compares said accumulated total quantity to said accumulated transferred quantities, and utilizes said comparison to select a data rate for subsequent data transfers.

20. A mobile router in accordance with claim 19, comprising:

resetting said accumulated total quantity and said data rate at the end of a predetermined period.

21. A mobile router in accordance with claim 16, comprising:

said processor controls said data rate at a first data rate until said data rate limiting rule is triggered.

22. A mobile router in accordance with claim 21, comprising:

said processor accumulates a total quantity of said transferred data, compares said accumulated total quantity to said accumulated transferred quantities; and

utilizes said comparison step to select a second data rate for subsequent data transfers.

23. A mobile router in accordance with claim 22, comprising:

said processor resets said accumulated total quantity at the end of a predetermined period, and resets said data rate to said first data rate at the end of said predetermined period.

24. A mobile router in accordance with claim 16, comprising:

said processor initially controls transfer of said data at a first data rate.

25. A mobile router in accordance with claim 24, wherein:

said data rate information comprises a second data rate for transferring said data.

26. A mobile router in accordance with claim 25, wherein:

said second data rate is a predetermined slower data rate.

27. A mobile router receiving data services from a service provider via a cellular network provided by a cellular network carrier, said mobile router comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network;

a processor operable to control the data rate of data transferred via said cellular network;

data rate information received from said service provider;

said processor is operable to initially control said data rate at a first data rate; and

said processor is operable to utilize said data rate information to determine the data rate of data subsequently transferred via said cellular network.

28. A mobile router in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said data rate information comprises one or more data rates that are slower than said first data rate.

29. A mobile router in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said data rate information comprises one or more data quantities and corresponding one or more second data rates.

30. A mobile router in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

said processor is operable to accumulate the quantity of data transferred via said cellular network, compare said accumulated quantity to each of said one or more data quantities, and control the data rate of data transferred subsequent to said accumulated quantity exceeding one of said one or more data quantities to the corresponding one of said one or more second data rates.

31. A mobile router in accordance with claim 30, comprising:

said processor is operable at the end of a predetermined period to reset said data rate for subsequent data transfers to said first data rate.

32. A mobile router in accordance with claim 31, wherein:

said predetermined period is a billing period determined by said service provider.

33. A mobile router in accordance with claim 31, comprising:

said predetermined period is a recurring time period.

34. A mobile router in accordance with claim 33, comprising:

said predetermined period is determined by said service provider

35. A mobile router in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

a memory comprising said data rate information.