MOBILE ROUTER WITH PRIORITY RATE LIMITING

• US 20120263159A1
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• 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 8,873,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/00 Traffic control in data switching networks arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00

Abstract

An embodiment of a mobile router, comprises: a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network; a local area network interface to provide access to devices for transfer of data; priority information associated with predetermined types of download data; data rate information associated with the priority information; first apparatus to determine the priority of download data via the wide area network interface; second apparatus to determine if data is being transferred via the local area network interface; and third apparatus to control the data rate for the download data based on the priority information, the data rate configuration information, and whether data is being transferred via the local area network interface.

Claims

1. A mobile router, comprising:

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

a local area network interface to provide access to devices for transfer of data;

priority information associated with predetermined types of download data;

data rate information associated with said priority information;

first apparatus to determine the priority of download data via said wide area network interface;

second apparatus to determine if data is being transferred via said local area network interface;

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

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

said third apparatus controls 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 mobile router in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

said third apparatus controls 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 mobile router in accordance with claim 3, comprising:

memory comprising said data rate configuration information and said priority information.

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

said data rate configuration information is received via said wide area network interface.

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

said priority information is received via said wide area network.

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

memory comprising said data rate configuration information and said priority information.

8. A mobile router in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

said data rate configuration information is received via said wide area network interface.

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

said priority information is received via said wide area network.

10. A mobile router in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

each said configuration information assigns one or more lower priorities to data downloads of one or more corresponding predetermined types and assigns a higher priority to data transfers initiated by a device coupled to said local area network interface.

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

said third apparatus controls 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.

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

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

13. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to transfer data via said cellular network;

a local area network interface to provide transfer of data to one or more devices;

priority information for download data;

data rate configuration information corresponding to said priority information;

first apparatus to determine the priority of said download data;

second apparatus to determine if data is transferred via said local area network interface; and

third apparatus to control the data rate for said download data based on said priority information and said data rate configuration information.

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

said third apparatus further controls said data rate for said download data based on whether data is transferred via said local area network interface.

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

said third apparatus controls said data rate for said download data to be a maximum data rate when no data is transferred via said local area network interface.

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

memory comprising said data rate configuration information and said priority information.

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

said data rate configuration information is received via said wide area network interface.

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

said priority information is received via said wide area network.

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

each said data download of one or more predetermined types are assigned one or more corresponding lower priorities and data transfers comprising data of a second predetermined type with a device coupled to said local area network interface is assigned a higher priority.

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

said data rate configuration information is selected such that said data rates corresponding to said one or more lower priorities are slower that the data rate corresponding to said data transfers.

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

said third apparatus controls said data rate for said download data to be a maximum data rate when no data is transferred via said local area network interface.

22. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to transfer data via said cellular network;

a local area network interface to provide transfer of data to one or more devices coupleable thereto;

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

apparatus operable to determine the priority of data downloaded via sais wide area network interface;

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

control apparatus to control 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, the priority of said download data, said priority information and said data rate information.

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

said control apparatus controls 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.

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

said control apparatus controls 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.

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

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

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein:

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

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

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

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

data downloads comprising one of software updates or added content have lower priorities.

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

data downloads comprising a predetermined type have lower priorities.

30. A mobile router in accordance with claim 22, wherein:

data downloads comprising one of software updates or added content have lower priorities.

31. A mobile router in accordance with claim 22, wherein:

data downloads comprising a predetermined type have lower priorities.