WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, wireless device and computer program product for expanding the coverage of a cellular network. A wireless device (e.g., cellular telephone) is able to communicate with a base station in a cell of the cellular network over a non-cellular interface via another wireless device in the cell through the use of multi-hopping. A wireless device may request permission to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off another wireless device when its signal strength is below a threshold. Alternatively, a wireless device may receive a request to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off the wireless device that sent the request when that wireless device has excess capacity in its bandwidth with the base station. By enabling wireless devices to communicate with a base station in such a manner, the effective coverage area of the cellular network is expanded and the effective capacity of the cellular network is improved.
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Citations
156 Claims
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1-125. -125. (canceled)
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126. A method of conveying data on a cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network, the method comprising:
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determining, in a first relay cellular device, that the first relay cellular device will make itself available as a relay for other cellular devices in a cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; in response to determining that the first relay cellular device will make itself available as a relay, transmitting, from a non-cellular interface of the first relay cellular device, a first node-state signal indicating the availability of the first relay cellular device as a relay for other cellular devices in the cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; receiving, with a non-cellular interface of an originating cellular device, the first node-state signal transmitted from the first relay cellular device; determining, in the originating cellular device, based on the first node-state signal that the originating cellular device will wirelessly connect to a base station of a cellular network via the first relay cellular device in the cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; and in response to determining that the originating cellular device will wirelessly connect to the base station of the cellular network via the first relay cellular device; transmitting uplink data, for transmission to the base station, from the originating cellular device via the first relay cellular device;
orreceiving downlink data, from the base station, at the originating cellular device via the first relay cellular device. - View Dependent Claims (127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135)
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136. A method of conveying data on a cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network, the method comprising:
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determining, in a sink cellular device, that the sink cellular device will make itself available as a sink for other cellular devices in a cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; and in response to determining that the sink cellular device will make itself available as a sink, transmitting, from a non-cellular interface of the sink cellular device, a first node-state signal indicating the availability of the sink cellular device as a sink for other cellular devices in the cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network. - View Dependent Claims (137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145)
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146. A method of signaling to other wireless devices the availability of a wireless device to relay signals in a multi-hop non-cellular network, the method comprising:
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obtaining, at a relaying device, a cellular-signal value indicative of the quality of cellular signals at a gateway device through which the relaying cellular device exchanges uplink data or downlink data with a cellular base station, the relaying cellular device and the gateway cellular device each having a cellular interface and a non-cellular interface; obtaining a hop value indicative of a number of hops between the relaying device and the gateway device; adjusting the hop value to indicate an additional hop added by the relaying device; and broadcasting a node-state signal from the non-cellular interface of the relaying device, the node-state signal including the obtained cellular-signal quality and the adjusted hop value. - View Dependent Claims (147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156)
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Specification