METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACCESSING WIRELESS NETWORK BY SHARING COMMUNICATION, AND WIRELESS TERMINAL DEVICE

• US 20130128875A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Asoh, Junichi, Nagasawa, Tatsumi, Kubota, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for switching access points of a wireless network via sharing communications is disclosed. A host computer and a client computer are connected to a first wireless network by a first communication system. The host computer determines a communication quality to the first wireless network. If the communication quality falls below a predetermined value, the host computer connects to a second wireless network to shift to a sharing communication mode to connect the client computer to the second wireless network. The host computer that has shifted to the sharing communication mode then connects to the client computer by a second communication system to connect the client to the second wireless network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a host computer and a client computer to a first wireless network by a first communication system;

determining by said host computer a communication quality to said first wireless network;

in a determination that said communication quality falls below a predetermined threshold, connecting said host computer to a second wireless network to shift to a sharing communication mode to connect said client computer to said second wireless network; and

connecting said host computer that has shifted to said sharing communication mode to said client computer by a second communication system to connect said client to said second wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first communication system is a communication system in an infrastructure mode and said second communication system is a communication system in an ad hoc mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting said client computer to said host computer by said second communication system to request said host computer to operate in said sharing communication mode; and

shifting to said sharing communication mode by said host computer in accordance with a request of said client computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said host computer holds a group list in which pieces of identification information of a plurality of client computers to be allowed to be connected in said sharing communication mode are registered.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining by said host computer whether or not said plurality of client computers registered in said group list are present in a region in which said communication by said second communication system is possible, while shifting to said sharing communication mode; and

in a determination that any of said client computers is not present in said communicable region, stopping by said host computer a wireless adapter to be connected to said first wireless network only for a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring by said host computer an intensity of radio waves transmitted via said first wireless network while shifting to said sharing communication mode; and

in a determination that said radio wave intensity is not lower than a predetermined value, negotiating by host computer with said client computer to end said sharing communication mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first wireless network is a wireless LAN and said second wireless network is a wireless MAN or a wireless WAN.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a cell formed by an access point of said second wireless network is larger than a cell formed by an access point of said first wireless network.

9. A host terminal device comprising:

a first wireless adapter connectable to a first wireless network or a client terminal device;

a second wireless adapter connectable to a second wireless network, said host

a communication control section for executing control to operate in at least one of an independent communication mode where said first wireless adapter is connected to said first wireless network by a first communication system and a sharing communication mode where said second wireless adapter is connected to said second wireless network and said first wireless adapter is connected to said client terminal device by a second communication system to connect said client terminal device to said second wireless network;

an evaluating section for determining a communication quality to said first wireless network to output a first switch signal; and

an operation mode control section for sending, to said communication control section, a signal to switch from said independent communication mode to said sharing communication mode in accordance with said first switch signal.

10. The host terminal device of claim 9, wherein said operation mode control section sends, to said communication control section, said signal to switch from said independent communication mode to said sharing communication mode when there is a request from said client terminal device.

11. The host terminal device of claim 9, further comprising:

a power control section for controlling power of said first wireless adapter, wherein said evaluating section outputs a second switch signal when an intensity of radio waves of said second communication system transmitted by said client terminal device while operating in said sharing communication mode is not higher than a predetermined value, and said operation mode control section sends, to said power control section, a signal to stop said first wireless adapter only for a predetermined period of time in accordance with said second switch signal

12. The host terminal device of claim 9, wherein said evaluating section outputs a third switch signal when a radio wave intensity of said first wireless network while operating in said sharing communication mode is not lower than a predetermined value, and said operation mode control section sends, to said communication control section, a signal to shift from said sharing communication mode to said independent communication mode in accordance with said third switch signal.