Connection Tethering and Service Remoting

• US 20130331028A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kuehnel, Thomas W., Guday, Shai, Lyon, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,713,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Described is a technology by which a target device automatically starts tethering on a source device. A target device sends a request to start tethering to the source device, which responds by starting tethering, independent of needing any user interaction on the source device. While tethering is operational, status messages may be exchanged between the source device and the target device.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method comprising:

receiving at a source device a request from a target device to use a cellular modem of the source device for tethering;

in response to the request, establishing a tethering connection with the target device;

using the tethering connection to communicate data received via the cellular modem to the target device; and

using the tethering connection to communicate data from the target device to a network recipient via the cellular modem.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the tethering connection comprises setting up a wireless network connection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the source device the request from the target device comprises receiving a message at a listening service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the source device the request from the target device comprises receiving a message at a listening service over a Bluetooth®

, ZigBee®

or Near Field Communication connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the tethering connection comprises launching a sharing program on the source device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, communicating one or more tethering-related messages from the source device to the target device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein communicating the one or more tethering-related messages comprises sending a battery level message or signal strength message, or both.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein communicating the one or more tethering-related messages comprises sending a billing-related data message or data statistics message, or both.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, automatically sending the request from the target device in response to launching a tethering program on the target device, including launching the tethering program based upon user interaction with the target device or launching the tethering program based upon automatic triggering at the target device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, viewing a representation of the source device as an available wireless network to the target device.

11. In a computing environment, a system comprising, a target device including a target tethering program configured to request a source device to provide tethering, the tethering program configured to send a tethering request over a first communications mechanism to the source device to activate tethering over a second communications mechanism independent of any user interaction on the source device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the tethering program is configured to notify at least one other program on the target device that tethering is active.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first communications mechanism comprises a Bluetooth®

connection and the second communications mechanism comprises a Wi-Fi connection.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the tethering program is configured to receive status messages from the source device, including one or more messages containing battery level data, signal strength data, roaming data, billing data, carrier data or data statistics, or any combination of battery level data, signal strength data, roaming data, billing data, carrier data or data statistics.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the target device comprises a desktop personal computer, gaming console, laptop personal computer or tablet computer.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the source device comprises a tablet computer or cellular phone.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

(a) receiving a request over a first communications mechanism of a source device to provide tethering to a target device;

(b) sending a message from the source device over the first communications mechanism to the target device, the message indicating that tethering is operational; and

(c) automatically providing tethering to communicate data between an Internet source coupled to the source device to and from the target device over a second communications mechanism.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer-executable instructions comprising, ending tethering in response to a request from the target device, or based upon an inability to communicate over the first communications mechanism, or based upon user interaction with the source device.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer-executable instructions comprising providing one or more status messages from the source device to the target device while tethering is operational.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 wherein receiving the request over the first communications mechanism comprises receiving a request at a Bluetooth®

-based listening service, and wherein automatically providing tethering comprises launching a sharing service on the source device in response to the request.