SEAMLESS TETHERING SETUP BETWEEN PHONE AND LAPTOP USING PEER-TO-PEER MECHANISMS

• US 20140127992A1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuscher, Alexander Friedrich, Wuellner, Trond Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,634,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The subject technology discloses configurations for determining, at a first computing device, if a second computing device is within a predetermined distance of the first computing device. The subject technology then establishes, at the first computing device, a wireless near field communication (NFC) connection with the second computing device. Information for configuring a wireless tethering connection with the second computing device is then transmitted over the wireless NFC connection. Further, the subject technology receives, over the wireless NFC connection, confirmation that the wireless tethering connection has been configured.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

determining, at a first computing device, if a second computing device is within a predetermined distance of the first computing device;

establishing, at the first computing device, a wireless near field communication (NFC) connection with the second computing device, wherein establishing the wireless NFC connection is responsive to the determination that the first computing device is within the predetermined distance of the second computing device;

transmitting, over the wireless NFC connection, information for configuring a wireless tethering connection with the second computing device; and

receiving, over the wireless NFC connection, confirmation that the wireless tethering connection has been configured.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is a laptop computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computing device is a mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the first computing device is within the predetermined distance of the second computing device is responsive to the first computing device physically tapping the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance corresponds with a communication range of the NFC connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein information for setting up a wireless tethering connection with the second computing device includes a request for setting up the wireless tethering connection, credential information, or a network interface address of the first computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the credential information comprises a username and password.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the credential information comprises a subscriber identification information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the credential information comprises a verified certificate.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the network interface address comprises a unique identifier assigned to a network interface of the first computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, over the wireless tethering connection, data from a web browser running on the first computing device to access one or more web sites on the Internet.

12. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

determining, at a first computing device, if a second computing device is within a predetermined distance of the first computing device;

establishing, at the first computing device, a wireless near field communication (NFC) connection with the second computing device, wherein establishing the wireless NFC connection is responsive to the determination that the first computing device is within the predetermined distance of the second computing device;

receiving, over the wireless NFC connection, information for configuring a wireless tethering connection with the second computing device;

performing, at the first computing device, a configuration to set up the wireless tethering connection with the second computing device; and

transmitting, over the wireless NFC connection, a confirmation that the wireless tethering connection has been configured to the second computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first computing device is a mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second computing device is a laptop computing device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein performing, at the first computing device, the configuration to set up the wireless tethering connection comprises:

setting up a hotspot connection for accessing the Internet based on information for configuring the wireless tethering connection with the second computing device; and

adding a network interface address of the second computing device to a list of restricted network interface address for accessing the hotspot connection.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, over the wireless tethering connection, data from a web browser running on the second computing device to access one or more web sites on the Internet.

17. A system, the system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors;

one or more modules stored in memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the modules comprising;

a wireless near field communication (NFC) module configured to determine if a computing device is within a predetermined distance, establish a wireless NFC connection with the computing device, wherein establishing the wireless NFC connection is responsive to the determination that the computing device is within the predetermined distance; and

a wireless tethering module configured to transmit, over the wireless NFC connection, information for configuring a wireless tethering connection with the computing device, and receive, over the wireless NFC connection, confirmation that the wireless tethering connection has been configured.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless tethering module is further configured to:

transmit, over the wireless tethering connection, data from a web browser to access one or more web sites on the Internet.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless NFC module is further configured to:

determine if a second computing device is within a predetermined distance; and

establish a second wireless near field communication (NFC) connection with the second computing device, wherein establishing the wireless NFC connection is responsive to the determination that the second computing device is within the predetermined distance.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the wireless tethering module is further configured to:

receive, over the wireless NFC connection, information for configuring a wireless tethering connection with the second computing device;

perform a configuration to set up the wireless tethering connection with the second computing device; and

transmit, over the wireless NFC connection, a confirmation that the wireless tethering connection has been configured to the second computing device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the wireless tethering module is further configured to:

receive, over the wireless tethering connection, data from a web browser running on the second computing device to access one or more web sites on the Internet.

22. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

determining, at a first computing device, if a second computing device is within a predetermined distance of the first computing device;

establishing, at the first computing device, a wireless near field communication (NFC) connection with the second computing device, wherein establishing the wireless NFC connection is responsive to the determination that the first computing device is within the predetermined distance of the second computing device;

transmitting, over the wireless NFC connection, information for configuring a wireless tethering connection with the second computing device;

receiving, over the wireless NFC connection, confirmation that the wireless tethering connection has been configured; and

transmitting, over the wireless tethering connection, data from a web browser to access one or more web sites on the Internet.