COST-EFFECTIVE MOBILE CONNECTIVITY PROTOCOLS

• US 20140185457A1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chin, Hon Wah, Davidson, Howard L., Hallman, Kimberly D.A., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Mundie, Craig J., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Pasch, Nicholas F., Rudder, Eric D., Tegreene, Clarence T., Tremblay, Marc, Tuckerman, David B., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Barnes, Philip Lionel, Lee, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,832,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Structures and protocols are presented for signaling a status or decision concerning a wireless service or device within a region to a network participant or other communication device (smartphone or motor vehicle, e.g.).

Claims

1. A communication management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for obtaining at a first device an identifier of a second device; and

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for causing the first device to display a Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication range of a third device without a bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device.

3. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture further comprising:

the second device comprising one or more metamaterial elements configured for directional signal transmission.

4. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the first device comprising an antenna that receives the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device.

5. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the first device comprising a smartphone or comprising a computer.

6. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the first device comprising an integrated circuit chip or comprising a motor vehicle.

8. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the first device configured to display at least some of a map that includes a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective instance of the bidirectional interpersonal communication between the first device and the second device.

12. The communication management system of claim 1, the event-sequencing structure configured for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device comprising:

one or more electrical nodes, the identifier of the second device being manifested as an arrangement of one or more voltage levels on the one or more electrical nodes.

13. The communication management system of claim 1, the event-sequencing structure configured for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device comprising:

one or more electrical nodes, the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device being manifested as an arrangement of one or more voltage levels on the one or more electrical nodes.

15. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the first device including a speaker configured to generate an audible manifestation of the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device.

139. The communication management system of claim 1, the one or more articles of manufacture further comprising:

the first device, comprising either a smartphone or a computer, configured to display at least some of a map that includes a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective instance of the bidirectional interpersonal communication between the first device and the second device;

the first device comprising an antenna that receives the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device;

the first device including a speaker configured to generate an audible manifestation of the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device;

the one or more articles of manufacture being configured not to transmit data indicating a ground speed of any of the one or more articles of manufacture;

the one or more articles of manufacture being configured not to transmit any coordinates indicating a geographic position of any of the one or more articles of manufacture; and

the event-sequencing structure configured for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device comprising one or more electrical nodes, the identifier of the second device being manifested as an arrangement of one or more voltage levels on the one or more electrical nodes.

2. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

9-11. -11. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A communication management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

means for obtaining at a first device an identifier of a second device; and

means for causing the first device to display a Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication range of a third device without a bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device.

39. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a handheld device as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the handheld device, the handheld device being the first device.

40. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a portable device as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the portable device, the portable device being the first device.

41. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to a control component of the wireless signal, the mobile device being the first device.

42. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing first content of a wireless signal to pass either through a first memory of a particular device or through a second memory of the particular device selected as an automatic and conditional response to whether or not second content of the wireless signal satisfies a first criterion, the particular device being the first device.

45. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing a mobile device that includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to receive a configuration component of a first wireless signal, the configuration component causing the FPGA to implement a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module and for causing the FFT module to process a data component of a second wireless signal after the configuration component of the first wireless signal causes the FPGA to implement the FFT module, the mobile device being the first device.

49. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for detecting a service region departure event series at the second device and for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device as an automatic and conditional response to a Boolean indication that the second device did not exceed a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval, the Boolean indication that the second device did not exceed the wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within the recent time interval having been derived from the service region departure event series at the second device.

50. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for incrementally decreasing a dataflow through a wireless communication channel through a fourth device.

51. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for signaling a decision whether or not to transmit any user data via a first communication channel through a fourth device.

52. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for signaling a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data through a fourth device.

53. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for comparing a data block delivery failure rate at the second device against a failure rate threshold.

54. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for implementing a specific positional model to represent both an isotropic radiator and an anisotropic radiator at the second device.

57. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for displaying via a mobile device at least some of a map that depicts a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective intercommunication, the mobile device being the first device, the prospective intercommunication being the bidirectional interpersonal communication.

136. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing a mobile device that includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to receive a configuration component of a first wireless signal, the mobile device being the first device, the configuration component causing the FPGA to implement a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module and for causing the FFT module to process a data component of a second wireless signal after the configuration component of the first wireless signal causes the FPGA to implement the FFT module;

means for causing a data component of the first wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a handheld device as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the handheld device, the handheld device being the first device;

means for causing a first core to draw from a first data queue of the mobile device and for signaling a decision whether or not to cause a second core to draw from the first data queue of the mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of a data volume of the first data queue crossing a backlog threshold; and

means for transmitting user data via an ad hoc network that includes the third device, the first wireless signal comprising the user data.

137. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for detecting a service region departure event series at the second device and for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device as an automatic and conditional response to a Boolean indication that the second device did not exceed a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval, the Boolean indication that the second device did not exceed the wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within the recent time interval having been derived from the service region departure event series at the second device;

means for causing a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of a particular device, the particular device being the first device, and for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the particular device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the particular device;

means for causing a mobile device that includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to receive a configuration component of a first wireless signal, the configuration component causing the FPGA to implement a sorting module, the mobile device being the first device, and for causing the sorting module to process a data component of a second wireless signal after the configuration component of the first wireless signal causes the FPGA to implement the sorting module;

means for implementing a specific positional model to represent both an isotropic radiator and an anisotropic radiator at the second device; and

means for signaling a decision whether or not to transmit any user data via a first communication channel through a fourth device, the second wireless signal comprising the user data.

138. The communication management system of claim 38, the one or more articles of manufacture comprising:

the means for causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

means for causing a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of a particular device, the particular device being the first device, and for signaling a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the particular device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the particular device;

means for causing a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a portable device as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the portable device, the portable device being the first device;

means for displaying via a mobile device at least some of a map that depicts a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective intercommunication, the mobile device being the first device, the prospective intercommunication being the bidirectional interpersonal communication;

means for causing first content of the wireless signal to pass either through a first memory of the particular device or through a second memory of the particular device selected as an automatic and conditional response to whether or not second content of the wireless signal satisfies a first criterion; and

means for signaling a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data through a fourth device, the wireless signal comprising the user data.

43-44. -44. (canceled)

46-48. -48. (canceled)

55-56. -56. (canceled)

58-76. -76. (canceled)

77. A communication management method comprising:

invoking transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for obtaining at a first device an identifier of a second device; and

causing the first device to display a Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication range of a third device without a bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device.

79. The communication management method of claim 77 further comprising:

the causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

causing a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in a portable device as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the portable device, the portable device being the first device.

82. The communication management method of claim 77 further comprising:

the causing the first device to display the Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within the WLAN communication range of the third device without the bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device including

causing a first core to draw from a first data queue of a mobile device, the mobile device being the first device; and

signaling a decision whether or not to cause a second core to draw from the first data queue of the mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of a data volume of the first data queue crossing a backlog threshold.

78. (canceled)

80-81. -81. (canceled)

83-96. -96. (canceled)

97. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least

obtaining at a first device an identifier of a second device; and

causing the first device to display a Boolean indication whether or not the second device is within a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication range of a third device without a bidirectional interpersonal communication existing between the first device and the second device.

98-135. -135. (canceled)