Portable Platform for Networked Computing

• US 20140269614A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael G., Coglitore, Giovanni
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a portable, networked, computing device comprises a processor, a plurality of radios, and a memory. The device may be operable to pair, by at least one of the radios, with a device associated with a user. The device may then monitor, by one of the radios, a signal for a connection established with a first network. When the device determines that the signal for the first network has dropped below a threshold level of quality, it may enable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices by turning on a radio to establish a connection with a second network and thereby providing connectivity to the second network for the at least one of the paired devices. If multiple networks are available, the device may select an optimal network based on an assessment of one or more factors.

Claims

1. A portable computing device comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of radios; and

a memory coupled to the processor comprising instructions executable by the processor, the processor being operable when executing the instructions to;

pair, by at least one of the radios, with one or more devices associated with a user;

monitor, by one or more of the radios, a signal for a connection established with a first network;

determine that the signal for the first network has dropped below a threshold level of quality; and

enable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to:

turn on one of the radios to establish a connection with a second network; and

provide connectivity to the second network for the at least one of the paired devices.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to:

detect, by the radios, signals of sufficient quality for a plurality of networks; and

assess an optimal network from the plurality of networks, wherein the assessment is based on one or more factors, wherein the factors comprise technical factors, economic factors, security factors, or user preference factors; and

select the second network.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the second network is assessed to be less optimal than the first network.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to:

detect, by one of the radios, the signal for the first network;

determine that the signal for the first network satisfies a threshold level of quality; and

disable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to disable access point mode comprise instructions to turn off the radio providing the connection with the second network.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to enable access point mode comprise instructions to facilitate a soft handoff for the at least one of the paired devices from one network to another network.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the threshold level of quality is based on one or more attributes of the signal, the one or more attributes comprising:

signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, average data throughput, or average data latency.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the radios is a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) radio, and wherein the instructions to enable access point mode for the at least one of the paired devices comprises instructions to initiate a communication channel using the BLE radio.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to enable access point mode for the at least one of the paired devices comprises instructions to initiate a communication channel using the Wi-Fi Direct protocol.

11. A method comprising:

pairing, by one or more processors of a portable networking device comprising a plurality of radios, with one or more devices associated with a user;

monitoring, by one or more of the radios, a signal for a connection established with a first network;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the signal for the first network has dropped below a threshold level of quality; and

enabling, by the one or more processors, access point mode for at least one of the paired devices.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

turning on one of the radios to establish a connection with a second network; and

providing connectivity to the second network for the at least one of the paired devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting, by the radios, signals of sufficient quality for a plurality of networks; and

assessing an optimal network from the plurality of networks, wherein the assessment is based on one or more factors, wherein the factors comprise technical factors, economic factors, security factors, or user preference factors; and

selecting the second network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second network is assessed to be less optimal than the first network.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, by one of the radios, the signal for the first network;

determining that the signal for the first network satisfies a threshold level of quality; and

disabling access point mode for at least one of the paired devices.

16. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

pair, by a portable networking device comprising a plurality of radios, with one or more devices associated with a user;

monitor, by one or more of the radios, a signal for a connection established with a first network;

determine that the signal for the first network has dropped below a threshold level of quality; and

enable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

turn on one of the radios to establish a connection with a second network; and

provide connectivity to the second network for the at least one of the paired devices.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

detect, by the radios, signals of sufficient quality for a plurality of networks; and

assess an optimal network from the plurality of networks, wherein the assessment is based on one or more factors, wherein the factors comprise technical factors, economic factors, security factors, or user preference factors; and

select the second network.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the second network is assessed to be less optimal than the first network.

20. The media of claim 16, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

detect, by one of the radios, the signal for the first network;

determine that the signal for the first network satisfies a threshold level of quality; and

disable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices.