PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATING BROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140273934A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Reudink, Douglas O., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,980,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A communication management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

a first transistor-based circuit configured to obtain a first preference indication via a first mobile device, the first preference indication being either a first option or a second option, an account being associated with the first mobile device, the first transistor-based circuit including a first electrical node set upon which a first voltage configuration manifests the first preference indication, the first preference indication having been received as a wireless transmission from the first mobile device;

a second transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and a second mobile device as a conditional response to whether or not a user apparently preferred the first option at the first mobile device;

a third transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to establish a bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as a first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device;

a fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as a second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device; and

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of a wireless connectivity map to be displayed via the second mobile device after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a first location estimate describing a first location of a third mobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the third mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate.

2. The communication management system of claim 1 further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit including a second electrical node set upon which a second voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to cause the unidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device;

the third transistor-based circuit including a third electrical node set upon which a third voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to establish the bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as the first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device; and

the fourth transistor-based circuit including a fourth electrical node set upon which a fourth voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

5. The communication management system of claim 1 further comprising:

the first mobile device, configured to generate an audible indication of whether or not the second mobile device is available to participate in a bidirectional interpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indication whether or not the second mobile device exceeded a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval and partly based on an indication of the second mobile device having WLAN service, the bidirectional communication being a part-cellular telephone call.

6. The communication management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sixth transistor-based circuit, configured to obtain a first location estimate describing a first location of the second mobile device by receiving the first location estimate from the second mobile device; and

a seventh transistor-based circuit, configured to obtain first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the second mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate by receiving the first provenance data from the second mobile device.

8. The communication management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sixth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of the wireless connectivity map to be displayed, the wireless connectivity map indicating a service boundary relating to a prospective interpersonal communication at least between the second mobile device and the first mobile device.

9. The communication management system of claim 1 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the first mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to a control component of the wireless signal.

124. The communication management system of claim 1 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the first mobile device;

transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the first mobile device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the first mobile device; and

transistor-based circuitry configured to hand off an interpersonal communication from a WLAN access point to a cellular base station, a usage of the cellular base station resulting in the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device, the interpersonal communication including the bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

10-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A communication management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

a first transistor-based circuit configured to obtain a first preference indication via a first mobile device, the first preference indication being either a first option or a second option, an account being associated with the first mobile device;

a second transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and a second mobile device as a conditional response to whether or not a user apparently preferred the first option at the first mobile device;

a third transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to establish a bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as a first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device; and

a fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as a second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

14. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the first mobile device, comprising a handheld device.

22. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the first mobile device configured to use a first nominal uplink frequency of at least about 2.4 GHz and of at most about 5 GHz.

26. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit causing a wireless connectivity map to indicate WLAN service apparently provided within a region or not as a conditional response to an indication from the second mobile device of the WLAN service being operative or not within the region.

27. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the first mobile device, configured to generate an audible indication of whether or not the second mobile device is available to participate in a bidirectional interpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indication whether or not the second mobile device exceeded a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval and partly based on an indication of the second mobile device having WLAN service.

28. The communication management system of claim 12, further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit, configured to obtain a first location estimate describing a first location of the second mobile device by receiving the first location estimate from the second mobile device; and

a sixth transistor-based circuit, configured to obtain first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the second mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate by receiving the first provenance data from the second mobile device.

32. The communication management system of claim 12, further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of a wireless connectivity map to be displayed via the second mobile device after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a first location estimate describing a first location of a third mobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the third mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate.

33. The communication management system of claim 12, further comprising:

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of a wireless connectivity map to be displayed, the wireless connectivity map indicating a service boundary relating to a prospective interpersonal communication at least between the second mobile device and the first mobile device.

34. The communication management system of claim 12, further comprising:

a third mobile device being a wearable assembly configured to present an audible notification of a WLAN service boundary, the WLAN service boundary being a component of a wireless connectivity map after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a first location estimate describing a first location of a fourth mobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the fourth mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate.

35. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data used at the second mobile device.

36. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to compare a data block delivery failure rate against a threshold used at the second mobile device.

37. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry causing the second mobile device to present some of a wireless connectivity map comprising a specific positional model that represents both an isotropic radiator and an anisotropic radiator.

41. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the first mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the first mobile device.

44. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the first mobile device; and

transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the first mobile device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to an indication of a data volume of the first data queue crossing a volume threshold.

49. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to hand off an interpersonal communication from a WLAN access point to a cellular base station, a usage of the cellular base station resulting in the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device, the interpersonal communication including the bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

53. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the third transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to establish the bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as the first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

54. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

125. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the first mobile device;

transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the first mobile device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the first mobile device; and

transistor-based circuitry configured to hand off an interpersonal communication from a WLAN access point to a cellular base station, a usage of the cellular base station resulting in the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device, the interpersonal communication including the bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

126. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

a third mobile device being a wearable assembly configured to present an audible notification of a WLAN service boundary, the WLAN service boundary being a component of a wireless connectivity map after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a first location estimate describing a first location of a fourth mobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the fourth mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate;

the fourth transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device;

127. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the second mobile device, comprising an unlocked communication device; and

the fourth transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which a voltage configuration manifests the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device;

a fifth transistor-based circuit configured to cause at least some of a wireless connectivity map to be displayed via the second mobile device after a decision whether or not to update the wireless connectivity map automatically and conditionally partly based on a first location estimate describing a first location of a third mobile device and partly based on first provenance data indicating a protocol by which the third mobile device apparently obtained the first location estimate.

128. The communication management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the fourth transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component of a wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the first mobile device as an automatic and conditional response to a charging state of a battery in the first mobile device;

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the first mobile device; and

transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the first mobile device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the first mobile device.

13. (canceled)

15-21. -21. (canceled)

23-25. -25. (canceled)

29-31. -31. (canceled)

38-40. -40. (canceled)

42-43. -43. (canceled)

45-48. -48. (canceled)

50-52. -52. (canceled)

55. A communication management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

means for obtaining a first preference indication via a first mobile device, the first preference indication being either a first option or a second option, an account being associated with the first mobile device;

means for signaling a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and a second mobile device as a conditional response to whether or not a user apparently preferred the first option at the first mobile device;

means for signaling a decision whether or not to establish a bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as a first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device; and

means for signaling a decision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as a second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

56-71. -71. (canceled)

72. A communication management method comprising:

obtaining a first preference indication via a first mobile device, the first preference indication being either a first option or a second option, an account being associated with the first mobile device;

signaling a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and a second mobile device as a conditional response to whether or not a user apparently preferred the first option at the first mobile device;

signaling a decision whether or not to establish a bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as a first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device; and

invoking a transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as a second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

84. The communication management method of claim 72 further comprising:

the invoking the transistor-based circuit configured to signal the decision whether or not to assign the communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as the second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device including

causing a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the first mobile device; and

signaling a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the first mobile device in a second core operating mode as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the first mobile device.

73-83. -83. (canceled)

85-106. -106. (canceled)

107. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output manifesting an occurrence of

obtaining a first preference indication via a first mobile device, the first preference indication being either a first option or a second option, an account being associated with the first mobile device;

signaling a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and a second mobile device as a conditional response to whether or not a user apparently preferred the first option at the first mobile device;

signaling a decision whether or not to establish a bidirectional communication at least between the first mobile device and the second mobile device as a first conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device; and

signaling a decision whether or not to assign a communication cost component to the account associated with the first mobile device as a second conditional response to whether or not the user apparently preferred the second option at the first mobile device.

121. The article of manufacture of claim 107 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media bearing at least one binary sequence from an event-sequencing structure configured to authorize the communication cost component to be posted to a user account conditionally, at least partly based on a portion of a wireless communication using WLAN access, the user account being the account associated with the first mobile device.

108-120. -120. (canceled)

122-123. -123. (canceled)