PROTOCOLS FOR FACILITATING BROADER ACCESS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140274056A1
• 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 9,635,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

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:

a first event-sequencing circuit configured to receive a first wireless signal indicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary via a first antenna of a wearable assembly, the first event-sequencing circuit including the first antenna;

a second event-sequencing circuit configured to extract WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wireless signal via a signal processor of the wearable assembly, the second event-sequencing circuit including the signal processor;

a third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as a second wireless signal via an output component of the wearable assembly, the third event-sequencing circuit including the output component of the wearable assembly, the output component including at least one of an earphone or a display or a second antenna, the third event-sequencing circuit including one or more electrical nodes, the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data manifested as an arrangement of one or more voltage levels on the one or more electrical nodes; and

a wearable article configured to support the first event-sequencing circuit configured to receive the first wireless signal indicative of the WLAN service boundary via the first antenna of the wearable assembly and to support the second event-sequencing circuit configured to extract WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from the first wireless signal via the signal processor of the wearable assembly and to support the third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as the second wireless signal via the output component all in the wearable assembly, the wearable article being eyewear or being wristwear or being a clip unit.

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

the wearable assembly, comprising an integrated circuit (IC) chip having a first portion and a second portion and a third portion, the first portion of the IC chip being the first event-sequencing circuit configured to receive the first wireless signal indicative of the WLAN service boundary via the first antenna of the wearable assembly, the second portion of the IC chip being the second event-sequencing circuit configured to extract WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from the first wireless signal via the signal processor of the wearable assembly, the third portion of the IC chip being the third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as the second wireless signal via the output component all in the wearable assembly.

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

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

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

the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data in the wearable assembly.

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

the signal processor of the wearable assembly including (1) transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the wearable assembly and (2) 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 wearable assembly 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.

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

the wearable assembly comprising a first device, the output component of the wearable assembly configured to generate an audible indication of whether or not a second device is available to participate in a bidirectional interpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indication whether or not the second device exceeded a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval and partly based on an indication of the second device having WLAN service, the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry detecting a series of service region departure events in the wearable assembly, the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data in the wearable assembly, the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to compare a data block delivery failure rate against a threshold in the wearable assembly, the signal processor of the wearable assembly including (1) transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the wearable assembly and (2) 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 wearable assembly 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.

4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. A communication management system comprising:

a first event-sequencing circuit configured to receive a first wireless signal indicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary via a first antenna of a wearable assembly, the first event-sequencing circuit including the first antenna;

a second event-sequencing circuit configured to extract WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wireless signal via a signal processor of the wearable assembly, the second event-sequencing circuit including the signal processor;

a third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as a second wireless signal via an output component of the wearable assembly, the third event-sequencing circuit including the output component of the wearable assembly; and

a wearable article configured to support the first event-sequencing circuit configured to receive the first wireless signal indicative of the WLAN service boundary via the first antenna of the wearable assembly and to support the second event-sequencing circuit configured to extract WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from the first wireless signal via the signal processor of the wearable assembly and to support the third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as the second wireless signal via the output component all in the wearable assembly.

14. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the wearable assembly being a first mobile device and including a transistor-based circuit configured to signal a decision whether or not to cause a unidirectional communication at least between the wearable assembly and a second mobile device as a conditional response to whether or not a user apparently preferred a first option at the second mobile device, the unidirectional communication at least between the wearable assembly and the second mobile device including a wireless signal from the second mobile device.

17. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the first antenna of the wearable assembly configured to use a nominal frequency of at least about 900 MHz and of at most about 2.2 GHz in wireless signal reception but inoperable to perform wireless signal transmission at any frequency between 900 MHz and 2.2 GHz.

21. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the wearable assembly, comprising a smartphone having a first portion and a second portion and a third portion, the first portion of the smartphone being the first event-sequencing circuit configured to receive the first wireless signal indicative of the WLAN service boundary via the first antenna of the wearable assembly, the second portion of the smartphone being the second event-sequencing circuit configured to extract WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from the first wireless signal via the signal processor of the wearable assembly, the third portion of the smartphone being the third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as the second wireless signal via the output component all in the wearable assembly.

23. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

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

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

the output component of the wearable assembly configured to present at least some of a map that includes a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective interpersonal communication as a component of the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data.

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

the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry incrementally decreasing a dataflow through a wireless communication channel in the wearable assembly.

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

the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data in the wearable assembly.

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

the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to compare a data block delivery failure rate against a threshold in the wearable assembly.

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

the wearable assembly being a handheld device, the signal processor of the wearable assembly including transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component of the first wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the handheld device as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the handheld device.

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

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

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

the signal processor of the wearable assembly including (1) transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the wearable assembly and (2) 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 wearable assembly 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.

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

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a handoff of an interpersonal communication from a cellular base station to a WLAN access point, the interpersonal communication comprising a signal path through the output component of the wearable assembly.

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

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a particular device to indicate some of a wireless connectivity map that includes automatically curated map data via the output component of the wearable assembly.

44. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the second transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which a voltage configuration manifests the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data.

84. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the wearable assembly comprising a first device, the output component of the wearable assembly configured to generate an audible indication of whether or not a second device is available to participate in a bidirectional interpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indication whether or not the second device exceeded a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval and partly based on an indication of the second device having WLAN service, the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry detecting a series of service region departure events in the wearable assembly, the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to signal a decision whether or not to adjust a latency threshold for user data in the wearable assembly, the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to compare a data block delivery failure rate against a threshold in the wearable assembly, the signal processor of the wearable assembly including (1) transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a configurable core in a first core operating mode to draw from a first data queue of the wearable assembly and (2) 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 wearable assembly 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.

85. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry incrementally decreasing a dataflow through a wireless communication channel in the wearable assembly;

the wearable assembly comprising a first device, the output component of the wearable assembly configured to generate an audible indication of whether or not a second device is available to participate in a bidirectional interpersonal communication conditionally, partly based on an indication whether or not the second device exceeded a wireless service boundary crossing rate threshold within a recent time interval and partly based on an indication of the second device having WLAN service, the signal processor of the wearable assembly including a field-programmable gate array configured to implement a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module; and

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a handoff of an interpersonal communication from a WLAN access point to a cellular base station, the interpersonal communication comprising a signal path through the output component of the wearable assembly.

86. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

the wearable article also configured to support transistor-based circuitry detecting a series of service region departure events in the wearable assembly;

the third event-sequencing circuit configured to transmit the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data via the output component of the wearable assembly, the third event-sequencing circuit including one or more electrical nodes, the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data manifested as an arrangement of one or more voltage levels on the one or more electrical nodes;

the output component of the wearable assembly configured to present an audible notification as a component of the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data; and

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

87. The communication management system of claim 8 further comprising:

transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a particular device to indicate some of a wireless connectivity map that includes automatically curated map data via the output component of the wearable assembly;

the second transistor-based circuit including an electrical node set upon which a voltage configuration manifests the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data;

the signal processor of the wearable assembly including transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component of the first wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the wearable assembly as an automatic and conditional response to a control component of the first wireless signal; and

the wearable assembly being a handheld device, the signal processor of the wearable assembly including transistor-based circuitry configured to cause a data component of the first wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the handheld device as an automatic and conditional response to a thermal state of a temperature sensor in the handheld device, the wearable assembly also configured to support transistor-based circuitry configured to display at least some of a map that depicts a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective intercommunication.

9-13. -13. (canceled)

15-16. -16. (canceled)

18-20. -20. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

25-28. -28. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

37-38. -38. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45. A communication management system comprising:

means for receiving a first wireless signal indicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary;

means for extracting WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wireless signal;

means for transmitting the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as a second wireless signal; and

means for supporting the means for receiving the first wireless signal indicative of the WLAN service boundary and for supporting the means for extracting the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from the first wireless signal and for supporting the means for transmitting the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as the second wireless signal all in a wearable assembly.

46. The communication management system of claim 45 further comprising:

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

47-64. -64. (canceled)

65. A communication management method comprising:

receiving a first wireless signal indicative of a wireless local area network (WLAN) service boundary via a first antenna of a wearable assembly;

extracting WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data from first wireless signal via a signal processor of the wearable assembly;

transmitting the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data as a second wireless signal via an output component of the wearable assembly; and

supporting (at least) the first antenna and the signal processor and the output component all in the wearable assembly.

67. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

presenting at least some of a map that includes a cost-indicative service boundary relating to a prospective interpersonal communication as a component of the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data.

73. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

causing a data component of the first wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the wearable assembly as an automatic and conditional response to a control component of the first wireless signal.

75. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

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

signaling a decision whether or not to cause the configurable core to draw from the first data queue of the wearable assembly 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.

76. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

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

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

78. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

causing a handoff of an interpersonal communication from a cellular base station to a WLAN access point, the interpersonal communication comprising a signal path through the output component of the wearable assembly.

79. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

authorizing a cost component to be posted to a user account conditionally, at least partly based on a portion of a wireless communication using WLAN access to the wearable assembly.

81. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

authorizing a cost component to be posted to a user account conditionally, at least partly based on a portion of a wireless communication using WLAN access to the wearable assembly;

causing a particular device to indicate some of a wireless connectivity map that includes automatically curated map data via the output component of the wearable assembly; and

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

82. The communication management method of claim 65, further comprising:

causing a data component of the first wireless signal to be processed by a special-purpose module in the wearable assembly as an automatic and conditional response to a control component of the first wireless signal;

presenting an audible notification as a component of the WLAN-service-boundary-indicative data;

causing a handoff of an interpersonal communication from a cellular base station to a WLAN access point, the interpersonal communication comprising a signal path through the output component of the wearable assembly; and

authorizing a cost component to be posted to a user account conditionally, at least partly based on a portion of a wireless communication using WLAN access to the wearable assembly.

66. (canceled)

68-72. -72. (canceled)

74. (canceled)

77. (canceled)

80. (canceled)