ELASTIC COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20140349613A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tomer Rider, Yair Giwnewer
• Inventors: Rider, Tomer, Ron, Aviv, Giwnewer, Yair, Kiveisha, Yevgeny
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Systems, devices, and techniques are provided for a communication network in which a wireless communication service can be furnished or otherwise extended to a mobile computing device from one or more other mobile computing devices.

Claims

1. A mobile device (210,410), comprising:

a radio (220) configured to exchange information wirelessly with a peer mobile computing device (230), the radio (220) having a communication processing unit (440) and one or more antennas (438);

a cellular-sharing service unit (212) configured to provision a communication service to the peer mobile computing device, and

a security controller (234) configured to supply information to an intended recipient device via a secure firmware communication pathway within the mobile device based at least in part on the intended recipient device.

2. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the security controller (234) comprises a tamper resistant processor having one or more hardware security components.

3. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the intended recipient device comprises the peer mobile computing device (230), and wherein the security controller (234) is configured to transmit at least the portion of the information to the peer mobile computing device (230) via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

4. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the intended recipient device comprises a component (340) of the mobile device, and wherein the security controller (234) is configured to transmit at least the portion of the information to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway.

5. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 4, wherein the security controller (234) is configured to receive second information according to a radio communication protocol via a second secure firmware communication pathway,

wherein the security controller (234) is further configured to transmit at least the portion of the information to the peer mobile device according to a second radio communication protocol.

6. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the intended recipient device comprises the peer mobile computing device (230), and wherein the security controller (234) is configured to supply advertisement content to the peer mobile computing device (230), the advertisement content is customized to an end-user associated with the peer mobile computing device (230).

7. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to receive information indicative of a payment from the peer mobile computing device (230), wherein the payment is received in exchange for access to the communication service.

8. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to activate the communication service for the peer mobile computing device (230) at a remote computing device (250),

wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to transmit information indicative of an identity of the peer mobile computing device and payment mode for the peer mobile computing device (230) to access the communication service, the payment mode is one of direct payment mode or third-party payment mode.

9. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 3, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to initiate a communication session with the peer mobile computing device (230) prior to transmission of at least the portion of the information to the peer mobile computing device (230) via the first secure communication pathway.

10. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 9, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to establish a packet-switching protocol tunnel between the peer mobile computing device (230) and a remote computing device (250) associated with the mobile device (210, 410).

11. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 9, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to transmit session information indicative of the communication session to a remote computing device.

12. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 1, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to configure the communication service prior to the transmitting.

13. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 12, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to establish a pricing for payment in exchange for access to the communication service.

14. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 12, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to establish a group of peer mobile computing devices permitted to access the communication service.

15. The mobile device (210,410) of claim 14, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to determine a number of peer mobile computing devices included in the group of peer mobile computing devices or an identity of at least one of the group of peer mobile computing devices.

16. The mobile device (210, 410) of claim 15, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit (212) is further configured to establish a quota of peer information available to at least one of the group of peer mobile computing devices that is provisioned for the communication service.

17. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting, by a first mobile computing device having at least one or more processors, service information indicative of a communication service provided by the first mobile computing device;

receiving, by the first mobile computing device, a connection request from a second mobile computing device in response to the transmitting;

determining if the connection request is valid;

provisioning, by the first mobile computing device, the communication service to the second mobile computing device in response to ascertaining that the connection request is valid; and

supplying, by the first mobile computing device in response to the provisioning, information via a secure firmware communication pathway within the first mobile computing device based at least in part on an intended recipient device for at least a portion of the information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the intended recipient device comprises the second mobile computing device, and wherein the supplying comprises transmitting at least the portion of the information to the second mobile computing device via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the intended recipient device comprises a component of the first mobile computing device, and wherein the supplying comprises transmitting at least the portion of the information to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means transmitting service information indicative of a communication service provided by a first mobile computing device comprising the apparatus;

means for receiving a connection request from a second mobile computing device in response to the transmitting;

means for determining if the connection request is valid;

means for provisioning the communication service to the second mobile computing device in response to ascertaining that the connection request is valid; and

means for supplying information via a secure firmware communication pathway within the first mobile computing device based at least in part on an intended recipient device for at least a portion of the information.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the intended recipient device comprises the second mobile computing device, and wherein the means for supplying comprises means for transmitting at least the portion of the information to the second mobile computing device via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the intended recipient device comprises a component of the first mobile computing device, and wherein the means for supplying comprises means for transmitting at least the portion of the information to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway.

23. At least one processor-accessible storage device having programmed instructions for wireless communication that in response to execution, cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting service information indicative of a communication service provided by a first mobile computing device including the at least one processor;

receiving a connection request from a second mobile computing device in response to the transmitting;

determining if the connection request is valid;

provisioning the communication service to the second mobile computing device in response to ascertaining that the connection request is valid; and

supplying, in response to the provisioning, information via a secure firmware communication pathway within the first mobile computing device based at least in part on an intended recipient device for at least a portion of the information.

24. The at least one processor-accessible storage device of claim 23, wherein the intended recipient device comprises the second mobile computing device, and wherein the supplying comprises transmitting at least the portion of the information to the second mobile computing device via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

25. The at least one processor-accessible storage device of claim 23, wherein the intended recipient device comprises a component of the first mobile computing device, and wherein the supplying comprises transmitting at least the portion of the information to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway.