DETERMINING ROUTING OF PROXY TRAFFIC BETWEEN MOBILE CLIENT AND PROXY DEVICES

• US 20160262082A1
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Flynn, Paul V., Zhao, Wen, Mujtaba, Syed Aon, Hariharan, Sriram, Semersky, Matthew L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,375,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A host device may include a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication circuit including a proxy router, and a host processor communicatively coupled to the wireless communication circuits. The host device may receive, via the second wireless communication circuit, an advertisement message from a client device. The advertisement message may include a request for communication of data with a network. The host device may determine at least one of a communication policy preference of the host device and a network connection property of the host device. The proxy router may select the first or the second wireless communication circuit for use by the host device to communicate the data with the network. The host device may provide, via the second wireless communication circuit, a connection request to the client device, and then transfer, using the selected wireless communication circuit, the data between the client device and the network.

Claims

1. A method of using a host device to connect a client device with a network accessible to the host device, the method comprising:

at the host device comprising a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication circuit that includes a proxy router, and a host processor communicatively coupled to the first and second wireless communication circuits;

receiving, via the second wireless communication circuit, an advertisement message from the client device, the advertisement message including a request for communication of data with the network;

determining at least one of a communication policy preference of the host device and a network connection property of the host device;

selecting, by the proxy router, the first wireless communication circuit or the second wireless communication circuit for use by the host device to communicate the data with the network;

providing, via the second wireless communication circuit, a connection request to the client device; and

transferring, using the selected wireless communication circuit, the data between the client device and the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is based on the communication policy preference of the host device or the network connection property of the host device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication policy preference of the host device indicates a communication protocol preference, and wherein the network connection property of the host device indicates a presence of a network connection supporting a communication protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication policy preference of the host device is provided to the proxy router by the host processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of the data is managed by the proxy router allowing the host processor to remain in a low power state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the host device:

receiving data from the network over the first wireless communication circuit;

routing the data from the first wireless communication circuit to the second wireless communication circuit; and

transferring the data via the second wireless communication circuit to the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication circuit comprises at least one of a Bluetooth radio and a WiFi radio, and wherein the first wireless communication circuit comprises a cellular radio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication policy preference of the host device indicates that a WiFi connection is preferred over a cellular connection.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the Bluetooth radio or the WiFi radio are configured to report link metrics comprising at least one of:

received signal strength indication metrics associated with the communication with the host device,

signal-to-noise ratio metrics associated with the communication with the host device, and

congestion control algorithm metrics associated with the communication with the host device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network connection property of the host device is based on at least one of the link metrics.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal-to-noise ratio metrics define an amount of signal strength associated with the communication with the host device with respect to noise detected during the communication with the host device, and wherein the host device is capable of updating a connection property as the signal-to-noise ratio metrics increase.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the congestion control algorithm metrics define a calculated amount of congestion associated with the communication with the host device, and wherein the host device is capable of updating a connection property as the congestion control algorithm metrics increase.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement message indicates an importance of the data, and wherein the importance of the data is at least one of:

configured by a user of the client device and determined based on content of the information.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the host device, enabling a connection between the client device and the network at least in response to an indication that the client device accepts the connection request.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more network connection properties of the host device comprise at least one of:

received signal strength indication metrics associated with the receipt of the advertisement message, signal-to-noise ratio metrics associated with the receipt of the advertisement message, and congestion control algorithm metrics associated with the receipt of the advertisement message.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication policy preference is conveyed to the proxy router from the host processor.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more network connection properties of the host device comprises a change in a received signal strength indicator metric from a first advertisement to a second advertisement received from the client device.

18. A computer product comprising a computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a computer system to:

at a host device comprising a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication circuit that includes a proxy router, and a host processor communicatively coupled to the first and second wireless communication circuits;

receiving, via the second wireless communication circuit, an advertisement message from a client device, the advertisement message including a request for communication of data with a network;

determining at least one of a communication policy preference of the host device and a network connection property of the host device;

selecting, by the proxy router, the first wireless communication circuit or the second wireless communication circuit for use by the host device to communicate the data with the network;

providing, via the second wireless communication circuit, a connection request to the client device; and

transferring, using the selected wireless communication circuit, the data between the client device and the network.

19. The computer product of claim 18 wherein the communication policy preference of the host device indicates a communication protocol preference, and wherein the network connection property of the host device indicates a presence of a network connection supporting a communication protocol.

20. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

at a host device comprising a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication circuit that includes a proxy router, and a host processor communicatively coupled to the first and second wireless communication circuits;

receiving, via the second wireless communication circuit, an advertisement message from a client device, the advertisement message including a request for communication of data with a network;

determining at least one of a communication policy preference of the host device and a network connection property of the host device;

selecting, by the proxy router, the first wireless communication circuit or the second wireless communication circuit for use by the host device to communicate the data with the network;

providing, via the second wireless communication circuit, a connection request to the client device; and

transferring, using the selected wireless communication circuit, the data between the client device and the network.