CELLULAR CONNECTION SHARING

• US 20170135152A1
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Pang, Jeffrey, Wang, Jia, Venkataraman, Shobha, Shafiq, Muhammad Zubair, Liu, Xiang-Yang Alex
• Granted Patent: US 10,420,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for sharing a cellular network connection amongst multiple devices over a local area network are provided that reduce cellular network load during crowded events. In an aspect, a devices is configure to perform operations that include scanning an area for another device that has established a first wireless cellular connection with a cellular network device of a cellular network and that enables an indirect connection of the device to the cellular network device via a direct connection of the device to the other device via a local network device. The operations further include, in response to identifying the other device as a result of the scanning, sending a request to the other device to connect to the other device via the local network device and to receive the indirect connection to the cellular network device.

Claims

1. A first mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

facilitating establishing a wireless connection with a base station device of a cellular network; and

operating as a cellular network access point device for a second mobile device based on registrations of user accounts with the cellular network, respectively associated with the first mobile device and the second mobile device, for participation in a cellular connection sharing service of the cellular network.

2. The first mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operating as the cellular network access point device is based on reception, by the first mobile device, of a request from a network device of the cellular network for the first mobile device to operate as the cellular network access point device.

3. The first mobile device of claim 2, wherein the request is received based on a current load of the base station device.

4. The first mobile device of claim 3, wherein the request comprises a first request, wherein the operations further comprise:

ceasing the operating as the cellular network access point device based on reception, by the first mobile device, of a second request from the network device to cease the operating as the cellular network access point device, and wherein the second request is received based on a determination that the current load has decreased.

5. The first mobile device of claim 2, wherein the request further defines a duration of time for the operating as the cellular network access point device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

ceasing the operating as the cellular network access point device based on passage of the duration of time from a start of the operating.

6. The first mobile device of claim 2, wherein the request is received based on a signal strength of the wireless connection.

7. The first mobile device of claim 2, wherein the request is received based on a current location of the first mobile device.

8. The first mobile device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection is a first wireless connection, and wherein the operating as the cellular network access point device comprises:

facilitating establishing a second wireless connection with the second mobile device; and

relaying data between the base station device and the second mobile device via the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection.

9. The first mobile device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

disconnecting the first wireless connection with the base station device after a first period of inactivity during which data is not communicated between the first mobile device and the base station device; and

disconnecting the second wireless connection with the second mobile device after a second period of inactivity during which data is not communicated between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, wherein the first period and the second period have different durations.

10. The first mobile device of claim 9, wherein the second period is longer than the first period.

11. A first mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

identifying a second mobile device having a wireless connection with a base station device of a cellular network and capable of operating as an access point device for the cellular network based on a first registration of a first user account associated with the second mobile device and the cellular network, for participation in a cellular connection sharing service of the cellular network; and

receiving authorization to connect to the second mobile device to use the second mobile device as the access point device for the cellular network based on a second registration of a second user account associated with the first mobile device and the cellular network, for participation in the cellular connection sharing service of the cellular network.

12. The first mobile device of claim 11, wherein the wireless connection is a first wireless connection, and wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the receiving, facilitating establishing a second wireless connection with the second mobile device; and

relaying data between the base station device and the second mobile device using the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection.

13. The first mobile device of claim 11, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the authorization based on a current load of the second mobile device.

14. The first mobile device of claim 11, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the authorization based on a current signal strength of the wireless connection.

15. A method, comprising:

facilitating, by a first mobile device comprising a processor, establishing a first wireless connection with a base station device of a cellular network;

receiving, by the first mobile device, a request from a second mobile device to use the first mobile device as an access point device to connect to the cellular network; and

authorizing, by the first mobile device, the request based on registrations of user accounts with the cellular network, respectively associated with the first mobile device and the second mobile device, for participation in a cellular connection sharing service of the cellular network.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

based on the authorizing, facilitating, by the first mobile device, establishing a second wireless connection with the second mobile device; and

relaying, by the first mobile device, data between the base station device and the second mobile device using the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the request comprises a first request, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the first mobile device, a second request from a network device of the cellular network for the first mobile device to operate as the access point device, wherein the authorizing the first request is further based on the receiving the second request.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the second request is based on a current location of the first mobile device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the second request is based on a current load of the base station device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

operating, by the first mobile device, as the access point device based on the receiving the second request;

receiving, by the first mobile device, a third request from the network device to cease the operating as the access point device based on a determination that the current load has decreased; and

ceasing, by the first mobile device, the operating as the access point device based on the receiving the third request.