Dual mode unit for short range, high rate and long range, lower rate data communications
First Claim
1. An apparatus for connecting a data communication interface to receive data comprising:
- (a) a first electronics circuit, for receiving data from the first wireless data communication path;
(b) a second electronics circuit, for receiving data from the second wireless data communication path, the second wireless data communication path providing wider coverage and a slower communication rate than the first wireless data communication path;
(c) a detector, for determining if a selected one of the first wireless data communication path or the second wireless data communication path is not an available communication path, and for determining that the other one of the first wireless communication path or the second wireless communication path is an available communication path;
(d) a switch, for connecting the available communication path to the data communication interface; and
(e) a controller, for controlling the unavailable wireless communication path to appear as though bandwidth is continuously available to a communication session, even when it is actually not an available communication path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for communicating with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-speed wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or by transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. An apparatus for connecting a data communication interface to receive data comprising:
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(a) a first electronics circuit, for receiving data from the first wireless data communication path; (b) a second electronics circuit, for receiving data from the second wireless data communication path, the second wireless data communication path providing wider coverage and a slower communication rate than the first wireless data communication path; (c) a detector, for determining if a selected one of the first wireless data communication path or the second wireless data communication path is not an available communication path, and for determining that the other one of the first wireless communication path or the second wireless communication path is an available communication path; (d) a switch, for connecting the available communication path to the data communication interface; and (e) a controller, for controlling the unavailable wireless communication path to appear as though bandwidth is continuously available to a communication session, even when it is actually not an available communication path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for selecting a wireless communication path from among at least a first wireless data communication path and a second wireless data communication path, the second wireless data communication path providing wider coverage and a slower communication rate than the first wireless data communication path, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) in response to a request to establish a communication session, determining whether the first wireless data communication path is available; (b) establishing a communication session using the first wireless data communication path if the first wireless data communication path is available; (c) establishing a communication session using the second wireless data communication path if the first wireless data communication path is not available; and (d) when a communication session has been established via the second wireless data communication path, controlling a local wireless transceiver to appear to the second wireless data communication path as though the bandwidth is continuously available during said communication session for wireless communications, irrespective of the need to transport data communication signals; and (e) when a communication session has been established via the second wireless data communication path, in the absence of said need to transport data communication signals, making said bandwidth available for wireless communication by another wireless transceiver of said communication network. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification