Automatic network and device configuration for handheld devices based on bluetooth device proximity

• US 8,078,107 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eisenbach, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/084,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20110183620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/410, 455/411, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/168.1, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for automatically configuring Bluetooth devices for communication to an outside network is described. A Bluetooth device is paired with a “trusted” Bluetooth device. When paired devices are found, the Bluetooth device automatically configures itself to use the lowest cost connection option from the available set of paired devices that are in proximity with the Bluetooth handheld device. If no device is found, the Bluetooth device may revert to a built-in access method. The network accessed can be the internet or an office network such as an 802.11 network.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a Bluetooth device to a wide area network, comprising:

pairing a first Bluetooth device with a plurality of the second Bluetooth devices, wherein the first Bluetooth device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled cellular device, wherein at least one of the second Bluetooth devices is operatively coupled to the wide area network, wherein the Bluetooth-enabled cellular device connects to the wide area network through a second Bluetooth device that has the best network access to the wide area network, wherein the best network access is based on a respective weight given to a speed, a link type and a dollar cost for each second Bluetooth device, and wherein each respective weight is determined by user input preferences;

designating communication configuration parameters for use by the first Bluetooth device in connecting to the wide area network through the second Bluetooth device;

using the Bluetooth communications to determine when the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with the second Bluetooth device; and

using a second wireless communications protocol in communicating with the second Bluetooth device after it is determined, using the Bluetooth communications, that the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with the second Bluetooth device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth-enabled cellular device is in inquiry scan mode when determining when the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with one of the second Bluetooth devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first Bluetooth device chooses from the plurality of second Bluetooth devices based on which device has a lowest virtual cost link to the wide area network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network connection comprises an Internet connection, an 802.11 network protocol connection, or a wireless network connection.

5. A method of connecting a Bluetooth device to a wide area network, comprising:

pairing a first Bluetooth device with a plurality of the second Bluetooth devices, wherein the first Bluetooth device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled cellular device, wherein the second Bluetooth devices are operatively coupled to the wide area network, wherein the Bluetooth-enabled cellular device connects to the wide area network through a second Bluetooth device that has a lowest virtual cost associated with connecting to the network, wherein each Bluetooth second device is characterized by a virtual cost that is a function of a link speed, a link type and a dollar cost, and wherein, once the second Bluetooth device with the lowest virtual cost is chosen, the network connection is set up as a VPN;

designating communication configuration parameters for use by the first Bluetooth device in connecting to the wide area network through the second Bluetooth device, wherein the first Bluetooth device is configured to use communications facilities of the second Bluetooth device;

using the Bluetooth communications to determine when the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with the second Bluetooth device; and

using a second wireless communications protocol in communicating with the second Bluetooth device after it is determined, using the Bluetooth communications, that the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with the second Bluetooth device.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

if the first Bluetooth device does not detect any of the second Bluetooth devices, using dial-up networking to access the wide area network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the network connection comprises an Internet connection, an 802.11 network protocol connection, or a wireless network connection.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein, if no paired device is in proximity, the first Bluetooth device connects to the wide area network by selecting a mode based on built-in capabilities of the first Bluetooth device.

9. A system for connecting a first device to a network, comprising:

a first device that includes a Bluetooth-enabled cellular device; and

a plurality of second devices, wherein the second devices comprise Bluetooth-enabled wireless devices, and wherein the second devices are operatively coupled to the network,

wherein the first device is paired with the second devices,

wherein the first device connects to the network through a second device that has a lowest virtual cost associated with connecting to the network, wherein each second device has a respective virtual cost that is a function of a link speed, a link type and a cost, wherein, once the second device with the lowest virtual cost is chosen, the network connection is set up as a VPN,

wherein the first device is configured to use a network access mode of the second device when the first device and the second device are in proximity to each other,

wherein the first device uses Bluetooth communications to determine whether the second device is in proximity to the first device, and

wherein the first device uses a second wireless communications protocol in communicating with the second device after it has been determined, using the Bluetooth communications, that the second device is in proximity with the first device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first device is in inquiry scan mode when determining whether any of the second devices are in proximity.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first device maintains connectivity with the network as the first device moves from proximity of one of the second devices to the proximity of another of the second devices.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first device connects to the network using a built-in access mode if none of the second devices is found.

13. A system for connecting a first device to a network, comprising:

a first device that includes a Bluetooth-enabled cellular device; and

a plurality of second devices, wherein the second devices comprise Bluetooth-enabled wireless devices, and wherein the second devices are operatively coupled to the network,

wherein the first device is paired with the second devices,

wherein the first device connects to the network through the second device that has the best network access, wherein the best network access is based on a respective weight given to a speed, a link type and a dollar cost for each second device, wherein each respective weight is determined by user input preferences,

wherein the first device uses Bluetooth communications to determine whether the second device is in proximity to the first device,

wherein the first device uses a second wireless communications protocol in communicating with the second device after it has been determined, using the Bluetooth communications, that the second device is in proximity with the first device, and

wherein the first device uses the second wireless communications protocol to connect with the second device to facilitate connecting the first device with the network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, if the first device does not detect any of the second devices, the first device is configured to use dial-up networking to access the network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the network comprises an 802.11 network, an Internet, a wide area network, or a local area network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device connects to the network without going through the second devices by using a built-in access mode, and wherein the first device determines whether to connect to the network through one of the second devices or through the built-in access mode based on a weighting of connection parameters.

17. An integrated circuit that performs a method, the method comprising:

pairing a first Bluetooth device and a plurality of second Bluetooth device, wherein the first Bluetooth device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled cellular device, wherein at least one of the second Bluetooth devices is operatively coupled to a wide area network, wherein the Bluetooth-enabled cellular device connects to the wide area network through a second Bluetooth device that has the best network access to the wide area network, wherein the best network access is based on a respective weight given to a speed, a link type and a dollar cost for each second Bluetooth device, and wherein each respective weight is determined by user input preferences;

configuring the first Bluetooth device to use communications facilities of the second Bluetooth device;

determining when the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with the second Bluetooth device using Bluetooth communications; and

using a second wireless communications protocol in communications between the first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device after it is determined, using the Bluetooth communications, that the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with the second Bluetooth device.

18. The method performed by the integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein, if the first Bluetooth device does not detect any of the second Bluetooth devices, the first Bluetooth device uses dial-up networking to access the wide area network.

19. The method performed by the integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein a lowest cost connection is selected from among the plurality of second Bluetooth devices.

20. The method performed by the integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein a built-in communication mode is selected in the event that none of the plurality of second Bluetooth devices are found using Bluetooth communications.

21. The method performed by the integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein the wide area network comprises the Internet or a local area network.

22. The method performed by the integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein the first Bluetooth device is in inquiry scan mode when determining when the first Bluetooth device is in proximity with one of the second Bluetooth devices.