Policy enforcement for multi-radio transmission and reception

• US 8,135,384 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Wu, Deyun, Kuehnel, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/998,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20090141660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 455/74, 455/552.1, 455/410, 370/204, 370/310, 709/200, 709/203
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A process for controlling radio transmission and/or reception to enforce certain constraints with either single or multiple radio communication is disclosed. In one embodiment, the enforcement control may be by the corporate administrator (such as an Information Technology (IT) department) that is responsible for the company'"'"'s wireless devices. In other embodiments, the enforcement control may be by a regulatory group having governmental control over wireless communication. In yet another embodiment, the enforcement control might be by a provider group, such as a provider of a local private or semi-private wireless network desiring certain controls over the users of the network.

Claims

1. A method of using an SDR-enabled wireless device, the method comprising:

a) initiating a request for wireless communication over a first wireless network using the SDR;

b) determining whether the requested wireless communication is allowed;

c) enabling the requested wireless communication when the requested wireless communication is within predetermined allowed criteria;

d) initiating a request for simultaneous wireless communication over a second wireless network using a second SDR;

e) determining whether the requested simultaneous wireless communication is allowed and determining whether the requested simultaneous wireless communication is permitted in combination with the requested wireless communication after the requested wireless communication has been established;

f) enabling the requested simultaneous wireless communication when the requested simultaneous wireless communication is within second predetermined allowed criteria, the second predetermined allowed criteria including enforcement control that determines whether simultaneous existence of the wireless communications is permitted;

g) simultaneously communicating with the first and second wireless networks using the first and second SDRs respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the requested wireless communication is allowed comprises receiving criteria about when wireless communication is allowed from a source upon initial communication with the source and comparing the requested wireless communication to the criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the requested simultaneous wireless communication is allowed comprises receiving criteria about when simultaneous wireless communication is allowed from a source upon initial communication with the source and comparing the requested simultaneous wireless communication to the criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the enforcement control from a corporate IT group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the enforcement control from a service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the enforcement control from a regulatory group.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing unrestricted wireless communication when the requested wireless communication is within the predetermined allowed criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing restricted wireless communication when the requested wireless communication is not within the predetermined allowed criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, further alerting a user of the wireless device that wireless communication is restricted to certain constraints.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically blocking redistribution of a wireless connection when the requested simultaneous wireless communication is not within the second predetermined allowed criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically disabling a second SDR when the requested simultaneous wireless communication is not within the second predetermined allowed criteria.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining the enforcement control from a regulatory group comprises obtaining the enforcement control automatically upon wireless communication with a network that is regulated by the regulatory group.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining the enforcement control from a regulatory group comprises allowing a user to enter a country code into the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining the enforcement control from a regulatory group comprises automatically entering GPS data into the wireless device.

15. A method of using an SDR-enabled wireless device, the method comprising:

a) communicating with a first wireless network with a first SDR;

b) thereafter initiating a request for simultaneous wireless communication with a second network using a second SDR;

c) determining whether the requested simultaneous wireless communication is allowed and determining whether communicating with the second wireless network is permitted in combination with communicating with the first wireless network after the requested wireless communication has been established;

d) enabling the requested simultaneous wireless communication when the requested simultaneous wireless communication is within predetermined allowed criteria, the predetermined allowed criteria including enforcement control that determines whether simultaneous existence of the wireless communications is permitted; and

e) simultaneously communicating with the second wireless network using the second SDR.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically disabling at least one second SDR when the requested simultaneous wireless communication is not within the second predetermined allowed criteria.

17. A computer system, comprising:

programmable circuitry;

software encoded on at least one computer-readable medium to program the programmable circuitry to implement a software defined radio;

a verification module encoded to enable wireless communication when the wireless communication is within predetermined allowed criteria wherein the verification module is encoded to enable simultaneous wireless communication over first and second wireless networks when the simultaneous wireless communication is within the predetermined allowed criteria and when the simultaneous wireless communication is permitted in combination with the wireless communication after the requested wireless communication has been established, the predetermined allowed criteria including enforcement control that determines whether simultaneous existence of the wireless communications is permitted.