System and method to facilitate downloading data at a mobile wireless device

• US 8,175,584 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Estevez, Leonardo William, Newberg, Timothy Jude, Chishtie, Mansoor A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US12/559,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20110065424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/426, 455/466, 455/418, 455/422, 370/216, 370/255, 370/390, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and method to facilitate downloading a data file. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first wireless communication device a request to download a requested data file. A determination is made at the first wireless communication device whether the requested data file is stored at a second wireless communication device with which the first wireless communication device communicates via a local wireless link. If the requested data file is determined to be stored at the second wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device retrieving the requested data file from second wireless communication device via the local wireless link.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a first wireless communication device a user request to download a requested data file;

determining at least one attribute of the requested data file, wherein if the determined at least one attribute of the requested data file meets a corresponding predetermined condition, performing a scan at the first wireless communication device via a local wireless link to locate at least one second wireless communication device;

determining at the first wireless communication device whether the requested data file is stored at the second wireless communication device with which the first wireless communication device communicates via the local wireless link; and

if the requested data file is determined to be stored at the second wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device retrieving the requested data file from second wireless communication device via the local wireless link if a download of the file is faster from the second wireless communication device via the local wireless link than from a networked source,

otherwise, the first wireless communication device downloads the file from the networked source even though the file is also stored on the second wireless communication device,

wherein the scan for the at least one local wireless communication device if the file size of the requested data file exceeds a predetermined threshold includes as a manual option via a graphical or text-based user interface to require a user authorization before downloading the file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the requested data file is determined not to be stored at the second wireless communication device, retrieving the requested data file from a primary data source via a wide area wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the request is received at the first wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device is in communication with the primary data source via the wide area wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the file size of the requested data file does not exceed the predetermined threshold, the first wireless communication device retrieves the requested data file from a primary data source via a wide area wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second wireless communication device comprises a plurality of second wireless communication devices, the method further comprising sorting each of the plurality of second wireless communication devices to define a connection order for the requested data file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the request received at the first wireless communication device and prior to determining whether the requested data file is stored at the second wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device performs a scan via the local wireless link to locate at least one second wireless communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the scan is performed contingent upon a local wireless access point not being available for downloading the requested data file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the requested data file at the second wireless communication device in response to a second request initiated at the second wireless communication device prior to receiving the request at the first wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication device obtained the requested data file via one of a wireless local area network or a wireless wide area network.

10. A wireless communication device comprising:

a first wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive data via a wireless wide area network according to a first wireless technology, wherein the first wireless transceiver can receive and transmit via a wireless local area network and interact with a second wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive via the wireless local area network data according to a second wireless technology that is different from the first wireless technology;

a processor programmed to execute file access controls that employ the second wireless transceiver to search for a local wireless communication device having already stored therein a copy of a requested data file and, in response to locating the local wireless communication device having the requested data file, the file access controls causing the requested data file to be retrieved from the local wireless communication device via the second wireless transceiver;

a request evaluator that is executed by the processor, the request evaluator being programmed to evaluate a request for the requested data file made at the first wireless communication device relative to predetermined file criteria;

wherein the predetermined file criteria further comprises file size, the communication control being programmed to activate the second wireless transceiver and scan for at least one local wireless communication device if the file size of the requested data file exceeds a predetermined threshold;

a caching engine executed by the processor, the caching engine being programmed to monitor storage of data files in a memory and to enter file criteria in a log that describes data files downloaded and stored in the memory thereof,

wherein, in response to a file request from another local wireless communication device received via the second wireless transceiver, the caching engine is further programmed to compare criteria provided with the file request relative to the log to determine if the copy of a data file that is defined in the file request is stored in the memory of the wireless communication device,

wherein the caching engine is programmed to send a copy of the data file being requested by the another local wireless communication device from memory if the data file being requested matches one of the files stored in memory based on comparison of information associated with the file request relative to the log,

wherein the scan for at least one local wireless communication device if the file size of the requested data file exceeds a predetermined threshold can further present to a user a manual option to the user via a graphical or text-based user interface to require user authorization before downloading the file.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10, further comprising:

a communication control that is programmed to employ the second wireless transceiver to scan for at least one other local wireless communication device capable of sending the copy of the requested data file only if the predetermined file criteria is satisfied.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein

the first wireless transceiver comprises a cellular telephone transceiver configured to provide for data communication over a wide area cellular data network;

and

the second wireless transceiver comprises a local area wireless transceiver that is configured to provide for data communication in wireless local area network and a peer-to-peer wireless network.

13. A system device to facilitate acquisition of a requested data file, comprising:

a first portable wireless communication device that receives a request to download the requested data file that was accessed, if the requested data file satisfies predetermined file criteria, the first portable wireless communication device employing a local wireless communication link to discover at least one second portable wireless communication device and to issue a request to the second portable wireless communication device for the requested data file;

the first portable wireless communication device configured to communicate with the second portable communication device, the second portable wireless communication device being programmed to determine if the requested data file is stored in memory thereof and, if the requested data file is stored in memory thereof, the second portable wireless communication device being programmed to send a copy of the requested data file directly to the first portable wireless communication device via the local wireless communication link,

wherein each of the first and second portable wireless communication devices comprises at least first and second wireless radio transceivers, respectively, the first wireless radio transceiver being configured for communication via a wide area wireless network and the second wireless radio transceiver being configured for communication via a local area wireless network and peer-to-peer wireless network,

wherein the predetermined file criteria further comprises file size,

wherein the first portable wireless communication device is programmed to scan the second portable wireless communication device if the file size of the requested file exceeds a predetermined threshold,

otherwise, the first wireless portable communication device downloads the file from a networked source even though the file is also stored on the second wireless communication device,

wherein the scan for the at least one local wireless communication device if the file size of the requested data file exceeds a predetermined threshold includes as a manual option via a graphical or text-based user interface to require a user authorization before downloading the file.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein, if the first portable wireless communication device does not locate the at least one second portable wireless communication device having stored in its memory the requested data file, the first portable wireless communication device being programmed to retrieve the requested data file from a primary data source where the first portable wireless communication device had accessed the requested data file using a wide area wireless data communication network.