Wireless internet access with enhanced bandwidth capabilities

• US 8,307,113 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert C. Yen
• Original Assignee: Robert C. Yen
• Inventors: Yen, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles, Kristie
• Application Number:
  US11/775,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/231, 709/240, 709/226, 709/238, 370/322
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

Techniques for efficiently and economically providing data transfer through wireless data networks. These techniques are particularly suitable for Internet data transfers. In one aspect, mobile devices are able to be allocated additional wireless channels to obtain increased data transfer capabilities. The additional wireless channels can be used for unicast, multicast or broadcast of data. These techniques provide additional wireless bandwidth to mobile devices and allows control over allocation of the additional wireless bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for sending data to wireless device over a wireless network, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of requests for a particular resource provided at a remote server on a wired data network, the plurality of requests being provided by different wireless devices;

retrieving the particular resource from the remote server once for the plurality of requests to obtain the particular resource requested by the plurality of requests; and

thereafter sending the particular resource to the different wireless devices, said sending includes at least (i) forming multi-destination data packets to carry data of the particular resource, and (ii) initiating transmission of the multi-destination data packets to the different wireless devices, thereby providing the particular resource to the different wireless devices.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of requests for the particular resource are all received within a predetermined period of time.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said retrieving of the particular resource is performed after the oldest one of the plurality of requests has been delayed for the predetermined period of time.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said retrieving of the particular resource is performed after a predetermined quantity of the plurality of requests have been received.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said retrieving of the particular resource is performed after the oldest one of the plurality of requests has been delayed for the predetermined period of time or after a predetermined quantity of the plurality of requests have been received.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

identifying a geographical region associated with the different wireless devices; and

allocating an additional channel available for use in the identified geographical region.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said sending comprises:

simultaneously transmitting the particular resource to the different wireless devices using the additional channel.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the different wireless devices are each located within the geographical region during said identifying.

9. A system for transmitting data from at least one server through a wireless data network to wireless clients, said system comprising:

a wireless Internet Service Provider center coupled to the wireless data network and a wired data network, the wireless data network utilizing a plurality of base stations located at geographically distinct areas; and

a plurality of banks of additional wireless devices, each of the additional wireless devices being capable of providing at least one wireless data channel to said wireless Internet Service Provider center via the wireless data network, wherein the at least one wireless data channel is configured to transmit at least one particular resource,

wherein said wireless Internet Service Provider center receives the particular resource from a remote server once for providing the particular resource to a plurality of the wireless clients via the wireless data network.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein each of said banks are located in a different one of the geographically distinct areas.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the wireless clients comprise programmable receivers, and wherein the programmable receivers are able to be programmed to one or more of the wireless data channels.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein said system further comprises:

a channel manager operatively connected to said banks of additional wireless devices to control allocation of the wireless data channels associated with said banks.

13. A system as recited in claim 12,

wherein said channel manager communicates with at least one of said banks to allocate at least one of the wireless data channels for processing a particular data transfer to at least one of the wireless clients, and

wherein said system further operates to inform the at least one of the wireless clients of the at least one of the wireless data channels being allocated.

14. A system as recited in claim 13,

wherein each of said banks are located in a different one of the geographically distinct areas, and

wherein the wireless clients comprise programmable receivers, and wherein the programmable receivers are able to be programmed to one or more of the wireless data channels.

15. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the wired data network is a global computer network.

16. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein at least each of a plurality of the wireless clients is able to operate as a wireless telephone.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored therein for providing data to wireless devices over a wireless network, said method comprising:

computer program code for receiving a plurality of requests for a particular resource provided at a remote server on a wired data network, the plurality of requests being provided by different wireless devices;

computer program code for retrieving the particular resource from the remote server once for the plurality of requests to obtain the particular resource requested by the plurality of requests;

computer program code for forming multi-destination data packets to carry data of the particular resource; and

computer program code for at least initiating transmitting the multi-destination data packets to the different wireless devices, thereby providing the particular resource to the different wireless devices.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said computer program code for retrieving operates to retrieve the particular resource from the remote server after the oldest one of the plurality of requests has been intentionally delayed for a predetermined period of time or after a predetermined quantity of the plurality of requests have been received.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein each of at least a plurality of the wireless devices is able to operate as a wireless telephone.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said computer program code for at least initiating transmitting comprises:

computer program code for initiating simultaneous transmission of the particular resource to the different wireless devices.