Methods and systems for facilitating network connectivity

• US 8,392,585 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labrador Diagnostics LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Theranos Incorporated
• Inventors: Balwani, Sunny
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US13/244,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/728 for backup paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/746 Reaction triggered by a failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for connecting an electronic device to a network. In some situations, the electronic device connects to a first network provider and pings a first server having a static internet protocol address and a second server having a dedicated uniform resource locator. If the electronic device receives a response from the first and second server, the electronic device maintains its connection to the first network provider. Otherwise, the electronic device connects to a second network provider and pings the first and second servers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for testing network connectivity for a network device, comprising:

connecting to a network provider;

pinging a first server with the aid of the network provider by directing a data packet to a static interne protocol (IP) address of said first server;

pinging a second server with the aid of the network provider by directing a data packet to a dedicated uniform resource locator (URL) of said second server; and

determining whether to maintain connectivity to said network provider based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and/or whether a response was received by said network device from said second server; and

connecting to another network provider based on at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of;

bandwidth of the another network provider, cost to maintain connectivity to the another network provider, cost to transmit information with the aid of the another network provider, a download rate of the another network provider, and an upload rate of the another network provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to maintain connectivity to said network provider is based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and whether a response was received by said network device from said second server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion is location-based.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion is time-based.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet used for pinging said first server comprises a ping packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet used for pinging said second server comprises a ping packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion is bandwidth-based.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting to said another network provider further comprises connecting to said another network provider if the first server does not respond to the network device in response to said pinging the first server and/or the second server does not respond to the network device in response to said pinging the second server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network provider is selected from the group consisting of a wireless router, Bluetooth router, wired router, cellular network router, radiofrequency (RF) device and optoelectronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second servers are pinged simultaneously.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pinging the first server with the aid of the another network provider;

pinging the second server with the aid of the another network provider; and

determining whether to maintain connectivity to the another network provider based on whether a response was received by the network device from the first server and/or whether a response was received by the network device from the second server.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein determining whether to maintain connectivity to said another network provider is based on whether a response was received by the network device from the first server and whether a response was received by the network device from the second server.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein connecting to said another network provider further comprises terminating connectivity to said network provider.

10. A computer-implemented method for testing network connectivity for a network device, comprising:

connecting to a first network provider;

pinging a first server with the aid of the first network provider by directing a data packet to a static internet protocol (IP) address of said first server;

pinging a second server with the aid of the first network provider by directing a data packet to a dedicated uniform resource locator (URL) of said second server;

determining whether to maintain connectivity to said first network provider based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and/or whether a response was received by said network device from said second server; and

connecting to an additional network provider, wherein said additional network provider uses a network connectivity interface different from a network connectivity interface of the first network provider and is selected from the group consisting of a wireless router, Bluetooth router, wired router, cellular network router, radiofrequency (RF) device and optoelectronic device;

pinging the first server with the aid of the additional network provider;

pinging the second server with the aid of the additional network provider; and

determining whether to maintain connectivity to the additional network provider based on whether a response was received by the network device from the first server and/or whether a response was received by the network device from the second server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether to maintain connectivity to the additional network provider is based on whether a response was received by the network device from the first server and whether a response was received by the network device from the second server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein connecting to said additional network provider comprises terminating connectivity to said network provider.

31. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether to maintain connectivity to said first network provider is based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and whether a response was received by said network device from said second server.

32. The method of claim 10, wherein connectivity to the additional network provider is maintained if the first server responds to the network device in response to said pinging the first server and/or the second server responds to the network device in response to said pinging the second server.

33. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second servers are pinged simultaneously.

34. The method of claim 10, wherein the data packet used for pinging said first server comprises a ping packet.

35. The method of claim 10, wherein the data packet used for pinging said second server comprises a ping packet.

14. A computer-implemented method for selecting a network provider for a network device, comprising:

connecting to a first network provider;

directing, with the aid of the first network provider, a first data packet to a static internet protocol (IP) address of a first server and a second data packet to a static uniform resource locator (URL) of a second server; and

terminating a connection to said first network provider based upon any one network termination condition selected from the group consisting of (a) a response was not received by the network device from said first server and/or said second server after said directing, (b) a network bandwidth of another network provider is higher than a network bandwidth of said first network provider, (c) a network cost of another network provider is lower than a network cost of said first network provider, (d) network access provided by another network provider is more robust than network access provided by said first network provider, (e) connectivity between the network device and another network provider is via wired connection and connectivity between the network device and said first network provider is via wireless connection and (f) another network provider is in closer proximity to the network device than said first network provider;

connecting to a second network provider, wherein said second network provider uses a network connectivity interface that is different from a network connectivity interface of the first network provider and is selected from the group consisting of a wireless router, Bluetooth router, wired router, cellular network router, radiofrequency (RF) device and optoelectronic device;

directing, with the aid of the second network provider, a first data packet to said static IP address of said first server and a second data packet to said static URL of said second server; and

determining whether to maintain connectivity to said second network provider based on whether a response was received by the network device from the first server and/or whether a response was received by the network device from the second server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the connection to said first network provider is terminated based upon at least any two network termination conditions selected from said group.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the connection to said first network provider is terminated based upon at least any three network termination conditions selected from said group.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein connectivity between the network device and the first network provider is via a wired or wireless network access point.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second data packets are directed simultaneously.

19. A method for establishing network connectivity for a network device, comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting to a first network provider;

(b) directing, with the aid of the first network provider, a first data packet to a static internet protocol (IP) address of a first server and a second data packet to a dedicated uniform resource locator (URL) of a second server; and

(c) selecting a second network provider over said first network provider if, in response to said directing step (b), said second network provider meets a criterion unmet by said first network provider, wherein said criterion is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) whether a response was received by the network device from said first server and/or said second server after said directing, (ii) whether a network bandwidth of said second network provider is higher than a network bandwidth of said first network provider, (iii) whether a network cost of said second network provider is lower than a network cost of said first network provider, (iv) whether network access provided by said second network provider is more robust than network access provided by said first network provider, (v) whether connectivity between said network device and said second network provider is via wired connection and connectivity between said network device and said first network provider is via wireless connection, and (vi) whether said second network provider is in closer proximity to the network device than said first network provider.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said selecting is in response to said directing.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said criterion is a location-based, time-based or bandwidth-based criterion.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said second network provider uses a network connectivity interface different from a network connectivity interface of the first network provider.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said first data packet comprises a ping packet.

24. A system for establishing network connectivity for a network device, comprising:

a) a network connectivity controller for locating network providers, the network connectivity controller having a processor for executing machine-readable code to;

establish a connection to a first network provider;

direct a first data packet to a static interne protocol (IP) address of a first server with the aid of the first network provider;

direct a second data packet to a static uniform resource locator (URL) of a second server with the aid of the first network provider;

determine whether to maintain connectivity to said first network provider based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and/or whether a response was received by said network device from said second server;

establish a connection to a second network provider, wherein said second network provider uses a network connectivity interface that is different from a network connectivity interface of the first network provider and is selected from the group consisting of a wireless router, Bluetooth router, wired router, cellular network router, radiofrequency (RF) device and optoelectronic device;

direct a third data packet to said static IP address of said first server with the aid of the second network provider;

direct a fourth data packet to said static URL of said second server with the aid of the second network provider; and

determine whether to maintain connectivity to said second network provider based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and/or whether a response was received by said network device from said second server; and

b) a graphical user interface for displaying a list of network providers to a user, the list of network providers generated with the aid of one or more network connectivity criteria.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said one or more network connectivity criteria are selected from the group consisting of a bandwidth of another network provider, cost to maintain connectivity to another network provider, cost to transmit information with the aid of another network provider, a download rate of another network provider and an upload rate of another network provider.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said one or more network-connectivity criteria are location-based, time based or bandwidth-based.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said machine-readable code is configured to determine whether to maintain connectivity to said first or second network provider based on whether a response was received by said network device from said first server and whether a response was received by said network device from said second server.