Mobile router with priority rate limiting

• US 8,873,528 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Moeller, Douglas S, Pashby, Ronald W
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US13/466,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/338, 370/346, 370/359, 370/401, 370/419, 370/463, 455/3.01, 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/445, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/00 Traffic control in data switching networks arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00

Abstract

An embodiment of a mobile router, comprises: a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network; a local area network interface to provide access to devices for transfer of data; priority information associated with predetermined types of download data; data rate information associated with the priority information; first apparatus to determine the priority of download data via the wide area network interface; second apparatus to determine if data is being transferred via the local area network interface; and third apparatus to control the data rate for the download data based on the priority information, the data rate configuration information, and whether data is being transferred via the local area network interface.

Claims

1. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network;

a local area network interface to provide access to devices for transfer of device data;

priority information comprising priorities associated with predetermined types of download data downloaded over said wireless wide area network interface;

data rate configuration information associated with said priority information, said data rate configuration information comprises one or more lower priorities assigned to each said data download of one or more corresponding predetermined types and comprises a higher priority assigned to said device data transfers initiated by one of said devices coupled to said local area network interface;

first apparatus to determine a priority of said download data from said priority information;

second apparatus to determine if said device data is being transferred via said local area network interface;

third apparatus to control a data rate for said download data based on said priority information and said data rate configuration information when said device data is being transferred via said local area network interface; and

said third apparatus controls said data rate of said download data at a maximum data rate when said device data is not being transferred via said local area network interface.

2. A mobile router in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

memory comprising said data rate configuration information and said priority information.

3. A mobile router in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said data rate configuration information is received via said wide area network interface.

4. A mobile router in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said priority information is received via said wide area network.

5. A mobile router in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said data rate configuration information is received via said wide area network interface.

6. A mobile router in accordance with claim 5, wherein:

said priority information is received via said wide area network.

7. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to transfer device data via said cellular network and to receive download data via said cellular network;

a local area network interface to provide transfer of said device data with one or more devices;

priority information for said download data, each said download data of one or more predetermined types is assigned one or more corresponding lower priorities and a data transfer comprising said device data is assigned a higher priority;

data rate configuration information corresponding to said priority information and comprising one or more predetermined data rates for said download data, said data rate configuration information is selected such that said one or more predetermined data rates corresponding to said one or more lower priorities are slower than a data rate corresponding to said data transfers;

first apparatus to determine the priority of said download data;

second apparatus to determine if said device data is transferred via said local area network interface; and

third apparatus to control a data rate for said download data based on said priority information and said data rate configuration information and in dependence on whether said device data is being transferred; and

said third apparatus controls said data rate for said download data to be a maximum data rate when no device data is transferred via said local area network interface.

8. A mobile router in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

a memory comprising said data rate configuration information and said priority information.

9. A mobile router in accordance with claim 8, wherein:

said data rate configuration information is received via said wide area network interface.

10. A mobile router in accordance with claim 9, wherein:

said priority information is received via said wide area network.

11. A mobile router, comprising:

a wireless wide area network interface to access a cellular network and operable to transfer device data via said cellular network and operable to receive download data;

a local area network interface to provide transfer of device data to one or more devices coupleable thereto;

priority information;

data rate configuration information corresponding to said priority information, each said download data of one or more predetermined types is assigned a corresponding low priority and each transfer of said device data initiated with a device coupled to said local area network interface is assigned a higher priority;

said priority information and said data rate configuration information are related such that a lower priority corresponds to a slower data rate;

apparatus operable to determine a priority of said download data downloaded via said wide area network interface;

monitor apparatus to monitor said local area network interface to determine if any of said one or more devices are coupled thereto for transfer of said device data;

control apparatus to control a data rate for said download data based on whether any one of said one or more devices are coupled to said local area network, the priority of said download data, and said data rate configuration information.

12. A mobile router in accordance with claim 11, comprising:

said control apparatus controls said data rate of said download data to be a maximum data rate if none of said one or more devices are coupled to said local area network interface.

13. A mobile router in accordance with claim 12, comprising:

said control apparatus controls said data rate of said download data as determined by said priority information and said data rate information if at least one of said one or more devices is coupled to said local area network interface.

14. A mobile router in accordance with claim 13, comprising:

said priority information and said data rate configuration information corresponding to said priority information are received via said wide area network interface.

15. A mobile router in accordance with claim 11, wherein:

said download data comprising one of software updates or added content have lower priorities.