Selection of a proxy device for a network
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- based on a determination that a signal strength of data received by a first device from an external network has not been amplified by more than a threshold amount, selecting, by a computing device, the first device as a proxy for a second device, wherein the first device and the second device are connected to a communication network associated with a premises, and wherein the communication network associated with the premises is communicatively connected to the external network; and
in response to selecting the first device as a proxy for the second device;
routing upstream data from the second device to the external network via the first device; and
preventing the second device from transmitting data directly to the external network.
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Abstract
Multiple devices in a user'"'"'s premises may each be configured to separately communicate with an external network, but the signal strength available to each may vary significantly depending on the wiring of the premises. The disclosure provides methods wherein the various devices may coordinate with one another, and determine which among them has the best signal connection and the most available capacity, and a subset of the devices may be chosen to act as network proxies to relay communications to/from the other devices in the premises.
47 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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based on a determination that a signal strength of data received by a first device from an external network has not been amplified by more than a threshold amount, selecting, by a computing device, the first device as a proxy for a second device, wherein the first device and the second device are connected to a communication network associated with a premises, and wherein the communication network associated with the premises is communicatively connected to the external network; and in response to selecting the first device as a proxy for the second device; routing upstream data from the second device to the external network via the first device; and preventing the second device from transmitting data directly to the external network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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selecting a first device associated with a premises to serve as a proxy for a second device and a third device associated with the premises to communicate with an external network, wherein the first device, the second device, and the third device are interconnected via a premises network; detecting a topology change in the premises network that changes signal transmission characteristics of the premises network; based on a determination that a signal strength of data received by the second device from the external network has not been amplified by more than a threshold amount, selecting, by a computing device, the second device to serve as a proxy for the third device associated with the premises to communicate with the external network; and in response to selecting the second device to serve as the proxy, preventing the third device from transmitting data directly to the external network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method, comprising:
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determining, by a computing device, that a first device of a plurality of devices provisioned for communication with an external network does not use an amplifier external to the first device to boost signal strength of data received by the first device from the external network; based on the determination, selecting the first device to act as a proxy for the plurality of devices other than the first device in communicating with the external network; and rerouting upstream communications from the plurality of devices other than the first device to the first device, instead of the external network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification