Enabling a mobile broadband hotspot by an auxiliary radio

• US 9,220,065 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Sperling, David, Mains, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoerkhan, Faiyazkhan
• Application Number:
  US13/351,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a method of enabling a mobile broadband hotspot by an auxiliary radio. By utilizing a commonly available auxiliary radio, such as a Bluetooth radio, hotspot connectivity using a primary radio, such as Wi-Fi, can be readily enabled. Accordingly, device connections, guest access, and device disconnections can be easily requested on demand from a mobile broadband hotspot. Additionally, the mobile broadband hotspot may be configured to enable or disable connections using a pre-determined schedule. The pre-determined schedule may provide Internet access only when necessary, such as during scheduled device updates.

Claims

1. A mobile broadband hotspot having an access point mode, the mobile broadband hotspot comprising:

a primary radio transceiver;

an auxiliary radio transceiver; and

a processor configured to;

detect, using the auxiliary radio transceiver, a request to activate the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot, from a first connecting device of a plurality of connecting devices;

enable the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot for establishing connections with two or more of the plurality of connecting devices using the primary radio transceiver, in response to receiving the request to activate; and

establish, using the primary radio transceiver and after enabling the access point mode, a first connection with the first connecting device and a second connection with a second connecting device of the plurality of connecting devices;

wherein the request includes directing the mobile broadband hotspot to establish the second connection with the second connecting device of the plurality of connecting devices.

2. The mobile broadband hotspot of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary radio transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

3. The mobile broadband hotspot of claim 1, wherein the primary radio transceiver comprises a Wi-Fi transceiver.

4. The mobile broadband hotspot of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect, using the auxiliary radio transceiver, a second request from the first connecting device to deactivate the access point mode;

disable the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot in response to receiving the second request to deactivate; and

terminate, using the primary radio transceiver, the first connection and the second connection with the mobile broadband hotspot.

5. The mobile broadband hotspot of claim 1, wherein prior to detecting, the processor is configured to transmit a scheduled connection request to the first connecting device, wherein the scheduled connection request causes the first connecting device to transmit the request to activate the access point mode.

6. The mobile broadband hotspot of claim 1, wherein the establishing the second connection comprises performing a successful authentication between the mobile broadband hotpot and the second connecting device.

7. The mobile broadband hotspot of claim 1, wherein the detecting further comprises the receiving of a Pre-Shared Key in the request, and wherein each of the first connection and the second connection uses the Pre-Shared Key for security purposes.

8. A system for activating an access point mode of a mobile broadband hotspot through an auxiliary radio transceiver, the system comprising:

a terminal device comprising a terminal radio transceiver, wherein the terminal radio transceiver is configured to transmit a request to activate the access point mode; and

a mobile broadband hotspot comprising a primary radio transceiver, the auxiliary radio transceiver and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

detect, using the auxiliary radio transceiver, the request to activate the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot, from a first connecting device of a plurality of connecting devices;

enable the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot for establishing connections with two or more of the plurality of connecting devices using the primary radio transceiver, in response to receiving the request to activate; and

establish, using the primary radio transceiver and after enabling the access point mode, a first connection with the first connecting device and a second connection with a second connecting device of the plurality of connecting devices;

wherein the request includes directing the mobile broadband hotspot to establish the second connection with the second connecting device of the plurality of connecting devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein prior to detecting, the processor is configured to transmit a scheduled connection request to the first connecting device, wherein the scheduled connection request causes the first connecting device to transmit the request to activate the access point mode.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to detect a Pre-Shared Key in the request, and wherein the processor is configured to establish each of the first connection and the second connection using the Pre-Shared Key for security purposes.

11. A method for activating an access point mode of a mobile broadband hotspot having a primary radio transceiver and an auxiliary radio transceiver, the method comprising:

detecting, using the auxiliary radio transceiver, a request to activate the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot, from a first connecting device of a plurality of connecting devices;

enabling the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot for establishing connections with two or more of the plurality of connecting devices using the primary radio transceiver, in response to receiving the request to activate; and

establishing, using the primary radio transceiver and after enabling the access point mode, a first connection with the first connecting device and a second connection with a second connecting device of the plurality of connecting devices;

wherein the request includes directing the mobile broadband hotspot to establish the second connection with the second connecting device of the plurality of connecting devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the primary radio transceiver comprises a Wi-Fi transceiver, and wherein the auxiliary radio transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting, using the auxiliary radio transceiver, a second request from the first connecting device to deactivate the access point mode;

disabling the access point mode of the mobile broadband hotspot in response to receiving the second request to deactivate; and

terminating, using the primary radio transceiver, the first connection and the second connection with the mobile broadband hotspot.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising, prior to the detecting, transmitting a scheduled connection request to the first connecting device, wherein the scheduled connection request causes the first connecting device to transmit the request to activate the access point mode.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the detecting further comprises receiving a Pre-Shared Key in the request, and wherein the establishing of each of the first connection and the second connection uses the Pre-Shared Key for security.