Providing a mobile access point

• US 9,560,108 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Salkintzis, Apostolis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chacko, Joe
• Application Number:
  US13/613,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20140075011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for providing an access point for connection to the Internet. The methods may be performed using one or more user devices (e.g. smartphones or other mobile communications devices) which may be part of a residential Local Area Network or “home” network. A user device may detect that a connection to the Internet via a first access point is unavailable. This connection may be via a residential gateway. In response to the detection that Internet connectivity via the first access point is unavailable, a user device (e.g. the same or different user device) may activate a second access point (e.g. a wireless or mobile access point) to the Internet for use by other user devices. Other user devices may then connect to the Internet using this second access point. The second access point may be de-activated if Internet connectivity via the first access point is re-established.

Claims

1. A method for providing Internet connection, via an access point, to at least one user device in a network of a plurality of user devices, the method comprising:

receiving an indication, at a second user device in the network, that a first user device in the network is connected to the Internet via a first access point;

subsequent to receiving the indication, detecting, by the second user device, that a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available;

responsive to detecting that the connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available, causing, by the second user device, a third user device in the network that is not an active access point connecting other user devices to the Internet to;

connect to the Internet independent of the first access point; and

activate itself as a second access point to the Internet; and

responsive to the third user device activating itself as the second access point, connecting, by the second user device, to the Internet via;

a connection between the second user device and the third user device;

the third user device; and

the connection between the third user device and the Internet.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first user device, the second user device, and the third user device are the same user device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the third user device is both a wireless or mobile access point and a router for devices connected to it; and

the second access point is the wireless or mobile access point provided by the third user device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the network is a residential Local Area Network; and

the connection to the Internet via the first access point is a connection to the Internet via a Residential Gateway.

5. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising notifying, by the second user device, a fourth user device in the network that a connection between the fourth user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available and that a connection to the Internet via the second access point is available, wherein the third user device and the fourth user device are different user devices.

6. A method according to claim 5, the method further comprising connecting the fourth user device to the Internet via the second access point.

7. A method according to claim 5, the notifying comprising:

sending, from the second user device to the fourth user device, a message, the message indicating that a connection to the Internet via the first access point is not available and that a connection to the Internet via the second access point is available.

8. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising connecting to the second access point, by each user device of the plurality of user devices, that, when a connection between the user device and the Internet via the first access point is no longer available.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein each user device of the plurality of user devices determines that the step of determining, by each user device from the network, that, if a connection between the user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available by:

ascertaining a capability level for each user device in the network, the capability level for a user device being indicative of that user device'"'"'s ability to provide a further access point for connection to the Internet; and

using the capability levels, determining, by each user device, which user device is to provide the further access point for connection to the Internet.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the ascertaining a capability level for each user device in the network comprises sending, from each user device in the network to each of the other user devices in the network, a message indicating the capability level of that user device.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the capability level for a user device is dependent upon one or more of a battery level of the user device, available processing power of the user device, a preference specified by a user of the user device, a signal strength of a signal received by the user device, or a cost value.

12. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

after the second access point to the Internet has been activated, notifying the third user device that a connection to the Internet via the first access point is re-available; and

de-activating the third user device as the second access point to the Internet.

13. A method according to claim 12, the method further comprising:

notifying a fourth user device in the network that a connection to the Internet via the first access point is re-available; and

causing the fourth user device to connect to the Internet via the first access point, wherein the third user device and the fourth user device are different user devices.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of notifying comprises:

sending, from the second user device to the fourth user device, a message indicating that a connection to the Internet via the first access point is re-available; and

receiving, by the fourth user device, the message.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein each user device is a user device selected from the group of user devices consisting of:

a wireless communications device, a smartphone, a wireless phone, a desktop personal user device, a laptop user device, a tablet user device, a mobile station, an entertainment appliance, a netbook, a game console.

16. A method of connecting a user device to the Internet, the method comprising:

connecting, by a first user device in a network, to the Internet via a first access point, an access point being a device via which a user device may connect to the Internet;

thereafter, notifying a second user device in the network, that a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available;

ascertaining, by the first user device in the network, that the first user device may connect to the Internet via a second access point, the second access point being provided by a third user device in the network;

causing, by the first user device, the second user device to connect to the Internet via the second access point,

the second access point being activated by the third user device in response to

the first user device notifying the second user device that a connection between

the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available, the

second user device and the third user device being different user devices;

ascertaining, by the first user device, after the second access point has been activated that the first access point is re-available;

notifying, by the first user device, the second user device that the first access point is re-available;

causing, by the first user device, the second user device to disconnect from the second access point and connect to the Internet via the first access point; and

causing, by the first user device, the third user device to deactivate the second access point.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first user device and the third user device are the same user device.

18. A system for providing an access point for connection to the Internet, an access point being a device via which a user device may connect to the Internet, the access point being for connection to the Internet by one or more user devices in a network comprising a plurality of user devices, the system comprising:

a first user device in the network, the first user device being configured to connect to the Internet via a first access point;

a second user device in the network, the second user device being operatively coupled to the first user device and configured to detect that a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available;

a third user device in the network that is not an active access point connecting other user devices to the Internet, the third user device being operatively coupled to the second user device and, responsive to the second user device detecting that a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available, the third user device configured to;

activate itself as a second access point to the Internet;

connect to the Internet, the connection between the third user device and the Internet being independent of the first access point; and

broadcast, to the plurality of user devices in the network in response to activating itself as the second access point to the Internet, a message indicating a capability level for the second access point, the second access point configured such that each other user device in the network may connect to the Internet via;

a connection between that other user device and the third user device;

the third user device; and

the connection between the third user device and the Internet.

19. A mobile communications device configured to:

connect to the Internet via a first access point;

ascertain when the connection between the mobile communications device and the Internet via the first access point is not available;

in response to ascertaining that the connection between the mobile communications device and the Internet via the first access point is not available, activate the mobile communications device as a second access point to the Internet and inform other devices that connection to the Internet is provided by the second access point;

cause a different device to connect to the Internet via the second access point;

ascertain, after activating the mobile communications device as the second access point, that the first access point is re-available;

notify the different device that the first access point is re-available;

cause the different device to disconnect from the second access point and connect to the Internet via the first access point;

connect to the Internet via the first access point; and

deactivate the mobile communications device as the second access point.

20. A system for connecting a user device to the Internet, the system comprising:

a first user device in a network comprising a plurality of user devices, the first user device being configured to connect to the Internet via a first access point, an access point being a device via which a user device may connect to the Internet;

a second user device in the network, the second user device being operatively coupled to the first user device and configured to detect when a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available;

a third user device in the network, the third user device being operatively coupled to the second user device and configured to;

using the detection that a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available, ascertain that a connection between the third user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available and that the third user device may connect to the Internet via a second access point; and

connect to the Internet via the second access point, the second access point being;

provided by a fourth user device in the network that is not an active access point connecting other user devices to the Internet; and

activated by the fourth user device in response to the second user device detecting that a connection between the first user device and the Internet via the first access point is not available, the third user device and the fourth user device being different user devices.