Elastic communication network

• US 9,596,602 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rider, Tomer, Ron, Aviv, Giwnewer, Yair, Kiveisha, Yevgeny
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US14/126,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Systems, devices, and techniques are provided for a communication network in which a wireless communication service can be furnished or otherwise extended to a mobile computing device from one or more other mobile computing devices.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a radio configured to exchange information wirelessly with a peer mobile computing device, the radio having a communication processing unit and one or more antennas;

a cellular-sharing service unit configured to;

provision a cellular-sharing connectivity communication service to the peer mobile computing device,

throttle a first amount of information received from the peer mobile device, based at least in part on a first quota, and

throttle a second amount of information transmitted to the peer mobile device, based at least in part on a second quota;

a security controller configured to send first information to an intended recipient device via a secure firmware communication pathway within the mobile device based at least in part on the intended recipient device; and

a component configured to receive a first portion of the first information from the security controller.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the security controller comprises a tamper resistant processor having one or more hardware security components.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the intended recipient device is the peer mobile computing device, and wherein the security controller is further configured to send a second portion of the first information to the peer mobile computing device via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the security controller is further configured to transmit the first portion of the first information to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway, wherein the second secure firmware communication pathway is communicatively insulated from the first secure firmware communication pathway.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the security controller is further configured to receive second information according to a first radio communication protocol via the second secure firmware communication pathway, and wherein the security controller is further configured to send the second portion of the first information to the peer mobile device according to a second radio communication protocol.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the intended recipient device comprises the peer mobile computing device, and wherein the security controller is configured to supply advertisement content to the peer mobile computing device, wherein the advertisement content is customized based at least in part on an end-user associated with the peer mobile computing device.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to receive information indicative of a payment from the peer mobile computing device, wherein the payment is received in exchange for access to the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to activate the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service for the peer mobile computing device at a remote computing device, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to send information indicative of an identity of the peer mobile computing device and payment mode for the peer mobile computing device to access the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service, wherein the payment mode is one of direct payment mode or third-party payment mode.

9. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to initiate a cellular-sharing connectivity communication session with the peer mobile computing device prior to transmission of at least the portion of the information to the peer mobile computing device via the first secure communication pathway.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to establish a packet-switching protocol tunnel between the peer mobile computing device and a remote computing device associated with the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to send session information indicative of the cellular-sharing connectivity communication session to a remote computing device.

12. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to configure the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service prior to the security controller supplying information to the intended recipient.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to establish a pricing for payment in exchange for access to the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to establish a group of peer mobile computing devices permitted to access the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to determine a number of peer mobile computing devices included in the group of peer mobile computing devices or an identity of at least one of the group of peer mobile computing devices.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the cellular-sharing service unit is further configured to establish a quota of peer information available to at least one of the group of peer mobile computing devices that is provisioned for the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service.

17. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

sending, by a first mobile computing device having at least one or more processors, service information indicative of a cellular-sharing connectivity communication service provided by the first mobile computing device;

receiving, by the first mobile computing device, a connection request from a second mobile computing device in response to sending the service information to the second mobile device;

determining if the connection request is valid;

provisioning, by the first mobile computing device, the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service to the second mobile computing device in response to ascertaining that the connection request is valid;

throttling a first amount of information received from the second mobile computing device, based at least in part on a first quota, and

throttling a second amount of information transmitted to the second mobile computing device, based at least in part on a second quota; and

sending, by the first mobile computing device in response to the provisioning, information via a secure firmware communication pathway within the first mobile computing device based at least in part on an intended recipient device for a portion of the information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the intended recipient device is the second mobile computing device, and wherein the portion of the information is sent to the second mobile computing device via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the intended recipient device is a component of the first mobile computing device, and wherein the portion of the information is sent to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway, wherein the second secure firmware communication pathway is communicatively insulated from the first secure firmware communication pathway.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit service information indicative of a cellular-sharing connectivity communication service provided by a first mobile computing device comprising the apparatus;

a receiver configured to receive a connection request from a second mobile computing device in response to transmitting the service information;

a provisioning component configured to determine if the connection request is valid;

a cellular-sharing service unit configured to;

provision the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service to the second mobile computing device in response to ascertaining that the connection request is valid,

throttle a first amount of information received from the second mobile computing device, based at least in part on a first quota, and

throttle a second amount of information transmitted to the second mobile computing device, based at least in part on a second quota; and

a security controller configured to send information via a secure firmware communication pathway within the first mobile computing device based at least in part on an intended recipient device for at least a portion of the information; and

a component configured to receive a first portion of the first information from the security controller.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the intended recipient device is the second mobile computing device, and wherein the security controller sends the portion of the information to the second mobile computing device via a first secure firmware communication pathway.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the intended recipient device is a component of the first mobile computing device, and wherein the security controller sends the portion of the information to the component via a second secure firmware communication pathway, wherein the second secure firmware communication pathway is communicatively insulated from the first secure firmware communication pathway.

23. At least one processor-accessible storage device having programmed instructions stored therein for wireless communication that in response to execution, cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

sending service information indicative of a cellular-sharing connectivity communication service provided by a first mobile computing device including the at least one processor;

receiving a connection request from a second mobile computing device in response to sending the service information;

determining if the connection request is valid;

provisioning the cellular-sharing connectivity communication service to the second mobile computing device in response to ascertaining that the connection request is valid;

throttling a first amount of information received from the second mobile computing device, based at least in part on a first quota, and

throttling a second amount of information transmitted to the second mobile computing device, based at least in part on a second quota; and

sending, in response to the provisioning, information via a secure firmware communication pathway within the first mobile computing device based at least in part on an intended recipient device for a portion of the information.

24. The at least one processor-accessible storage device of claim 23, wherein the intended recipient device is the second mobile computing device, and the secure firmware communication pathway is a first secure firmware communication pathway.

25. The at least one processor-accessible storage device of claim 23, wherein the intended recipient device is a component of the first mobile computing device, and the secure firmware communication pathway is a second secure firmware communication pathway, wherein the second secure firmware communication pathway is communicatively insulated from the first secure firmware communication pathway.