Advanced multi-network client device for wideband multimedia access to private and public wireless networks

• US 20040249915A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: incNetworks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: incNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Russell, Jesse E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless device (e.g., a wireless smart phone) uses Global Positioning System (GPS) data, or other position-indicating data, to accurately determine its location in relation to multi-layered wireless networks that the device may see concurrently. If location information is available, the device employs a user-defined priority table to select the order of user-contracted networks available at that location in which the device will register. If location information is unavailable, the device employs a technology priority table to select Common Air Interface (CAI) options for the invention device radio parameters (e.g., GSM, cdma2000, IS-136, IEEE 802.11x, etc.) to search for an available network to access. Information is gathered and stored in databases within the invention device allowing it to be registered in multiple wireless networks. The inventive device provides unique access codes to each wireless network with which a user has contracted, without the intervention of any “anchor” (home) network. The invention facilitates equivalent “home”, or personalized, service in any network by using these features for automatic technology adaptation. This allows the invention device to receive service as if it is in a “home” network no matter what network it is traveling through. The invention provides a ubiquitous experience allowing the user to traverse multiple wireless networks with seamless access to multiple systems and services provided by those networks. It also provides a platform to facilitate the customization of wireless services for business customers.

Claims

1. A wireless device automatically adaptable to work with any of a plurality of wireless networks implementing different wireless transmission technologies, wherein the wireless device is adaptable without altering hardware in the wireless device supporting said transmission technology, the wireless device comprising:

a transceiver for receiving position data that includes information indicating a current physical position of the wireless device;

a memory for storing configuration data including wireless device profile information, network profile information, and the position data,

wherein the network profile information comprises information concerning a plurality of contracted networks, including physical boundaries of at least one of the contracted networks, and wherein said plurality of contracted networks are networks with which a contractual relationship has been pre-established for said device to use said networks, and wherein the wireless device profile information includes identification information for said wireless device; and

a processor configured to (a) select a wireless network from the plurality of wireless networks to access based on a comparison of the physical boundaries of at least one of the contracted networks with the position data, wherein said processor is configured to (b) select a transmission technology from a plurality of available transmission technologies based on the selected wireless network, and said processor is configured to (c) cause the transceiver to be adapted for the selected transmission technology of the selected wireless network,

and wherein the transceiver is configured to register the wireless device with the network using said wireless device profile information, and to communicate with the selected wireless network using the selected transmission technology.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless networks are one of a wide area wireless network, an in-building wireless network, a campus wireless network, or an enterprise wireless network.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises one of a GPS Sniffer, or a GPS Scanner to determine the position data.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a Broadband Radio for allowing the wireless device to receive a full available spectrum of transmissions.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a Digital Radio Processing platform for supporting a transmission in each transmission technology of the plurality of available transmission technologies.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the selected wireless network is a contracted network, and the wireless device is provided with Home Network Services.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the position data comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) data.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of available contracted networks exist, and the processor is operable to select a preferred available contracted network from the plurality of available contracted networks.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein said network profile information includes priority information for at least one of said contracted networks to enable the selection of a preferred available contracted network using the contracted network priority information.

11. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

an input configured to receive enhancement information for use by the wireless device to enhance a capability of the wireless device.

12. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the selected transmission technology comprises a technology selected from the group consisting of CDMA, TDMA, CSMA, OFDM, a protocol supporting High Speed Internet Access, a protocol supporting the transmission of Video data, a protocol supporting the transmission of audio data, and a protocol supporting the transmission of multimedia data.

13. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes a user'"'"'s network preference and wherein the processor is programmed to select a preferred network from a plurality of available networks based upon the user'"'"'s network preference.

14. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes a phone number, and wherein the wireless device registers the phone number with the network so that a requester on the network can contact the wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is one of a mobile phone, a PDA, a home appliance, and a mobile computer.

16. A wireless device automatically adaptable to work with any of a plurality of wireless networks implementing different wireless transmission technologies, wherein the wireless device is adaptable without altering hardware in the wireless device supporting said transmission technology, the wireless device comprising:

a transceiver for receiving position data that includes information indicating a current physical position of the wireless device;

a memory for storing configuration data including wireless device profile information, network profile information, and the position data,

wherein the network profile information comprises information concerning a plurality of networks, including physical boundaries of at least one of the networks, and wherein the wireless device profile information includes identification information for said wireless device;

a processor configured to determine that either no position information has been received, or that a comparison of received position information with said network profile information fails to yield a known network at a current position of said wireless device;

wherein the transceiver is configured to search for information on at least one available network at the current position of the wireless device using Common Air Interface (CAI) protocol parameters; and

wherein said processor is configured to select a transmission technology from the plurality of available transmission technologies based on the at least one available network, and said processor is configured to adapt the transceiver for the selected transmission technology of the available network, wherein the transceiver is configured to register the wireless device with the network using said wireless device profile information, and communicates with the selected wireless network using the selected transmission technology.

17. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein said memory further comprises CAI Protocol priority information, wherein the CAI Protocol priority information specifies an order of CAI protocols to scan in the search for available network information.

18. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein the wireless device is capable of requesting an enhancement to support a communication with the available network.

19. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the enhancement comprises information to support an updated version of a transmission technology currently known to the wireless device.

20. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the enhancement comprises information to support a new transmission technology not currently known to the wireless device.

21. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to add information on the available network to the network profile information.

22. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit transaction data to the available network for the purchase of a service from the available network.

23. The wireless device of claim 22 wherein the transaction occurs without human intervention.

24. The wireless device of claim 22, wherein the transaction data comprises encrypted payment information.

25. A method for accessing a network using a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a physical location of the wireless device;

(b) accessing a list of all available networks at the physical location;

(c) selecting a network from the list of all available networks based on the physical location of the wireless device, if available, said selected network having a particular transmission technology;

(d) retrieving a network profile for the selected network, wherein the network profile indicates information usable by the wireless device to communicate with the network;

(e) automatically configuring the wireless device for communication with the selected network using the transmission technology of the selected network without the addition of specific hardware that supports only said selected transmission technology; and

(f) transmitting registration data to the selected network using the configured wireless device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected network is one of a wide area wireless network, an in-building wireless network, a campus wireless network, or an enterprise wireless network.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected network is a contracted network and the wireless device is provided with Home Network Services.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the selected network comprises a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the physical location of step (a) utilizes Global Positioning System data.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein step (i) comprises selecting a preferred available contracted network from a plurality of available contracted networks using Access Priority information.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising

(g) receiving enhancement information;

and

(h) using the enhancement information to enhance a capability of the wireless device.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the enhancement comprises information to support an updated version of a transmission technology currently known to the wireless device.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the enhancement comprises information to support a new transmission technology not currently known to the wireless device.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected transmission technology of step (e) is one of CDMA, TDMA, CSMA, OFDM, a technology that supports a High Speed Internet Access transmission, Bluetooth, a technology that supports the transmission of Video data, a technology that supports the transmission of audio data, and a technology that supports the transmission of multimedia data.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

(h) registering a phone number of the wireless device with the selected network so that a requester on the selected network can contact the wireless device.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the wireless device is one of a mobile phone, a PDA, a home appliance, and a mobile computer.

37. A method for accessing a network using a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

(a) attempting to determine a physical location of the wireless device;

(b) if the physical location of the wireless device is known, accessing a list of all available networks at the physical location;

(c) determining that either no position information has been received, or that a comparison of received position information with said network profile information fails to yield a known network at a current position of said wireless device;

(d) searching out information on at least one available network using Common Air Interface (CAI) protocol parameters;

(e) automatically configuring the wireless device for communication with the unavailable network using a transmission technology of the selected network without the addition of specific hardware that supports only said selected transmission technology; and

(f) transmitting registration data to the available network using the configured wireless device.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

(g) searching out available network information using Common Air Interface (CAI) protocol parameters in an order established by CAI Protocol priority information, wherein the CAI Protocol priority information contains an order of CAI protocols to scan in the search for available network information.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein further comprising the step of:

(g) requesting an enhancement to support a communication with the available network.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of:

(g) updating the list of all available contracted networks information to include the available network.

41. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of:

(g) automatically transmitting transaction data to the selected network for the purchase of services from the selected network.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the transaction data is comprised of encrypted payment information.

43. A method for adapting a wireless device to operate with a network, wherein the network operates on a first communications protocol not known to the wireless device, comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting a download from the network in a known second communications protocol in which the device is already configured to communicate with, wherein the download contains information necessary to implement the first communications protocol, and wherein the first protocol and the known protocol are different;

(b) automatically adapting the wireless device to communicate using the first communications protocol without the addition of hardware; and

(c) communicating with the network using the first communications protocol.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the first communications protocol is an updated version of the known second communications protocol.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein steps (a)-(c) occur when the device crosses a boundary area, wherein the boundary area represents an intersection in a physical boundaries of the network and a second network, wherein the second network is a network in use by the wireless device at a time of the crossing of the boundary area.