MOBILE ROUTER THAT MONITORS LINKS

• US 20100014415A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Moeller, Douglas S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A mobile router having a link monitor module is disclosed. The mobile router may be installed in a mobile vehicle and permit a local end-user to access wide area networks (e.g., the Internet) via the mobile router. The link monitor module may monitor the layer 2 and layer 3 links of the mobile router. When an interruption in one or more of the links is detected, the link monitor module may initiate corrective action to re-establish the link. That way, the interruption to the local end-user is minimized.

Claims

1. A mobile router comprising:

a local network interface for wirelessly communicating with a mobile device via a local wireless network;

a backhaul network interface for wirelessly communicating with a backhaul network;

one or more processors; and

a memory in communication with the one or more processors, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

monitor the layer 2 and layer 3 links of the mobile router for the backhaul network; and

reestablish the network connection to the backhaul network when a failure of the layer 2 and/or layer 3 link is detected.

2. The mobile router of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to monitor the layer 2 and layer 3 links by sending test packets to a destination device over the backhaul network.

3. The mobile router of claim 2, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to adapt the frequency at which test packets are sent to the destination device based on whether the network connection to the backhaul network is active.

4. The mobile router of claim 2, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to send test packets to the destination device less frequently when the network connection to the backhaul network is active.

5. The mobile router of claim 1, wherein the local wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network.

6. The mobile router of claim 1, wherein the local wireless network comprises a Wi-MAX network.

7. The mobile router of claim 1, wherein the backhaul network comprises a cellular network.

8. The mobile router of claim 7, wherein the cellular network comprises a GSM/GPRS network.

9. The mobile router of claim 7, wherein the cellular network comprises a UMTS network.

10. The mobile router of claim 5, wherein the backhaul network comprises a cellular network.

11. The mobile router of claim 10, wherein the cellular network comprises a GSM/GPRS network.

12. The mobile router of claim 11, wherein the cellular network comprises a UMTS network.

13. The mobile router of claim 4, wherein the local wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network.

14. The mobile router of claim 4, wherein the local wireless network comprises a Wi-MAX network.

15. The mobile router of claim 13, wherein the backhaul network comprises a cellular network.

16. The mobile router of claim 15, wherein the cellular network comprises a GSM/GPRS network.

17. The mobile router of claim 15, wherein the cellular network comprises a UMTS network.

18. The mobile router of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a wireless-enabled computer device selected from the group consisting of a laptop equipped with a wireless network interface card, a wireless-enabled PDA, a pocket computer, a WiFi phone, a WiFi appliance, a portable, network-enabled gaming station, a video screen, a digital camera, an audio player, a navigation device, a security camera, an alarm device, a wireless payment device, and a wireless POS device.

19. The mobile router of claim 1, wherein the mobile router is installed in a vehicle.

20. The mobile router of claim 19, wherein the vehicle is a vehicle selected from the group consisting of an automobile, a truck, a rail car, a bus, and a boat.

21. A mobile router comprising:

a local network interface for wirelessly communicating with a mobile device via a local wireless network;

a backhaul network interface for wirelessly communicating with a backhaul network;

one or more processors in communication with the local network interface and the backhaul network interface, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to;

monitor the layer 2 and layer 3 links of the mobile router for the backhaul network; and

reestablish the network connection to the backhaul network when a failure of the layer 2 and/or layer 3 link is detected.

22. The mobile router of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to monitor the layer 2 and layer 3 links by sending test packets to a destination device over the backhaul network.

23. The mobile router of claim 22, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to adapt the frequency at which test packets are sent to the destination device based on whether the network connection to the backhaul network is active.

24. The mobile router of claim 22, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to send test packets to the destination device less frequently when the network connection to the backhaul network is active.

25. The mobile router of claim 24, wherein:

the local wireless network comprises a wireless network selected from the group consisting of a Wi-Fi network and a Wi-MAX network; and

the backhaul network comprises a cellular network selected from the group consisting of a GSM/GPRS network and a UTMS network.

26. The mobile router of claim 21, wherein the mobile router is installed in a vehicle.

27. The mobile router of claim 26, wherein the vehicle is a vehicle selected from the group consisting of an automobile, a truck, a rail car, a bus, and a boat.

28. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a mobile router that is in communication with a mobile device via a local wireless communication link, the layer 2 and layer 3 links of the mobile router for a backhaul network; and

reestablishing, by the mobile router, the network connection for the mobile router to the backhaul network when a failure of the layer 2 and/or layer 3 link is detected.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring the layer 2 and layer 3 links by sending test packets to a destination device over the backhaul network.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising adapting the frequency at which test packets are sent to the destination device based on whether the network connection to the backhaul network is active.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein adapting comprises sending test packets to the destination device less frequently when the network connection to the backhaul network is active.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the local wireless network comprises a wireless network selected from the group consisting of a Wi-Fi network and a Wi-MAX network; and

the backhaul network comprises a cellular network selected from the group consisting of a GSM/GPRS network and a UTMS network.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the mobile router is installed in a vehicle.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the vehicle is a vehicle selected from the group consisting of an automobile, a truck, a rail car, a bus, and a boat.