Efficiency of Wireless Wide Area Networks Utilizing Local Wireless Connections

• US 20130267270A1
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mindspeed Technologies Inc. (MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, James W., Cheng, Marco Y.C., Su, Huan-Yu
• Granted Patent: US 9,907,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/524
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/00 Technologies for an efficient end-user side electric power management and consumption
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Provided is a system for wireless communications including several base stations supporting a wide area wireless network and several mobile user equipment (UE) devices. Each mobile UE device may be configured to transmit a request to establish a local wireless connection with one or more of the UE devices. The mobile UE device may receive a response containing connectivity information from each of the mobile UE devices and then select one of the mobile UE devices based on the connectivity information received from each of the mobile UE devices. The mobile UE device may then establish a local wireless connection with the selected mobile UE device. The mobile UE device may then communicate with one of the base stations in the wide area wireless network through the selected mobile UE device, utilizing the local wireless connection.

Claims

1. A system for wireless communications, the system comprising:

a plurality of base stations supporting a wide area wireless network;

a plurality of mobile user equipment (UE) devices, each configured to;

transmit a request to establish a local wireless connection with other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

receive a response containing connectivity information from each of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

select one of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices based on the connectivity information received from each of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

establish a local wireless connection with the selected one of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

communicate with one of the plurality of base stations in the wide area wireless network through the selected one of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices utilizing the local wireless connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of base stations is a mobile base station.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of base stations is a stationary base station.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one mobile base station is located in a moving vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mobile UE devices is one of a smart phone, a gaming console, a tablet computer, a laptop, a personal computer (PC), and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of base stations provides wireless communications using a different service provider.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the connectivity information includes one or more of a remaining battery charge, a signal strength with one or more of the plurality of base stations, a service provider identity, and a type of the local wireless connection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices has the highest signal strength of the plurality of mobile UE devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices has the highest remaining battery charge of the plurality of mobile UE devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the other one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices offers the local wireless connection requiring the lowest power consumption of the plurality of mobile UE devices.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the local wireless connection is one of a Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, Near Field Communication, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, and LTE Advanced connection.

12. A mobile user equipment (UE) device for wireless communications using one or more of a plurality of base stations supporting a wide area wireless network, the mobile UE device comprising:

a processor configured to;

transmit a request to establish a local wireless connection with one or more of a plurality of mobile UE devices;

receive a response containing connectivity information from the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

select one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices based on the connectivity information received from each of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

establish a local wireless connection with the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices;

communicate with one of the plurality of base stations in the wide area wireless network through the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices utilizing the local wireless connection.

13. The mobile UE device of claim 12, wherein the mobile UE device is one of a smart phone, a gaming console, a tablet computer, a laptop, a personal computer (PC), and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

14. The mobile UE device of claim 12, wherein the connectivity information includes one or more of a remaining battery charge, a signal strength with one or more of the plurality of base stations, a service provider identity, and a type of the local wireless connection.

15. The mobile UE device of claim 12, wherein the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices has the highest signal strength of the plurality of mobile UE devices.

16. The mobile UE device of claim 12, wherein the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices has the highest remaining battery charge of the plurality of mobile UE devices.

17. The mobile UE device of claim 12, wherein the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of mobile UE devices offers the local wireless connection requiring the lowest power consumption of the plurality of mobile UE devices.

18. The mobile UE device of claim 12, wherein the local wireless connection is one of a Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, Near Field Communication, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, and LTE Advanced connection.

19. A mobile base station for wireless communications between a mobile user equipment (UE) device and one or more of a plurality of base stations supporting a wide area wireless network, the mobile base station comprising:

a processor configured to;

establish a wireless connection with the one or more of a plurality of base stations supporting the wide area wireless network;

establish a wireless connection with the mobile UE device;

select one of the one or more of the plurality of base stations based on connectivity information concerning the wireless connection with each of the one or more of the plurality of base stations;

relay communications between the mobile UE device and the selected one of the one or more of the plurality of base stations in the wide area wireless network.

20. The mobile base station of claim 19, wherein the mobile base station is located in a mobile vehicle.

21. The mobile base station of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of base stations provides wireless communications using a different service provider.

22. The mobile base station of claim 19, wherein the connectivity information includes one or more of a signal strength with one or more of the plurality of base stations, and a service provider identity of one or more of the plurality of base stations.

23. A method for wireless communications in a wireless wide area network, the method comprising:

transmitting, using a processor of a mobile user equipment (UE) device, a request to establish a local wireless connection with one or more other mobile UE devices;

receiving, using the processor of the mobile UE device, a response containing connectivity information from each of the one or more other mobile UE devices;

selecting, using the processor of the mobile UE device, one of the one or more other mobile UE devices based on the connectivity information received from each of the one or more other mobile UE devices;

establishing, using the processor of the mobile UE device, a local wireless connection with the selected one of the one or more other mobile UE devices;

communicating, using the processor of the mobile UE device, with a base station in the wide area wireless network through the selected one of the one or more other mobile UE devices utilizing the local wireless connection.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the connectivity information includes one or more of a signal strength with the base station, a service provider identity, a remaining battery charge, and a type of local wireless connection.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the selected one of the one or more other mobile UE devices has the highest signal strength of the other mobile UE devices.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the selected one of the one or more other mobile UE devices has the highest remaining battery charge of the other mobile UE devices.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the selected one of the one or more other mobile UE devices offers the local wireless connection requiring the lowest power consumption of the other mobile UE devices.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the local wireless connection is one of a Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, Near Field Communication, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, and LTE Advanced connection.

29. A method for wireless communications in a wireless wide area network, the method comprising:

establishing, using a processor of a mobile base station, a wireless connection with one or more base stations supporting the wide area wireless network;

establishing, using the processor of the mobile base station, a local wireless connection with a mobile user equipment (UE) device;

selecting, using the processor of the mobile base station, one of the one or more base stations based on connectivity information concerning the wireless connection with each of the one or more base stations;

relaying, using the processor of the mobile base station, communications between the mobile UE device and the selected one of the one or more base stations in the wide area wireless network utilizing the local wireless connection.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the connectivity information includes one or more of a signal strength with one or more of the plurality of base stations, and a service provider identity of one or more of the plurality of base stations.