SHARING NETWORK CAPACITY WITH ANOTHER DEVICE

• US 20130316676A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UROS Technology S.A.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Uros Oy
• Inventors: NOUSIAINEN, Marko, UHARI, Tommi
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 using multiple identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• 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 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus caused to at least cause a reception of information from a second device, wherein the information indicates a need to utilize the network capacity of the apparatus by the second device; detect an identifier of the second device in order to enable identification of the second device; determine whether or not to allow the second device to utilize the network capacity on the basis of the identification; upon deciding to allow the second device to utilize the network capacity of the apparatus, apply an optimal SIM among a plurality of SIMs in accessing a network to be shared, wherein the apparatus comprises the plurality of SIMs and the optimal SIM is selected among the plurality of SIMs on the basis of predetermined criteria; and cause transfer of data between the second device and the accessed network.

Claims

1. A first terminal device having a predetermined network capacity for communicating with a network, comprising:

a plurality of subscriber identity modules, SIM; and

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

cause a reception of information wirelessly from a second terminal device which is a separate physical entity than the first terminal device and associated with a different user than the first terminal device, wherein the information indicates a need to utilize the network capacity of the first terminal device by the second terminal device;

detect an identifier of the second terminal device in order to enable identification of the second terminal device;

determine whether or not to allow the second terminal device to utilize the network capacity on the basis of the identification;

upon deciding to allow the second terminal device to utilize the network capacity of the first terminal device, apply an optimal SIM among the plurality of SIMs in accessing the network to be shared, wherein the optimal SIM is selected among the plurality of SIMs on the basis of predetermined criteria and data relating to the second terminal device; and

cause transfer of data between the second terminal device and the accessed network.

2. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal device is configured to serve as a wireless hot spot.

3. The first terminal device of any of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the second terminal device is a medium access control address.

4. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal device is further caused to:

decide not to allow the second terminal device to utilize the network capacity of the first terminal device upon not being able to identify the second terminal device.

5. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal device is further caused to:

verify from the entity responsible of invoicing data transfers with respect to the applied SIM whether or not the network capacity of the first terminal device with respect to the applied SIM may be utilized temporarily by the second terminal device,

6. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the shared network capacity is with respect to a wireless cellular communication network.

7. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal device is further caused to:

allocate an authentication code to the second terminal device for accessing the network through the first terminal device.

8. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria for selecting the optimal SIM takes into account data relating to the plurality of SIMs in the first terminal device and data relating to at least one of the following:

the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and a third terminal device interoperating with the first terminal device.

9. The first terminal device of claim 8, wherein the data relating to the second terminal device indicates at least one of the following:

location of the second terminal device, country code of the second terminal device, time with respect to the second terminal device, date with respect to the second terminal device, day of the week with respect to the second terminal device, information of available operators with respect to the second terminal device, information of available networks with respect to the second terminal device, type of the second terminal device, model of the second terminal device, info about applications in use or used in the second terminal device.

10. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria for selecting the optimal SIM comprises selecting the optimal SIM on the basis of network coverage criterion, available services criterion, quality of service criterion, costs of using the subscriber identity module criterion, location criterion.

11. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of SIMs comprises prepaid SIM cards.

12. The first terminal device of claim 1, wherein the entity responsible of invoicing data transfers with respect to the applied SIM is a service provider of the first terminal device 100, and wherein the first terminal device is further caused to:

detect, on the basis of the identifier of the second terminal device, that the service provider of the second terminal device is the same as that of the first terminal device;

identify the second terminal device, on the basis of the device identification information accessible by the first terminal device.

13. A method, comprising:

causing, by a first terminal device, a reception of information wirelessly from a second terminal device which is a separate physical entity than the first terminal device and associated with a different user than the first terminal device, wherein the information indicates a need to utilize the network capacity of the first terminal device by the second device, wherein the first terminal device has a predetermined network capacity for communicating with a network;

detecting an identifier of the second terminal device in order to enable identification of the second terminal device;

determining whether or not to allow the second terminal device to utilize the network capacity on the basis of the identification;

upon deciding to allow the second terminal device to utilize the network capacity of the first terminal device, apply an optimal subscriber identity module, SIM, among a plurality of SIMs in accessing a network to be shared, wherein the first terminal device comprises the plurality of SIMs and the optimal SIM is selected among the plurality of SIMs on the basis of predetermined criteria and data relating to the second terminal device; and

causing transfer of data between the second terminal device and the accessed network.

14. A computer program product embodied on a distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, execute the method according to claim 13.