Automatic Wireless Grid Access Sharing and Monetization from a Mobile Device App

• US 20160007387A1
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tetherball Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Tetherball Technology LLC
• Inventors: Bhat, Akshat, Adib, Mohammad, Syed, Adam, Kwitek, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,936,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A device is disclosed which is programmed with an application or “app” to share bandwidth to and from multiple sources. In one embodiment, this uses a mobile device with a computer running a controlling program for operating functions of the mobile device, and an app that controls sharing of bandwidth from the mobile device, and obtaining shared bandwidth from another mobile device. Usage data is accumulated which indicates an amount of data received and shared from the one client.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a computer running a controlling program for operating functions of the mobile device;

said computer detecting data sources in an area of the mobile device, and detecting unique identifiers for each of the plural different data sources;

said computer checking a database which has a correlation between a plurality of unique identifiers, and a plurality of clients who are registered with the database to be data sharing clients; and

said computer allowing selection of one of said clients to receive data from, and receiving data from the one of the clients; and

said computer keeping track of an amount of data received by the mobile device.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the computer accumulates cost data for the amount of data received from the one client.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the computer also allows sharing of data from the mobile device with another client that is in the area, and who is requesting data to be shared from the mobile device.

4. The device as in claim 3, wherein the computer accumulates usage data which indicates an amount of data obtained by the mobile device from the one client, and also indicates an amount of data used by the another client from the mobile device.

5. The device as in claim 4, further comprising providing a user interface which indicates a total cost of data used by the mobile device from other clients, and data used by other clients from the mobile device.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone and the functions include making a cellular telephone call.

7. The device as in claim 1, wherein the unique identifiers are Mac IDs of other clients in the area.

8. The device as in claim 1, wherein said allowing selection comprises actions which turn on a hotspot on the one client and pass information indicative of a password of the hotspot to the mobile device.

9. The device as in claim 8, wherein said actions comprises a message to the one client to turn on its hotspot, and receiving information indicative of the password.

10. The device as in claim 9, wherein said information indicative of the password causes the password to be copied to a clipboard of the mobile device, and instructions provided to a user of the mobile device to paste the information from the clipboard.

11. The device as in claim 1, wherein the computer also creates a list that indicates a quality of each data connection for each of the data sharing clients, where the quality includes at least a speed of the connection and a distance to the connection.

12. The device as in claim 1, wherein said computer in the mobile device also controlling downloading applications on the mobile device, and where a first of the applications carries out the detecting and the checking.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a computer running a controlling program for operating functions of the mobile device;

said computer registering information that is uniquely indicative of the mobile device with a database, along with information indicating that the mobile device is willing to share its connection with other mobile devices;

said computer receiving a request from another mobile device to share its resources and responsive to said request, creating a share of resources and providing a password for the share of resources to the another mobile device; and

said computer providing information to a user of the mobile device indicating a cost amount received from the sharing of data.

14. The device as in claim 13, wherein said computer also detecting plural different data sources in an area of the mobile device, and detecting unique identifiers for each of the plural different data sources;

said computer checking the database, which has a correlation between a plurality of unique identifiers, and a plurality of clients who have registered with the database to be data sharing clients; and

said computer allowing selection of one of said clients to receive data from, and receiving data from the one of the clients; and

said computer indicating at least one cost of said receive of data.

15. The device as in claim 13, wherein the computer accumulates usage data which indicates an amount of data received from the one client.

16. The device as in claim 14, wherein the computer accumulates usage data which indicates an amount of data obtained by the mobile device from the one client, and also indicates an amount of data used by the another mobile device from the mobile device.

17. The device as in claim 13, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone and the functions include making a cellular telephone call.

18. A method of operating a mobile device comprising:

using a computer for running a controlling program for operating functions of the mobile device;

using said computer for detecting data sources in an area of the mobile device, and detecting unique identifiers for each of the plural different data sources;

using said computer for checking a database which has a correlation between a plurality of unique identifiers, and a plurality of clients who have registered with the database to be data sharing clients; and

using said computer for allowing selection of one of said clients to receive data from, and receiving data from the one of the clients; and

using said computer indicating at least one cost of said receive of data.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the computer accumulates usage data which indicates an amount of data received from the one client.

20. The method as in claim 18, wherein the computer also allows sharing of data from the mobile device with another client that is in the area, and who is requesting data to be shared from the mobile device.

21. The method as in claim 18, wherein the computer accumulates usage data which indicates an amount of data obtained by the mobile device from the one client, and also indicates an amount of data used by the another client from the mobile device.

22. The method as in claim 18, further comprising providing a user interface which indicates a total cost of data used by the mobile device from other clients, and data used by other clients from the mobile device.

23. The method as in claim 18, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone and the functions include making a cellular telephone call.

24. The method as in claim 18, wherein the unique identifiers are Mac IDs of other clients in the area.

25. The method as in claim 18, wherein said allowing selection comprises actions which turn on a hotspot on the one client and pass information indicative of a password of the hotspot to the mobile device.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein said actions comprises a message to the one client to turn on its hotspot, and receiving information indicative of the password.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein said information indicative of the password causes the password to be copied to a clipboard of the mobile device, and instructions provided to a user of the mobile device to paste the information from the clipboard.

28. The method as in claim 18, wherein the computer also creates a list that indicates a quality of each data connection for each of the data sharing clients, where the quality includes at least a speed of the connection and a distance to the connection.

29. The method as in claim 18, wherein said computer in the mobile device also controlling downloading applications on the mobile device, and where a first of the applications carries out the detecting and the checking.

30. A mobile device comprising:

a computer running a controlling program for operating functions of the mobile device;

said computer running another program for detecting data sources in an area of the mobile device, and detecting unique identifiers for each of the plural different data sources;

said computer accessing a database which has a correlation between a plurality of unique identifier, and a plurality of clients who have registered to be data sharing clients; and

said computer allowing selection of one of said clients to receive data from, and receiving data from the one of the clients; and

said computer accumulating usage data which indicates an amount of data received from the one client and indicates cost data for the amount of data received.

31. The device as in claim 30, wherein the another program also allows sharing of data from the mobile device with another client that is in the area, and who is requesting data to be shared from the mobile device, and accumulates usage data which indicates an amount of data obtained by the mobile device from the one client, and also indicates an amount of data used by the another client from the mobile device.