Mobile wireless hotspot system

• US 7,382,771 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: In Motion Technology, Inc. (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ho, Eddie, Moir, Kirk, Leblanc, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, William J
• Application Number:
  US10/386,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20040179512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/338, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The invention relates to wireless Internet access points, and in particular to providing a mobile wireless access point for use with high-speed wireless devices. In particular, the system allows client devices configured for short-range, high-speed wireless Internet access to use said system to access the Internet while in a mobile environment, such as a passenger vehicle.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless hot spot system, comprising:

a) a short-range, high-speed wireless access point operative to communicate with short-range client devices;

b) a long-range, wireless Internet access interface operative to communicate with the Internet; and

c) a Local Area Network (LAN) routing system managing the data path between said wireless access point and said Internet access interface,

wherein said mobile wireless hotspot system is a stand-alone system that enables client devices configured for short-range, high-speed wireless Internet access to use said mobile wireless hotspot system to access the Internet without the need to access an external service controller server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said short-range, high-speed wireless access point uses 802.11 as a wireless standard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said hotspot system is integrated into a vehicle such that passengers in said vehicle are capable of accessing the Internet using said client devices.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising local content module that stores content that can be accessed by said client devices directly through said high-speed access point.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said LAN routing system includes a Geographical Positioning Service (GPS) locator to provide location information to said system and to said client devices, to enable dynamic tailoring of local content for services.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said LAN routing system includes a website cache that allows said client devices to access information stored in said website cache directly through said high-speed access point.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said system includes a short-range, high-speed wireless access interface to enable said system to download updates to said local content module using a fixed high-speed wireless access point.

8. The system of claim 1, further including an operation support system (OSS) module to monitor and share information with other mobile hotspot systems.

18. The system of claim 1, including a WAN Interface providing high-speed Internet access, a long range wireless Internet access interface (WAN) manager coupled to said WAN interface, and monitoring a WAN connection of said WAN Interface in order to provide a continuous connection to the Internet.

9. A method of providing a mobile wireless hotspot system for client devices requiring a short-range wireless access point, comprising:

a) installing said mobile wireless hotspot system in a vehicle, said mobile wireless hotspot system including;

i) a short-range high-speed wireless access point;

ii) a long-range, wireless Internet access interface; and

(iii) a Local Area Network (LAN) routing system managing the data path between said wireless access point and said Internet access interface,

wherein said mobile wireless hotspot system is a stand-alone system that enables said client devices configured for short range, high speed wireless Internet access to use said mobile wireless hotspot system to access the Internet, both while said vehicle is in motion and when said vehicle is stationary, without the need to access an external service controller server.

10. The method of claim 9, further including providing an operation support system (OSS) for monitoring and sharing information between multiple mobile wireless hotspot systems.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said OSS additionally compiles a list of frequently accessed domains and websites the information about which has been dynamically cached based on user activity, said list based on using data received from said multiple hotspot systems and said list can be downloaded into a local content module by individual ones of said hotspot systems.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said list can further be used to pre-load websites and domains into a web cache on said multiple hotspot systems at startup.

13. The method of claim 9, further including providing a local content module in said hotspot system such that the content in said local content module can be accessed directly via said high-speed wireless access point.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said mobile hotspot system includes a Geographical Positioning Service (GPS) locator to provide location information to client devices accessing said hotspot system and to said OSS, to enable dynamic tailoring of local content for services.

19. The method of claim 9, including monitoring a connection of a WAN Interface to the Internet to detect any loss of connection and then re-establishing the connection whenever it is lost.

15. A network of mobile wireless hotspots, comprising:

a) a plurality of mobile wireless hotspot systems installed in vehicles, each mobile wireless hotspot system including;

i) a short-range high-speed wireless access point;

ii) a long-range, wireless Internet access interface; and

iii) a Local Area Network (LAN) routing system

connecting said wireless access point and said Internet access interface, wherein said mobile wireless hotspot system enables passengers in said vehicle to use said client devices to access the Internet both while said vehicle is in motion and when said vehicle is stationary and b) an operation support

system (OSS) operative to monitor and share information between said mobile hotspot systems on said network.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein said OSS compiles a list of frequently accessed domains and websites using data received from said multiple hotspot systems and said list can be downloaded into a local content module by individual ones of said hotspot systems.

17. The network of claim 16, wherein said list can further be used to pre-load websites and domains into a web cache on each of said hotspot systems at startup.