System and method for cellular telephone network access point

• US 7,738,431 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Systems Technologies S.a.r.l. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holliday; Jaime M
• Application Number:
  US10/952,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20060068815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/352, 455/466, 455/550.1, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless telephone includes a cellular telephone controller configured to interface the cellular telephone to a telephone network; a wireless packet network controller configured to interface the wireless telephone to packet network; and a wireless network access point controller configured to interface a computer to said packet network via telephone network.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone, comprising:

a cellular telephone controller configured to interface the cellular telephone to a telephone network;

a wireless packet network controller configured to interface the wireless telephone to packet network for providing packet voice services;

a wireless network access point controller configured to interface a computer to said packet network via telephone network; and

a mode controller configured to activate a wireless access point function for interfacing the computer to the packet network, said mode controller configured to activate the wireless network access point controller responsive a signal strength indication and receiving a presence context, said user context defining a user availability condition.

2. A wireless telephone in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cellular telephone comprises a GPRS cellular telephone.

3. A wireless telephone in accordance with claim 1, wherein said wireless network access point controller comprises an 802.11 controller.

4. A wireless electronic device configured to interface to a cellular network in a first mode;

configured to interface to a packet network in a second mode for providing packet telephony functionality; and

configured to provide a wireless access point for a computer in a third mode, wherein in said third mode, said wireless access point interfaces said computer to said packet network via said cellular network; and

said wireless electronic device is configured to search for an available network access point and activate to function as said wireless access point if the network access point is not available and responsive to a presence context indicia, said presence context indicia defining a user availability condition.

5. A wireless electronic device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said packet network comprises a wireless local area network (LAN).

6. A wireless electronic device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said computer communicates with said wireless access point using a wireless local area network protocol.

7. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a wireless packet network;

a cellular telephone network;

at least one computing device including a wireless network interface card for communicating over the wireless packet network;

at least one cellular telephone device, the cellular telephone device having a cellular telephone mode for communicating over the cellular network and a packet network mode for communicating over the packet network for providing packet voice services;

wherein the cellular telephone device is configured to function as a wireless access point for said at least one computing device by interfacing the wireless network interface card to the wireless packet network via the cellular network;

wherein said at least one cellular telephone device is configured to search for an available network access point and activate to function as said wireless access point if the network access point is not available, wherein said network access point availability is determined by a presence context indicia, said presence context indicia defining a user availability condition.

8. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to attempt to access the wireless packet network via the cellular telephone device if another wireless access point cannot be detected.

9. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the cellular network comprises a GPRS network.

10. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the wireless packet network comprises the Internet.

11. A telecommunications method, comprising:

attempting to access a wireless packet network from a personal computer using a wireless network interface card interfacing to a wireless access point; and

attempting to access the wireless network via a cellular telephone equipped with a wireless network interface if said wireless access point is determined to be of a lower priority, the cellular telephone operable in a packet telephone mode; and

wherein the cellular telephone is configured to automatically activate a wireless access point mode if the wireless access point is determined by the cellular telephone to be of a lower priority;

wherein the cellular telephone activates the wireless access point mode responsive to a presence determination, said presence determination defining a user availability condition.

12. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said wireless access point comprises an Internet hot spot.

13. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said attempting to access the wireless packet network via a cellular telephone comprises accessing via a cellular telephone network.

14. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 13, wherein said attempting to access the wireless network via a cellular telephone comprises accessing said cellular telephone'"'"'s wireless network interface via a wireless packet network protocol and accessing a server on the wireless packet network via the cellular telephone network.

15. A telecommunications processing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a wireless network interface;

wherein said processor is programmed to access a wireless packet network using said wireless network interface via a wireless network access point in a first mode and is programmed to access the wireless packet network using said wireless network interface via a cellular telephone programmed to function as a wireless network access point in a second mode, the cellular telephone operable as a packet telephony device, the cellular telephone programmed with a list of prioritized network access points and configured to activate the wireless network access point mode if higher priority access points are not available, wherein measure of priority is a signal strength and wherein even if the cellular telephone access point has a higher signal strength it has a lower priority depending on a user presence determination, said user presence determination defining a user availability condition.