Mobile device base station

• US 8,463,238 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Christie, Gregory N., Borchers, Robert E., Tiene, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/968,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/557, 455/41.2, 455410-411, 455/456.4, 455418-420, 455/456.3, 455/414.3, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A mobile device can be configured as a base station to be used by other mobile devices and non-mobile devices to gain access to network services. The mobile device can be configured to provide and manage secure access to variety of networks (e.g., Wi-Fi, WiMax, Internet, cellular) and network services (e.g., map services, web services, syncing services).

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to configure the mobile device to be an access point for a wireless network; and

a communication interface coupled to the processor and operable for receiving an access request from a first requesting device, and for coupling the first requesting device to the wireless network in response to the access request;

where the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further operable to cause the processor to lock down the mobile device to prevent access to the wireless network by a second requesting device based on a number of devices currently coupled to the wireless network through the mobile device, based on a location of the mobile device, or based on a time of the access request.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, where the mobile device includes a multi-touch-sensitive display.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, where the mobile device includes a telephony application.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, where the wireless network is a cellular network.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, where the processor is operable to authenticate the requesting device.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, where the requesting device is authenticated using one from the group of wireless security protocols consisting of:

wired equivalent privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or WPA2.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, where the processor is operable to set up a secure communication session for the requesting device.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, where the wireless network is from a group of wireless networks consisting of wireless local area networks (WLAN), Bluetooth®

networks, radio access networks (RANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), mobile ad-hoc networks (MANets) or mobile phone networks.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, where the processor is operable to search for available wireless networks in a vicinity of the mobile device.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, where the mobile device can be configured as a base station at home or in another location, where the mobile device can be configured in a first user-settable configuration with one or more first network settings at home and configured in a second user-settable configuration with one or more second network settings in another location, and where the first and second user-settable configurations can be simultaneously stored in the storage device.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, where the mobile device includes a first native function as a phone and where the mobile device is further configured to be an access point.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is locked down based on the number of devices currently coupled to the wireless network through the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is locked down based on the location of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is locked down based on the time of the access request.

15. A method comprising:

configuring a mobile device to be an access point for a wireless network;

receiving, at the mobile device, an access request from a first requesting device;

coupling, by the mobile device, the first requesting device to the wireless network in response to the access request; and

locking down the mobile device to prevent access to the wireless network by a second requesting device based on a number of devices currently coupled to the wireless network through the mobile device, based on a location of the mobile device, or based on a time of the access request.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

authenticating the requesting device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

setting up a secure communication session for the requesting device.

18. The method of claim 15, where configuring further comprises:

searching for the wireless network in a vicinity of the mobile device; and

if a network is available,

configuring the mobile device to be an access point for the wireless network.

19. The method of claim 15, where configuring the mobile device further comprises:

configuring the mobile device as a base station at home or in another location, where the mobile device can be configured in a first user-settable configuration with one or more first network settings at home and configured in a second user-settable configuration with one or more second network settings in another location, and where the first and second user-settable configurations can be simultaneously stored in the storage device.