Wireless gateway supporting a plurality of networks

• US 8,891,483 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Connelly, Michael, Maharana, Bhagabati Prasad, Rubin, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): ADHAMI, MOHAMMAD SAJID
• Application Number:
  US12/544,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, systems and methods are illustrated for an apparatus comprising a modem component, a wireless communications component, at least one processor, and at least one tangible electronic memory storing data and numerous computer-executable modules to enable wireless hotspots with multiple network identifiers. Examples of at least some of the computer-executable modules includes, but is not limited to an input module, network identifier module, session management module, network management module, automatic location management module, authentication module, bandwidth negotiation module, billing interface module, and activity-based location module.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device comprising:

a geographic positioning device configured to determine a geographic location of the wireless communications device;

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wireless communications device to perform the following;

maintain separate public and private wireless networks;

establish a communication session with a first wireless device on the public wireless network;

wirelessly transmit a public network identifier to the first wireless device after receipt of a network management command, wherein the network management command includes the public network identifier corresponding to the public wireless network of the wireless communications device;

pass session data to a second wireless communications device to permit the first wireless device to maintain the communication session while moving from the public wireless network of the wireless communications device to a wireless network of the second wireless communications device; and

determine an approximate geographic location of the first wireless device based on the geographic location of the wireless communications device determined by the geographic positioning device and based on an activity level of the first wireless device over an interval of time, wherein the determining of the approximate geographic location of the first wireless device comprises using a token associated with the wireless communications device.

2. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to pass the session data in response to receiving a session transfer command from a service provider system.

3. The wireless communications device of claim 1, comprising:

a modem component configured to communicate with a service provider system over at least a wired network; and

a wireless communications component configured to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless device;

wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wireless communications device to;

report the approximate geographic location to the service provider system.

4. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the session data comprises information associated with data communicated on the public network by the first wireless device.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the token includes a customer premise equipment token.

5. A computer method comprising:

establishing a communication session with a first wireless device on a public wireless network of a first wireless communication device, wherein the first wireless communication device establishes the public wireless network in response to receiving a network management command comprising a public network identifier associated with the public wireless network;

wherein the first wireless communication device maintains the public wireless network and a private network;

passing session data to a second wireless communication device to permit the first wireless device to maintain the communication session while moving from the public wireless network of the first wireless communication device to a public wireless network of the second wireless communication device;

determining an approximate geographic location of the first wireless device based on a geographic location of the second wireless communication device and based on a user activity level of the first wireless device over an interval of time, wherein determining the approximate geographic location comprises using a token; and

wherein the second communication device comprises a geographic positioning device configured to determine the geographic location of the second wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network management command is transmitted from a service provider system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the passing session data to the second wireless communication device includes:

transmitting the session data to a service provider system that passes the session data to the second wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the private wireless network is separately encrypted from the public wireless network.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the public wireless network is dynamically configurable from a service provider system, and wherein the private wireless network is configured to operate on a separate channel than the public wireless network.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing the communication session with the first wireless device on the public wireless network, comprises:

restricting use of the public wireless network to wireless devices approved by an authentication module.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

wherein the first wireless communication device comprises a geographic positioning device configured to determine the geographic location of the first wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining of the approximate location further comprises:

determining that a user is participating in an instant messaging conversation using an instant messaging application on the first wireless device;

identifying an approximate location of the user to be the same as the approximate location of the first wireless device; and

after the identifying the approximate location of the user, receiving at the first wireless device, notifications configured to immediately notify the user.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one computer processor; and

a computer memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

maintain separate public and private wireless networks within a wireless range of a first wireless communications device;

establish a communication session with a first wireless device on the public wireless network;

wirelessly transmit a public network identifier to the first wireless device after receipt of a network management command, wherein the network management command includes a public network identifier corresponding to a public wireless network of the first wireless communications device;

pass session data to a second wireless communications device to permit the first wireless device to maintain the communication session while moving from the public wireless network of the first wireless communications device to a wireless network of the second wireless communications, wherein the first wireless communications device comprises a geographic positioning device configured to determine a geographic location of the first wireless communications device, wherein the second wireless communications device comprises a geographic positioning device configured to determine a geographic location of the second wireless communications device; and

determine an approximate geographic location of a user of the first wireless device based on an user-activity level of the first wireless device over an interval of time, wherein an approximate geographic location of the first wireless device is based on the geographic location of the second wireless communications device determined by the geographic positioning device in the second wireless communications device, where determining the approximate geographic location of the first wireless device includes tracking the approximate location of the first wireless device using a token.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

send an approximate geographic location of the first wireless device to a service provider system.

16. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a wireless communications device comprising a geographic positioning device, separate public and private wireless networks;

establishing a communication session with a first wireless device on the public wireless network;

wirelessly transmitting a public network identifier to the first wireless device after receipt of a network management command, wherein the network management command includes a public network identifier corresponding to the public wireless network of the wireless communications device;

passing session data to a second wireless communications device to permit the first wireless device to maintain the communication session while moving from the public wireless network of the wireless communications device to a wireless network of the second wireless communications device; and

determining an approximate geographic location of the first wireless device based on the geographic location of the wireless communications device determined by the geographic positioning device and based on a user activity level of the first wireless device over an interval of time, wherein the determining of the approximate geographic location of the first wireless device comprises using a token associated with the wireless communications device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to pass the session data in response to receiving a session transfer command.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless communications device comprises a modem component configured to communicate with a service provider system over at least a wired network and a wireless communications component configured to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless device, the method comprising:

reporting the approximate geographic location to the service provider system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the session data comprises information associated with data communicated on the public network by the first wireless device.