Handheld device capable of providing data tethering services while maintaining suite of handheld service functions

• US 9,398,136 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Masputra, Cahya
• Primary Examiner(s): JAKOVAC, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US12/426,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20100267368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,647 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An improved tethering system is described in which a handheld device can be used by a user to reach the same network that the handheld device also provides access to for a tethering machine. Specifically, as described herein, a handheld device provides a tethering machine with access to a remote network (e.g., the Internet) through a wireless network that the handheld device is communicatively coupled to. Not only is the handheld device able to support multiple data flows between the tethering machine and the remote network, but also, the handheld device is capable of being used by a user to “surf” or otherwise access the same remote network that the handheld device provides the tethering machine with access to. For example, if the remote network is the Internet and the handheld device is a “smart phone”, a user who is holding the smart phone can access the Internet concurrently with one or more applications on the tethering machine that are also access the Internet. Moreover, the smart phone is also capable of concurrently supporting other networked services that the smart phone is designed to provide such as voicemail services, messaging services, and telephony (cell phone) services.

Claims

1. A handheld device, comprising:

a radio; and

a processor;

wherein said processor is configured to;

instantiate on said handheld device a first interface for accessing a data service via a remote network, said first interface being a first instance of software program code that is configured to receive first packets from an application on said handheld device and prepare said first packets to be transmitted from said handheld device to said remote network via said radio;

instantiate on said handheld device a second interface that provides to a tethered device access to said data service via said remote network, said second interface being a second instance of said software program code that is configured to receive second packets from a third interface on said handheld device for said tethered device and prepare said second packets to be transmitted from said handheld device to said remote network via said radio, wherein said instances of said software program code for said first and second interfaces are separate instances of said software program code; and

provide said handheld device and said tethered device with concurrent access to said data service via said remote network by transmitting packets to and from said remote network, said first interface providing for a data flow of said first packets associated with said application'"'"'s access to said data service, said second interface providing for a data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein provide for said data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service, said processor configured to refer to information that maps said tethered device to said second interface.

3. The handheld device of claim 2, wherein said information includes at least one of:

an address of a subnet assigned to a communication path between said handheld device and said tethered device;

or

an identifier of said third interface on said handheld device through which said second packets sent from said tethered device are received.

4. The handheld device of claim 2, wherein said data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service includes data flows for multiple applications on said tethered device.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said handheld device is a smart phone and said remote network for accessing said data service is the Internet.

6. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said tethered device is communicatively coupled to said handheld device with at least one of the following:

a wireless connection;

a Local Area Network (LAN);

or a cable.

19. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

detect availability of a wireless network in said handheld device, said wireless network having access to said remote network; and

redirect said data flows for said first and second interfaces to said wireless network, wherein redirecting said data flows for said first and second interfaces to said wireless network provides continued concurrent access to said data service via said remote network without interruption.

22. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

concurrently provide said user of said handheld device with access to non-data services, including one or more of a telephony service, a messaging service and a voicemail service via said carrier cellular network, wherein a flow of packets representing a call associated with said telephony service, messaging service and voicemail service terminates at said handheld device.

7. A method performed by a handheld device, comprising:

instantiating on said handheld device a first interface for accessing a data service via a remote network, said first interface being a first instance of software program code that is configured to receive first packets from an application on said handheld device and prepare said first packets to be transmitted from said handheld device to said remote network via a radio;

instantiating on said handheld device a second interface that provides to a tethered device access to said data service via said remote network, said second interface being a second instance of said software program code that is configured to receive second packets from a third interface on said handheld device for said tethered device and prepare said second packets to be transmitted from said handheld device to said remote network via said radio, wherein said instances of said software program code for said first and second interfaces are separate instances of said software program code; and

providing said handheld device and said tethered device with concurrent access to said data service via said remote network by transmitting packets to and from said remote network, said first interface providing for a data flow of said first packets associated with said application'"'"'s access to said data service, said second interface providing for a data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the providing for said data flow of second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service, comprises referring to information that maps said tethered device to said second interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said information includes any of:

an address of a subnet assigned to a communication path between said handheld device and said tethered device; and

an identifier of said third interface on said handheld device through which said second packets sent from said tethered device are received.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service includes data flows for multiple applications on said tethered device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said handheld device is a smart phone and said remote network for accessing said data service is the Internet.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said tethered device is communicatively coupled to said handheld device with at least one of the following:

a wireless connection;

a Local Area Network (LAN);

or a cable.

20. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting availability of a wireless network in said handheld device, said wireless network having access to said remote network; and

redirecting said data flows for said first and second interfaces to said wireless network, wherein redirecting said data flows for said first and second interfaces to said wireless network provides continued concurrent access to said data service via said remote network without interruption.

13. A tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium containing stored program code that when processed by a processing core of a handheld device causes said handheld device to perform operations, comprising:

instantiating on said handheld device a first interface for accessing a data service via a remote network, said first interface being a first instance of software program code that is configured to receive first packets from an application on said handheld device and prepare said first packets to be transmitted from said handheld device to said remote network via said radio;

instantiating on said handheld device a second interface that provides to a tethered device access to said data service via said remote network, said second interface being a second instance of said software program code that is configured to receive second packets from a third interface on said handheld device for said tethered device and prepare said second packets to be transmitted from said handheld device to said remote network via said radio, wherein said instances of said software program code for said first and second interfaces are separate instances of said software program code; and

providing said handheld device and said tethered device with concurrent access to said data service via said remote network by transmitting packets to and from said remote network, said first interface providing for a data flow of said first packets associated with said application'"'"'s access to said data service, said second interface providing for a data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service.

14. The tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein said providing for said data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service operation, comprises referring to information that maps said tethered device to said second interface.

15. The tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein said information includes any of:

an address of a subnet assigned to a communication path between said handheld device and said tethered device; and

an identifier of said third interface on said handheld device through which said second packets sent from said tethered device are received.

16. The tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein said data flow of said second packets associated with said tethered device'"'"'s access to said data service includes data flows for multiple applications on said tethered device.

17. The tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein said handheld device is a smart phone and said remote network for accessing said data service is the Internet.

18. The tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein said tethered device is communicatively coupled to said handheld device with at least one of the following:

a wireless connection;

a Local Area Network (LAN);

or a cable.

21. The tangible machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein said operations further comprise:

detecting availability of a wireless network in said handheld device, said wireless network having access to said remote network; and

redirecting said data flows for said first and second interfaces to said wireless network, wherein redirecting said data flows for said first and second interfaces to said wireless network provides continued concurrent access to said data service via said remote network without interruption.