Portable communications device and method
View Patent ↗A device and method of providing wireless communications is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes determining that a plurality of wireless networks are concurrently available to provide wireless communication for a telephone device wherein the plurality of wireless networks include different types of networks, selecting one of the plurality of wireless networks based, at least in part, one or more rules, establishing a first wireless communication link with a remote device via the selected network, and wherein the one or more rules are configured to reduce a cost of communicating data. Other embodiments may include various other selection criteria for selecting a network such as, for example, the available bandwidth of one or more of the networks and the type of data to be communicated.
1. A method of establishing a wireless communication link for a mobile device that includes a memory storing selection criteria, the method comprising:
determining whether a wireless local area network and a cellular network are concurrently available to provide wireless communication for the mobile device;
in response to determining that the wireless local area network and the cellular network are concurrently available, selecting one of the wireless local area network or the cellular network for communication based, at least in part, on the selection criteria;
establishing a first wireless communication link via the selected network;
determining whether a network switching condition exists; and
in response to determining that the network switching condition exists, establishing a second wireless communication link for communicating with a remote device via a different network;
wherein:
the selection criteria comprises a type of data to be communicated; and
the first wireless communication link is configured to communicate with the remote device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises information concerning a type of each network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a request to communicate a particular data type.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises anticipated mobile device activity.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a cost of using at least one of the networks.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a relative cost of communicating via each network.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a cost per amount of data communicated.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks and a desired bandwidth for the first wireless communication link.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an amount of data to be communicated.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an indication that a particular application has been executed on the mobile device.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria further comprises a cost associated with using at least one of the networks.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria further comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
terminating the first wireless communication link.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in network conditions related to the first wireless communication link.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a reduction in an available bandwidth of the first wireless communication link.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in a type of data to be communicated via the first wireless communication link.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network switching condition comprises determining that a particular application has been initiated on the mobile device.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in one or more network conditions related to the different network.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of selecting one of the wireless local area network or the cellular network for communication comprises selecting the wireless local area network based, at least in part, on a lower cost of using the wireless local area network.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device includes an image input device, the method further comprising:
capturing image data via the image input device; and
transmitting the image data via the first wireless communication link.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device includes a display, the method further comprising:
receiving video data via the first wireless communication link; and
presenting the video via the display.
23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
establishing a third wireless communication link and wherein one of the first wireless communication link and the third communication link is configured to communicate voice data, and the other wireless communication link is configured to communicate non-voice data; and
wherein the first wireless communication link and the third wireless communication link exist contemporaneously to concurrently provide voice and data communications.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises one or more rules stored in the memory.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria comprises one or more rules configured to reduce a cost of using the mobile device.
26. A device, comprising:
a memory storing selection criteria;
cellular network transceiver configured to provide cellular network communications;
a wireless local area network transceiver configured to provide wireless local area network communications; and
a processor configured to be operatively associated with the memory, the cellular network transceiver, and the wireless local area network transceiver, the processor configured to:
determine whether a wireless local area network and a cellular network are concurrently available to provide wireless communications for the device;
in response to determining that the wireless local area network and the cellular network are concurrently available, select one of the wireless local area network transceiver and the cellular network transceiver for a communication based, at least in part, on the selection criteria; and
cause the selected transceiver to establish a first wireless communication link;
wherein:
the selection criteria comprises a type of data to be communicated;
the first wireless communication link is configured to communicate with a remote device and the processor is further configured to:
determine whether a network switching condition exists; and
in response to determining that the network switching condition exists, cause the other one of the wireless local area network transceiver and the cellular network transceiver to establish a second wireless communication link with the remote device.
27. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a request to communicate a particular data type.
28. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an amount of data to be communicated.
29. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a cost of using at least one of the networks.
30. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks and a desired bandwidth for the first wireless communication link.
31. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks.
32. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises an indication that a particular application has been executed on the device.
33. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria further comprises a cost associated with using at least one of the networks.
34. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises one or more rules configured to reduce a cost of using the device.
35. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria further comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks.
36. The device of claim 26 , further comprising:
an image input device configured to be operatively associated with the processor and configured to capture image data, and
wherein the processor is further configured to cause the selected transceiver to transmit the image data via the first wireless communication link.
37. The device of claim 26 , further comprising:
a display configured to be operatively associated with the processor, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive video data via the first wireless communication link and present the video data via the display.
38. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises one or more rules stored in the memory.
39. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises information concerning a type of each network.
40. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises anticipated device activity.
41. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a relative cost of communicating via each network.
42. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises a cost per amount of data communicated.
43. The device of claim 26 , wherein the selection criteria comprises one or more rules configured to reduce a cost of using the device.
44. The device of claim 26 , wherein the processor is further configured to terminate the first wireless communication link.
45. The device of claim 26 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in network conditions related to the first wireless communication link.
46. The device of claim 26 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a reduction in an available bandwidth of the first wireless communication link.
47. The device of claim 26 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in a type of data to be communicated via the first wireless communication link.
48. The device of claim 26 , wherein the network switching condition comprises initiation of a particular application on the device.
49. The device of claim 26 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in one or more network conditions related to the other network.
50. The device of claim 26 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
establish a third wireless communication link, wherein one of the first wireless communication link and the third communication link is configured to communicate voice data, the other one of the first wireless communication link and the third wireless communication link is configured to communicate non-voice data, and the first wireless communication link and the third wireless communication link exist contemporaneously to concurrently provide voice and data communications.
51. A method of establishing a wireless communication link for a mobile device that includes a memory storing one or more rules configured to reduce a cost of communicating data, the method comprising:
determining whether a plurality of wireless networks are concurrently available to provide wireless communication for the mobile device, wherein the plurality of wireless networks include different types of networks;
in response to determining that the plurality of wireless networks are concurrently available, selecting one of the plurality of wireless networks based, at least in part, on the one or more rules;
establishing a first wireless communication link with a remote device via the selected network;
determining whether a network switching condition exists; and
in response to determining that the network switching condition exists, establishing a second wireless communication link with the remote device via a different network;
wherein:
at least one of the one or more rules comprises a rule based on a type of data to be communicated; and
the first wireless communication link is configured to communicate with the remote device.
52. The method of claim 51 , wherein the plurality of wireless networks include a wireless local area network and a cellular network and the one or more rules are configured to select the wireless local area network.
53. The method of claim 51 , wherein the one or more rules are further configured to cause a network to be selected based on a bandwidth of one or more of the plurality of wireless networks.
54. The method of claim 51 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in a type of data to be communicated via the first wireless communication link.
55. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions for determining whether a wireless local area network and a cellular network are concurrently available to provide wireless communication for a mobile device;
instructions for, in response to determining that the wireless local area network and the cellular network are concurrently available, selecting one of the wireless local area network or the cellular network for communication based, at least in part, on predetermined selection criteria;
instructions for establishing a first wireless communication link via the selected network;
instructions for determining whether a network switching condition exists; and
instructions for, in response to determining that the network switching condition exists, establishing a second wireless communication link with a remote device via a different network;
wherein:
the predetermined selection criteria comprises a type of data to be communicated; and
the first wireless communication link is configured to communicate with the remote device.
56. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises a request to communicate a particular data type.
57. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises an amount of data to be communicated.
58. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises a cost of using at least one of the networks.
59. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks and a desired bandwidth for the first wireless communication link.
60. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks.
61. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises an indication that a particular application has been executed on the device.
62. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria further comprises a cost associated with using at least one of the networks.
63. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria comprises one or more rules configured to reduce a cost of using the device.
64. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the predetermined selection criteria further comprises an available bandwidth of at least one of the networks.
65. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , further comprising:
instructions for causing an image input device to capture image data; and
instructions for causing the image data to be transmitted via the first wireless communication link.
66. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , further comprising:
instructions for receive video data via the first wireless communication link; and
instructions for presenting the video data.
67. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 55 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in a type of data to be communicated via the first wireless communication link.
68. A system comprising:
means for determining whether a wireless local area network and a cellular network are concurrently available to provide wireless communication for a mobile device;
means for, in response to determining that the wireless local area network and the cellular network are concurrently available, selecting one of the wireless local area network or the cellular network for communication based, at least in part, on predetermined selection criteria;
means for establishing a first wireless communication link via the selected network;
means for determining whether a network switching condition exists; and
means for, in response to determining that the network switching condition exists, establishing a second wireless communication link with a remote device via a different network;
wherein:
the predetermined selection criteria comprises a type of data to be communicated; and
the first wireless communication link is configured to communicate with the remote device.
69. The system of claim 68 , wherein the network switching condition comprises a change in a type of data to be communicated via the first wireless communication link.