Granted Patent B2

US 8,902,926 · App. 11/849,020 · Granted Dec 2, 2014

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless portable base station communicable with a local wireless network, the wireless portable base station configured to:

establish a first wireless communication link with at least one local wireless device over the local wireless network; and

form a wireless access point when a mobile computing device is coupled with the wireless portable base station, wherein the mobile computing device is in communication with a second wireless network over a second wireless communication link,

wherein the wireless access point formed when the wireless portable base station is coupled to the mobile computing device provides the at least one local wireless device with access to the second wireless network through the first wireless communication link and over the second wireless communication link, and

wherein the wireless portable base station cannot communicate with the second wireless network unless coupled with the mobile computing device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access point is formed when the mobile computing device is coupled with the wireless portable base station using a direct physical connection.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station and the mobile computing device coupled by a wired connection.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station and the mobile computing device coupled by a short range wireless connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station to supply power to the mobile computing device when coupled.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the second wireless network comprising a cellular telephone network providing one or more of voice communications and wireless wide area network (WWAN) data communications.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first wireless communication link comprising a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first wireless communication link comprising a short range wireless connection.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first wireless communication link comprising a cordless telephone channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one local wireless device comprising a personal computer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one local wireless device comprising a media device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one local wireless device comprising a cordless telephone handset.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , the wireless portable base station to transmit a ringer signal to the cordless telephone handset.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station comprising a telephone port to connect to a cordless telephone base.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station to store media content.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station comprising a voice/data gateway for communicating voice and other data to and from the mobile computing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , the voice/data gateway comprising a router for directing voice and other data.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station comprising a WLAN transceiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station comprising a cordless telephone transceiver.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , the wireless portable base station comprising a personal area network (PAN) transceiver.

21. A method comprising:

coupling a wireless portable base station operable on a local wireless network to a mobile computing device operable on a second wireless network to cooperatively form a wireless access point;

establishing a local wireless connection between the wireless portable base station and a wireless communication device within range;

establishing a second wireless communication link between the mobile computing device and the second wireless network; and

providing the wireless communication device with access to the second wireless network through the local wireless connection and over the second wireless communication link via the wireless access point formed when the wireless portable base station is coupled to the mobile computing device, and wherein the wireless portable base station cannot communicate with the second wireless network unless coupled with the mobile computing device.

22. The method of claim 21 , the local wireless connection comprising a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection.

23. The method of claim 21 , the local wireless connection comprising a short range wireless connection.

24. The method of claim 21 , the local wireless connection comprising a cordless telephone channel.

25. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

establish a wireless communication link to a network from a mobile computing device coupled to a wireless portable base station, wherein the mobile computing device and the portable base station, when coupled, form a wireless access point, and wherein the wireless portable base station cannot communicate with the network unless coupled with the mobile computing device;

establish a local wireless connection from the access point to a wireless communication device within range; and

provide, via the access point formed when the mobile computing device and the wireless portable base station are coupled, the wireless communication device with access to the network through the local wireless connection and over the wireless communication link.

26. The article of claim 25 , the local wireless connection comprising a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection.

27. The article of claim 25 , the local wireless connection comprising a short range wireless connection.

28. The article of claim 25 , the local wireless connection comprising a cordless telephone channel.

Assignments (9)