Granted Patent B2

US 9,055,606 · App. 12/537,970 · Granted Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. An Intelligent Mobile HotSpot (IMHS), comprising:

a wide area network radio interface configured to enable communications between a wide area network and the IMHS;

a local area network radio interface configured to enable communications between the IMHS and a computing device;

a user interface comprising a single user input, the single user input comprising a power input configured to cause the IMHS to be powered on;

a memory comprising a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, the memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor coupled with the memory, the instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the following in response to an activation of the power input:

automatically load modem instructions and router instructions into the volatile memory at predetermined locations therein,

automatically establish a first data connection with a base station associated with the wide area network over the wide area network,

automatically establish a second data connection with the computing device over the local area network, and

be in a ready state to route data packets from the computing device to the base station via the local area network data connection and the wide area network connection,

wherein the memory is further configured to store authentication procedures required to connect to the wide area network and settings for the local area network, and wherein the processor is further configured to use the authentication procedures and the settings to automatically establish the first data connection with the base station associated with the wide area network over the wide area network, and automatically establish the second data connection with the computing device over the local area network,

wherein the nonvolatile memory is configured to store modem instructions and a modem function table for controlling the wide area network interface and router instructions and a router function table for controlling the local area network interface, the router instructions comprising an address offset indicating an address in the volatile memory,

wherein an activation of the power input further causes the processor to load the modem instructions into the volatile memory, and to load the router instructions into volatile memory at the address indicated by the offset, and

wherein the modem instructions include a modem initialization routine and the router instructions include a router initialization routine, and wherein the modem initialization routine and the router initialization routine are configured to cause the processor to associate pointers with certain functions in the modem function table that point to functions in the router function table and to associate pointers with certain functions in the router function table that point to functions in the modem function table.

2. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the wide area network is a cellular type network.

3. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 2 , wherein the cellular type network is a WiMAX, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, LTE or DOrA network.

4. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the local area network is a WiFi network.

5. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the local area network is a wireless USB network or an Ultrawideband network, or a Zigbee network.

6. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the first data connection is a Point-to-Point (PPP) connection.

7. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the second data connection is a TCP/IP connection.

8. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the authentication procedures and the settings are updated over the wide area network.

9. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to automatically establish a data connection with a plurality of computing devices over the local area network, and route data requests from the plurality of computing devices to the base station via the local area network data connection and the wide area network connection.

10. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , further comprising a battery configured to supply power to the IMHS.

11. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 10 , wherein the IMHS has dimensions of approximately 3 and ⅜ inches by 2 and ⅛ inches.

12. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the wide area network radio interface comprises a radio front end and processor circuitry, and wherein the processor resides within the processor circuitry.

13. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 1 , wherein the local area network radio interface comprises a radio front end and processor circuitry, and wherein the processor resides within the processor circuitry.

14. An Intelligent Mobile HotSpot (IMHS), comprising:

a wide area network radio interface configured to enable communications between a wide area network and the IMHS;

a local area network radio interface configured to enable communications between the IMHS and a computing device;

a user interface comprising a single user input, the single user input comprising a power input configured to cause the IMHS to be powered on;

volatile memory;

non-volatile memory configured to store modem instructions and a modem function table for controlling the wide area network interface and router instructions and a router function table for controlling the local area network interface, the router instructions comprising an address offset indicating an address in the volatile memory; and

a processor coupled with memory, the instructions configured to cause the processor, in response to an activation of the power input, to load the modem instructions into the volatile memory, and to load the router instructions into volatile memory at the address indicated by the offset,

wherein the modem instructions and the router instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform the following in response to an activation of the power input:

automatically establish a data connection with a base station associated with the wide area network over the wide area network,

automatically establish a data connection with the computing device over the local area network, and

be in a ready state to route data packets from the computing device to the base station via the local area network data connection and the wide area network connection,

wherein the non-volatile memory is further configured to store authentication procedures required to connect to the wide area network and settings for the local area network, and wherein the processor is further configured to use the authentication procedures and the settings to automatically establish the data connection with the base station associated with the wide area network over the wide area network, and automatically establish the data connection with client the computing device over the local area network, and

wherein the modem instructions include a modem initialization routine and the router instructions include a router initialization routine, and wherein the modem initialization routine and the router initialization routine are configured to cause the processor to associate pointers with certain functions in the modem function table that point to functions in the router function table and to associate pointers with certain functions in the router function table that point to functions in the modem function table.

15. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 14 , wherein the wide area network is a cellular type network.

16. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 14 , wherein the local area network is a WiFi network.

17. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 14 , wherein the authentication procedures and the settings are updated over via the wide area network.

18. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 14 , wherein the wide area network data connection is a Point-to-Point (PPP) connection.

19. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 14 , wherein the local area network data connection is a TCP/IP connection.

20. A system for wireless data communication, comprising:

a base station associated with a wide area network; and

an Intelligent Mobile HotSpot (IMHS) comprising:

a wide area network radio interface configured to enable communications between the base station and the IMHS;

a local area network radio interface configured to enable communications between the IMHS and a computing device;

a user interface comprising a single user input, the single user input comprising a power input configured to cause the IMHS to be powered on;

a memory comprising a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, the memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor coupled with memory, the instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the following in response to an activation of the power input:

automatically load modem instructions and router instructions into the volatile memory at predetermined locations therein,

automatically establish a first data connection with the base station over the wide area network,

automatically establish a second data connection with the computing device over the local area network, and

be in a ready state to route data packets from the computing device to the base station via the local area network second data connection and the wide area network first data connection,

wherein the memory is further configured to store authentication procedures required to connect to the wide area network and settings for the local area network, and wherein the processor is further configured to use the authentication procedures and the settings to automatically establish the first data connection with the base station associated with the wide area network over the wide area network, and automatically establish the second data connection with the computing device over the local area network,

wherein the non-volatile memory is memory configured to store modem instructions and a modem function table for controlling the wide area network interface and router instructions and a router function table for controlling the local area network interface, the router instructions comprising an address offset indicating an address in the volatile memory,

wherein an activation of the power input further causes the processor to load the modem instructions into the volatile memory, and to load the router instructions into volatile memory at the address indicated by the offset, and

wherein the modem instructions include a modem initialization routine and the router instructions include a router initialization routine, and wherein the modem initialization routine and the router initialization routine are configured to cause the processor to associate pointers with certain functions in the modem function table that point to functions in the router function table and to associate pointers with certain functions in the router function table that point to functions in the modem function table.

21. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 20 , wherein the wide area network is a cellular type network.

22. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 20 , wherein the local area network is a WiFi network.

23. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 20 , wherein the authentication procedures and the settings are updated over via the wide area network.

24. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 20 , wherein the first data connection is a Point-to-Point (PPP) connection.

25. The Intelligent Mobile HotSpot of claim 20 , wherein the second data connection is a TCP/IP connection.

Assignments (12)