LOCATION BASED DATA PATH SELECTION
A wireless communication device is provided that includes a cellular telephony module to access a cellular network, a wireless communication module to access a non-cellular network, an antenna configured to be in wireless communication with a plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks including the cellular and non-cellular networks, a mobile location module operable to determine a current spatial location of the communication device, and a mobile network selector operable, based at least in part on the current spatial location of the communication device, to select a compatible and currently accessible communication network from among the plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks.
1 . A wireless communication device, comprising:
a display to provide graphical information to a user;
a cellular telephony module to access at least one cellular network;
a wireless communication module to access at least one non-cellular network;
an antenna configured to be in wireless communication with a plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks, the plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks comprising the at least one cellular network and at least one non-cellular network;
a power source and power control module operable to provide power to the device; and
a mobile location module operable to determine a current spatial location of the communication device; and
a mobile network selector operable, based at least in part on the current spatial location of the communication device, to select a compatible and currently accessible communication network from among the plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-cellular network is defined by one of the following protocols: Wimax, WiFi™, and Bluetooth™ and wherein the at least one cellular network is defined by at one of the following radio data communication protocols: HIPERMAN, iBurst, EDGE Evolution, EV-DO, Flash-OFDM, 1G, 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, pre-4G, 4G, 5G, UMTS W-CDMA, and UMTS-TDD.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the mobile network selector maps the current spatial location of the communication device against a prioritized listing of compatible communication networks based on spatial location to select the compatible and currently accessible communication network.
4 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a mobile network analyzer operable to determine network information about cellular and non-cellular communication networks and wherein the mobile network analyzer determines network information by at least one of the following techniques:
(a) periodically sending a packet through the currently accessed communication network, whereby the currently accessed communication network is timed for at least one of data packet throughput speed and data packet integrity;
(b) transferring a file from the communication device to a selected destination node and measuring a time required to complete the transfer, wherein a throughput is calculated by dividing a file size by a time to get the throughput;
(c) pinging a selected destination with a plurality of packets; and
(d) accessing performance information from stored by a discrete network node.
5 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the selection by the mobile network selector is based on a network characteristic other than network speed, wherein the network characteristic is at least one of a current or anticipated user requirement, network reliability, network performance, network bandwidth, network throughput, and data transmission cost, and wherein the mobile network selector compares network information for each of the compatible, currently accessible wireless network with at least one data transmission resource requirement for the device activity, based on predetermined rules, to determines whether one or more of the compatible, currently accessible networks can satisfy the at least one data transmission resource requirement.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one data transmission resource requirement comprises multiple requirements ranked hierarchically in order of importance, such that, if a highest ranked requirement is satisfied, but a second highest ranked requirement is not satisfied, by a selected compatible and currently accessible network, the selected compatible and currently accessible network is eligible for selection and wherein the at least one data transmission requirement comprises one or more of data transmission speed required for adequate performance, network reliability required for adequate performance, total network resources consumed or to be consumed, network performance, and network data usage cost per unit.
7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of a gesture capture area, at least one user configurable area, a task management module, an application manager, and an application store, and wherein the display is a touch screen display.
8 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one data transmission resource requirement comprises multiple requirements ranked hierarchically in order of importance, such that, if a highest ranked requirement is satisfied, but a second highest ranked requirement is not satisfied, by a selected compatible and currently accessible network, the selected compatible and currently accessible network is eligible for selection and wherein the at least one data transmission requirement comprises one or more of data transmission speed required for adequate performance, network reliability required for adequate performance, total network resources consumed or to be consumed, network performance, and network data usage cost per unit.
9 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the mobile network selector selects a compatible and currently accessible network in response to one or more of a user establishing a network connection and initiating an application or service, a transaction, or network consumptive and wherein the mobile network selector at least one of: determines an expected likelihood of the at least one data transmission requirement being satisfied by a selected compatible and currently accessible network within a selected period of time; outputs a side-by-side comparison of a current and/or expected performance of each of the compatible and currently accessible networks with the at least one data transmission requirement; assigns a compliance or non-compliance score to each of the plurality of compatible and currently accessible networks; determines an expected performance of each of the plurality of compatible and currently accessible networks within the selected period of time; determines a probability of performing and completing a transaction successfully within the selected period of time; determines an expected cost of the performance and/or completion of the transaction within the selected period of time; and determines an expected cost per unit time of the performance and/or completion of the transaction.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile network selector selects a compatible and currently accessible network during execution of an application, service, or transaction.
11 . A method, comprising:
providing a wireless communication device comprising:
a display to provide graphical information to a user;
a cellular telephony module to access at least one cellular network;
a wireless communication module to access at least one non-cellular network;
an antenna configured to be in wireless communication with a plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks, the plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks comprising the at least one cellular network and at least one non-cellular network;
a power source and power control module operable to provide power to the device; and
a microprocessor executable a mobile location module and mobile network analyzer;
determining, by the mobile location module, a current spatial location of the communication device; and
based at least in part on the current spatial location of the communication device, selecting, by the mobile network selector, a compatible and currently accessible communication network from among the plurality of compatible and currently accessible communication networks.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one non-cellular network is defined by one of the following protocols: Wimax, WiFi™, and Bluetooth™ and wherein the at least one cellular network is defined by at one of the following radio data communication protocols: HIPERMAN, iBurst, EDGE Evolution, EV-DO, Flash-OFDM, 1G, 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, pre-4G, 4G, 5G, UMTS W-CDMA, and UMTS-TDD.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the mobile network selector maps the current spatial location of the communication device against a prioritized listing of compatible communication networks based on spatial location to select the compatible and currently accessible communication network.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the memory comprises a mobile network analyzer operable to determine network information about cellular and non-cellular communication networks and wherein the mobile network analyzer determines network information by at least one of the following steps:
(a) periodically sending a packet through the currently accessed communication network, whereby the currently accessed communication network is timed for at least one of data packet throughput speed and data packet integrity;
(b) transferring a file from the communication device to a selected destination node and measuring a time required to complete the transfer, wherein a throughput is calculated by dividing a file size by a time to get the throughput;
(c) pinging a selected destination with a plurality of packets; and
(d) accessing performance information from stored by a discrete network node.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection by the mobile network selector is based on a network characteristic other than network speed, wherein the network characteristic is at least one of a current or anticipated user requirement, network reliability, network performance, network bandwidth, network throughput, and data transmission cost, and wherein the mobile network selector compares network state information for each of the compatible, currently accessible wireless network with at least one data transmission resource requirement for the device activity, based on predetermined rules, to determines whether one or more of the compatible, currently accessible networks can satisfy the at least one data transmission resource requirement.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one data transmission resource requirement comprises multiple requirements ranked hierarchically in order of importance, such that, if a highest ranked requirement is satisfied, but a second highest ranked requirement is not satisfied, by a selected compatible and currently accessible network, the selected compatible and currently accessible network is eligible for selection and wherein the at least one data transmission requirement comprises one or more of data transmission speed required for adequate performance, network reliability required for adequate performance, total network resources consumed or to be consumed, network performance, and network data usage cost per unit.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of a gesture capture area, at least one user configurable area, a task management module, an application manager, and an application store, and wherein the display is a touch screen display.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one data transmission resource requirement comprises multiple requirements ranked hierarchically in order of importance, such that, if a highest ranked requirement is satisfied, but a second highest ranked requirement is not satisfied, by a selected compatible and currently accessible network, the selected compatible and currently accessible network is eligible for selection and wherein the at least one data transmission requirement comprises one or more of data transmission speed required for adequate performance, network reliability required for adequate performance, total network resources consumed or to be consumed, network performance, and network data usage cost per unit.
19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the mobile network selector selects a compatible and currently accessible network in response to one or more of a user establishing a network connection and initiating an application or service, a transaction, or network consumptive and wherein the mobile network selector at least one of: determines an expected likelihood of the at least one data transmission requirement being satisfied by a selected compatible and currently accessible network within a selected period of time; outputs a side-by-side comparison of a current and/or expected performance of each of the compatible and currently accessible networks with the at least one data transmission requirement; assigns a compliance or non-compliance score to each of the plurality of compatible and currently accessible networks; determines an expected performance of each of the plurality of compatible and currently accessible networks within the selected period of time; determines a probability of performing and completing a transaction successfully within the selected period of time; determines an expected cost of the performance and/or completion of the transaction within the selected period of time; and determines an expected cost per unit time of the performance and/or completion of the transaction.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the mobile network selector selects a compatible and currently accessible network during execution of an application, service, or transaction.
21 . A computer readable medium comprising microprocessor executable instructions that, when executed perform the determining and selecting steps.