Intermediate networking devices
View Patent ↗A wireless communication device comprising: one or more network modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate over a first wireless network; one or more network modems enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with two or more end-point devices over a second wireless network; one or more processors configured to execute one or more instructions; and memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to provide the one or more processors with the one or more instructions. The one or more instructions, when executed by the processors, cause processors to: establish a first connection between the wireless communication device and a first end-point device; establish a second connection between the wireless communication device and a second end-point device; apply a first control to traffic transmitted by or to the first end-point device; and apply a second control to traffic transmitted by or to the second end-point device.
1. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a wireless wide-area network (WWAN) modem enabling the wireless communication device to communicate with a network system over at least a first WWAN;
a wireless local area network (WLAN) modem enabling the wireless communication device to directly communicate with two or more wireless end-user devices;
one or more processors configured to execute one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
establish a first direct connection, via the WLAN modem, between the wireless communication device and a first wireless end-user device of the two or more wireless end-user devices;
establish a second direct connection, concurrent with the first connection and via the WLAN modem, between the wireless communication device and a second wireless end-user device of the two or more wireless end-user devices;
apply a first network usage control to first traffic, the first traffic forwarded by the wireless communication device between the first WWAN and the first wireless end-user device; and
apply a second network usage control to second traffic, the second traffic forwarded by the wireless communication device between the first WWAN and the second wireless end-user device; and
memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to provide the one or more processors with the one or more instructions.
2. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to obtain an accounting of usage of the first WWAN.
3. The wireless communication device recited in claim 2 , wherein the accounting of usage of the first WWAN comprises a measure of usage for data forwarded between the first WWAN and a plurality of connected wireless end-user devices, the plurality including the first wireless end-user device and the second wireless end-user device.
4. The wireless communication device recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the accounting of usage of the first WWAN comprises a measure of usage for data forwarded between the first WWAN and the first wireless end-user device, the second wireless end-user device, or both the first wireless end-user device and the second wireless end-user device.
5. The wireless communication device recited in claim 2 , wherein obtaining an accounting of usage of the first wireless network comprises measuring usage of the first WWAN by the wireless communication device.
6. The wireless communication device recited in claim 2 , wherein obtaining an accounting of usage of the first WWAN comprises receiving a measurement of usage of the first WWAN from a network element communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device over the first WWAN.
7. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to modify the first network usage control based on an accounting of usage of the first WWAN by the wireless communication device and associated with the first wireless end-user device.
8. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein the first network usage control or the second network usage control is based on a service plan limit.
9. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine that the first wireless end-user device is not authorized to access the wireless communication device to communicate over the first WWAN.
10. The wireless communication device recited in claim 9 , wherein, in response to the determination that the first wireless end-user device is not authorized to access the wireless communication device to communicate over the first WWAN, the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to provide a notification to the first wireless end-user device.
11. The wireless communication device recited in claim 10 , wherein the notification comprises information about a service plan.
12. The wireless communication device recited in claim 11 , wherein the information indicates that the service plan has expired.
13. The wireless communication device recited in claim 11 , wherein the information about the service plan comprises an offer for the service plan.
14. The wireless communication device recited in claim 13 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to obtain a response to the offer for the service plan from the first wireless end-user device.
15. The wireless communication device recited in claim 14 , wherein the response to the offer for the service plan comprises an acceptance of the offer for the service plan.
16. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein the first network usage control allows the first traffic, and wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the first network usage control needs to be modified; and
change the first network usage control to block or restrict the first traffic.
17. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to limit how many of the two or more wireless end-user devices are authorized to connect concurrently to the first WWAN through the wireless communication device.
18. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein there is a limit on how many of the two or more wireless end-user devices are authorized to be connected concurrently to the wireless communication device.
19. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to identify a particular service usage by the first wireless end-user device to be sponsored by a third-party service partner.
20. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein the first WWAN comprises a cellular 2G network, a cellular 3G network, a cellular 4G network, or a WiMAX network.
21. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , wherein the WLAN modem comprises an 802.11 Wi-Fi network modem, a Bluetooth network modem, a wireless personal area network (WPAN) modem, or a near field communication (NFC) network modem.
22. The wireless communication device recited in claim 1 , further comprising a user interface.
23. The wireless communication device recited in claim 22 , wherein the user interface comprises a display on the wireless communication device.
24. The wireless communication device recited in claim 22 , wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to make available, through the user interface, one or more tools enabling a user to configure the first connection, the second connection, or both the first and second connections.