Establishing communication
View Patent ↗In particular embodiments, a broadband receiver of a wireless communications device may poll a broadband communications channel for configuration data. Once the configuration data has been received, the channel may be established, and connection information may be transmitted to a base station. The connection information may be an identifier for a user of a social-networking system. Based on the identifier, the device may be able to establish a narrowband communications channel with the base station. Using the identifier, the base station may be able to begin retrieving social-networking information for the user while establishing a communications channel using the narrowband transceiver. Once the narrowband communications channel has been established, the wireless communications device may be able to receive the social-networking information over that channel and provide social-networking functionality.
1. A method comprising:
by a broadband transceiver of a wireless communications device, receiving from a base station an initial broadband signal comprising configuration information for establishing a narrowband communications channel with the base station;
by the broadband transceiver of the wireless communications device, sending to the base station a response broadband signal comprising connection information associated with a user of a social-networking system;
by the wireless communications device, based on the received configuration information of the initial broadband signal, configuring a narrowband transceiver to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel;
by the narrowband transceiver of the wireless communications device, establishing the narrowband communications channel for communicating to the base station using narrowband signals;
by the narrowband transceiver of the wireless communications device, receiving social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system, the social-networking information being sent by the base station over the narrowband communications channel using the narrowband signals; and
by the wireless communications device, presenting the social-networking information to the user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the social-networking information comprises one or more of:
targeted advertising for the social-networking user;
automatic check in of the social networking user;
customized television or video programming based on a user profile of the social-networking user; or
content from a service or another device that is connected to the social-networking system.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the narrowband communications channel is provided by the base station in accordance with a determination by the social-networking system.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determination is based on a social-graph connection between the user and an owner of the base station.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determination is based on the user checking in with an entity through the social-networking system, wherein the entity is associated with or is an owner of the base station.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the social-networking information sent by the base station was retrieved from the social-networking system by the base station.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the base station retrieves the social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system while the narrowband transceiver is being configured to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the wireless communications device, sending information to the social-networking system via the base station, the information being sent to the base station over the narrowband communications channel.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of: source device identification information; destination device identification information; channel identification information; security information; symbol rate information; error correction information; channel equalization information; timing information; protocol information; physical layer information; medium access control layer information; data link layer information; network layer information; or application information.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connection information comprises one or more of: an identifier for the user of the social-networking system; an identifier of the wireless communications device; a request to access a network over the narrowband communications channel; a password; or a secret key.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial and response broadband signals are amplitude-shift-keyed signals.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the narrowband transceiver is one of:
a Wi-Fi transceiver; a Bluetooth transceiver; a cellular transceiver; or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.
13. A wireless communications device comprising:
a broadband transceiver configured to:
receive from a base station an initial broadband signal comprising configuration information for establishing a narrowband communications channel with the base station; and
send to the base station a response broadband signal comprising connection information associated with a user of a social-networking system;
circuitry configured to, based on the received configuration information of the initial broadband signal, configure a narrowband transceiver to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel;
the narrowband transceiver, configured to:
establish the narrowband communications channel for communicating to the base station using narrowband signals; and
receive social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system, the social-networking information being sent by the base station over the narrowband communications channel using the narrowband signals; and
a display configured to present the social-networking information to the user.
14. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the social-networking information comprises one or more of:
targeted advertising for the social-networking user;
automatic check in of the social networking user;
customized television or video programming based on a user profile of the social-networking user; or
content from a service or another device that is connected to the social-networking system.
15. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the narrowband communications channel is provided by the base station in accordance with a determination by the social-networking system.
16. The wireless communications device of claim 15 , wherein the determination is based on a social-graph connection between the user and an owner of the base station.
17. The wireless communications device of claim 15 , wherein the determination is based on the user checking in with an entity through the social-networking system, wherein the entity is associated with or is an owner of the base station.
18. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the social-networking information sent by the base station was retrieved from the social-networking system by the base station.
19. The wireless communications device of claim 18 , wherein the base station retrieves the social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system while the narrowband transceiver is being configured to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel.
20. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the broadband transceiver is further configured to send information to the social-networking system via the base station, the information being sent to the base station over the narrowband communications channel.
21. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of: source device identification information; destination device identification information; channel identification information; security information; symbol rate information; error correction information; channel equalization information; timing information; protocol information; physical layer information; medium access control layer information; data link layer information; network layer information; or application information.
22. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the connection information comprises one or more of: an identifier for the user of the social-networking system; an identifier of the wireless communications device; a request to access a network over the narrowband communications channel; a password; or a secret key.
23. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the initial and response broadband signals are amplitude-shift-keyed signals.
24. The wireless communications device of claim 13 , wherein the narrowband transceiver is one of: a Wi-Fi transceiver; a Bluetooth transceiver; a cellular transceiver; or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.
25. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
receive from a base station an initial broadband signal comprising configuration information for establishing a narrowband communications channel with the base station;
send to the base station a response broadband signal comprising connection information associated with a user of a social-networking system;
configure, based on the received configuration information of the initial broadband signal, a narrowband transceiver to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel;
establish the narrowband communications channel for communicating to the base station using narrowband signals;
receive social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system, the social-networking information being sent by the base station over the narrowband communications channel using the narrowband signals; and
present the social-networking information to the user.
26. The media of claim 25 , wherein the social-networking information comprises one or more of:
targeted advertising for the social-networking user;
automatic check in of the social networking user;
customized television or video programming based on a user profile of the social-networking user; or
content from a service or another device that is connected to the social-networking system.
27. The media of claim 25 , wherein the narrowband communications channel is provided by the base station in accordance with a determination by the social-networking system.
28. The media of claim 27 , wherein the determination is based on a social-graph connection between the user and an owner of the base station.
29. The media of claim 27 , wherein the determination is based on the user checking in with an entity through the social-networking system, wherein the entity is associated with or is an owner of the base station.
30. The media of claim 25 , wherein the social-networking information sent by the base station was retrieved from the social-networking system by the base station.
31. The media of claim 30 , wherein the base station retrieves the social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system while the narrowband transceiver is being configured to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel.
32. The media of claim 25 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to send information to the social-networking system via the base station, the information being sent to the base station over the narrowband communications channel.
33. The media of claim 25 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of: source device identification information; destination device identification information; channel identification information; security information; symbol rate information; error correction information; channel equalization information; timing information; protocol information; physical layer information; medium access control layer information; data link layer information; network layer information; or application information.
34. The media of claim 25 , wherein the connection information comprises one or more of: an identifier for the user of the social-networking system; an identifier of the wireless communications device; a request to access a network over the narrowband communications channel; a password; or a secret key.
35. The media of claim 25 , wherein the initial and response broadband signals are amplitude-shift-keyed signals.
36. The media of claim 25 , wherein the narrowband transceiver is one of: a Wi-Fi transceiver; a Bluetooth transceiver; a cellular transceiver; or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.