Granted Patent B2

US 12,615,399 · App. 18/231,436 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventor: Karim Ghessassi (Parker, CO)

Assignee: Charter Communications Operating, LLC

H04N21/23106H04L67/568H04N21/4331H04W28/14

Abstract

Claims (65)

1 . A method comprising:

tracking wireless interconnectivity amongst a group of multiple mobile communication devices in a wireless mesh network, the wireless mesh network including a first mobile communication device coupling the wireless mesh network to a wireless base station via a wireless communication link;

receiving a request from a second mobile communication device to join the wireless mesh network; and

in response to receiving the request, notifying the second mobile communication device to connect to the wireless base station via connectivity through the wireless mesh network;

the method further comprising: handing off the second mobile communication device from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device operative to receive a stream of content from the first mobile communication device after the handoff;

wherein the second mobile communication device is handed off from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device based on a location of the second mobile communication device with respect to the first mobile communication device.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication link is a first wireless communication link between the first mobile communication device and the wireless base station, the method further comprising:

receiving the request from the second mobile communication device at the wireless base station, the wireless base station redirecting the second mobile communication device to communicate with the wireless base station through the first mobile communication device; and

wherein the redirecting the second mobile communication device to communicate with the wireless base station through the first mobile communication device results in the second mobile communication device: i) joining the wireless mesh network as a member, and ii) being in communication with the first mobile communication device via a second wireless communication link between the second mobile communication device and the first mobile communication device.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first mobile communication device provides the multiple mobile communication devices in the group connectivity to the wireless base station.

4 . The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

temporarily caching segments of content received from a title of content including multiple segments, each temporarily cached segment of content replaced with a newly received segment of content from the received title of content; and

distributing the temporarily cached segments of content to the mobile communication devices in the group through the first mobile communication device, each corresponding cached segment of content distributed during a respective window of time when the corresponding cached segment of content is temporarily available.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication link is a first wireless communication link, the method further comprising:

in response to detecting termination of the first wireless communication link between the first mobile communication device and the wireless base station, establishing a second wireless communication link between the second mobile communication device and the wireless base station, the second mobile communication device providing the group of multiple mobile communication devices in the wireless mesh network connectivity to the wireless base station subsequent to the detected termination of the first wireless communication link.

6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first mobile communication device is assigned as a first root node to provide each of the mobile communication devices in the group connectivity to the wireless base station through the wireless communication link, the method further comprising:

based on proximity of the second mobile communication device to the wireless base station, assigning the second mobile communication device as a second root node in which to connect the wireless mesh network of mobile communication devices to the wireless base station, the second root node being a substitute to the first root node.

7 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing notification to the second mobile communication device and a third communication device in the wireless mesh network, the provided notification indicating that the second mobile communication device is newly designated as a root node of the wireless mesh network.

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein tracking the wireless interconnectivity includes:

producing first interconnectivity information, the first interconnectivity information indicating that: i) the first mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the wireless base station, ii) the second mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the first mobile communication device, and iii) a third mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the second mobile communication device.

9 . The method as in claim 8 , wherein tracking the wireless interconnectivity includes:

subsequent to producing the first interconnectivity information, producing second interconnectivity information, the second interconnectivity information indicating that: i) the second mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the wireless base station, and ii) the third mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the second mobile communication device.

10 . The method as in claim 9 , wherein tracking the wireless interconnectivity includes:

tracking locations of the first mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device, and a third mobile communication device.

11 . The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

at the wireless base station, temporarily caching segments of content received from a title of content including multiple segments, each temporarily cached segment of content at the wireless base station being replaced with a newly received segment of content from the received title of content after expiration of a respective time window associated with the temporary caching.

12 . The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

subsequent to the second mobile communication device joining the wireless mesh network, distributing temporarily cached segments of content from the wireless base station through the first mobile communication device to the second mobile communication device, each corresponding cached segment of content available for distribution during a respective window of time when the corresponding cached segment of content is temporarily available.

13 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication link is a first wireless communication link, the method further comprising:

storing a first segment of content at the first mobile communication device for a first window of time;

distributing the first segment of content from the first mobile communication device over a second wireless communication link to the second mobile communication device; and

replacing the first segment of content with a second segment of content, the second segment being available for distribution in a second window of time, the second window of time occurring after the first window of time.

14 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

communicating a first segment of content from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device, the first mobile communication device being a root node in wireless communication with the second mobile communication device.

15 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

for a first duration of time, caching a first segment of content for distribution from the wireless base station to the group of multiple mobile communication devices over the wireless communication link;

receiving a second segment of content for distribution from the wireless base station to the group of multiple mobile communication devices; and

caching the second segment of content as a replacement to caching the first segment of content.

16 . The method as in claim 15 , wherein the second segment of content is cached as the replacement to the first segment of content for a second duration of time.

17 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

temporarily caching segments of content received from a title of content including multiple segments, each temporarily cached segment of content being replaced with a newly received segment of content from the received title of content.

18 . An apparatus comprising:

communication management hardware in communication with a wireless base station, the communication management hardware operative to:

track wireless interconnectivity amongst a group of multiple mobile communication devices in a wireless mesh network, the wireless mesh network including a first mobile communication device coupling the wireless mesh network to the wireless base station via a wireless communication link;

receive a request from a second mobile communication device to join the wireless mesh network; and

in response to the request, notify the second mobile communication device to connect to the wireless base station via connectivity through the wireless mesh network;

the communication management hardware further operative to: handoff the second mobile communication device from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device operative to receive a stream of content from the first mobile communication device after the handoff;

wherein the second mobile communication device is handed off from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device based on a location of the second mobile communication device with respect to the first mobile communication device.

19 . The apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

receive the request from the second mobile communication device at the wireless base station, the wireless base station redirecting the second mobile communication device to communicate with the wireless base station through the first mobile communication device.

20 . The apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the first mobile communication device provides the multiple mobile communication devices in the group connectivity to the wireless base station.

21 . The apparatus as in claim 20 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

temporarily cache segments of content received from a title of content including multiple segments, each temporarily cached segment of content replaced with a newly received segment of content from the received title of content; and

distribute the temporarily cached segments of content to at least one of the mobile communication devices in the group through the first mobile communication device, each corresponding cached segment of content distributed during a respective window of time when the corresponding cached segment of content is temporarily available.

22 . The apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

produce first interconnectivity information, the first interconnectivity information indicating that: i) the first mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the wireless base station, ii) the second mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the first mobile communication device, and iii) a third mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the second mobile communication device.

23 . The apparatus as in claim 22 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

subsequent to producing the first interconnectivity information, producing second interconnectivity information, the second interconnectivity information indicating that: i) the second mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the wireless base station, and ii) the third mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the second mobile communication device.

24 . Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:

track wireless interconnectivity amongst a group of multiple mobile communication devices in a wireless mesh network, the wireless mesh network including a first mobile communication device coupling the wireless mesh network to a wireless base station via a wireless communication link;

in response to the request, receive a request from a second mobile communication device to join the wireless mesh network; and

notify the second mobile communication device to connect to the wireless base station via connectivity through the wireless mesh network;

the computer processor hardware further operative to: handoff the second mobile communication device from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device operative to receive a stream of content from the first mobile communication device after the handoff;

wherein the second mobile communication device is handed off from the wireless base station to the first mobile communication device based on a location of the second mobile communication device with respect to the first mobile communication device.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (12)