WO2017223227A1 - Partage automatique d'accès au réseau sans fil et monétisation à partir d'une application de dispositif mobile qui reçoit des justificatifs d'identité sur un canal sans fil - Google Patents

Partage automatique d'accès au réseau sans fil et monétisation à partir d'une application de dispositif mobile qui reçoit des justificatifs d'identité sur un canal sans fil Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2017223227A1
WO2017223227A1 PCT/US2017/038587 US2017038587W WO2017223227A1 WO 2017223227 A1 WO2017223227 A1 WO 2017223227A1 US 2017038587 W US2017038587 W US 2017038587W WO 2017223227 A1 WO2017223227 A1 WO 2017223227A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
information
data
user
computer
client device
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PCT/US2017/038587
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English (en)
Inventor
Rishi Mallik
Akshat BHAT
Rajveer Singh TUT
Albert Choi
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Tetherball Technology, LLC
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Publication of WO2017223227A1 publication Critical patent/WO2017223227A1/fr

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
    • G06Q50/01—Social networking
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
    • H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
    • H04M1/72448—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W8/00—Network data management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F21/30—Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
    • G06F21/31—User authentication
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2221/00—Indexing scheme relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F2221/21—Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/00 and subgroups addressing additional information or applications relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F2221/2111—Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2250/00—Details of telephonic subscriber devices
    • H04M2250/06—Details of telephonic subscriber devices including a wireless LAN interface

Definitions

  • Wi-Fi is localized and most often protected via password.
  • Wi-Fi is a great solution for homes and businesses, it is not convenient for 24/7 access when traveling - or even locally. For example, a user might have fast Internet access through their office but after leaving the premises, the device is left stranded from the Wi-Fi signal.
  • Wireless carriers have limited capacity and speed. This problem is more widespread than the major carriers would admit. In crowded cities and venues this challenge is exemplified. Cellular signal strength is often weak in places like New York City or San Francisco. At well-attended events like the Consumer Electronics Show, it is particularly troublesome as everyone is connecting and trying to transmit large masses of data at the same time.
  • Smartphone users are mobile and require constant connectivity to use their devices to their desired capability. Whether driving, flying, boating, biking or walking, people require access to their data and contacts at all times. This means that they must utilize multiple networks throughout their day. These transitions are often problematic. Case in point: A worker uses the Wi-Fi network in their office. When the worker leaves for lunch, the worker must use the network of their cellular carrier, which is weak in comparison. When arriving at the restaurant, the worker may join their Wi- Fi network but that requires some effort - including possibly passwords, user agreements and credit card charges. This process repeats itself and is bothersome for every user of modern mobile devices. The problem is further exacerbated when a user travels abroad and has to deal with the hassle of finding subsidized Wi-Fi or absorbing utiling charges from their wireless carrier.
  • Uber is critically dependent on mobile phone connectivity.
  • the Uber driver is connected to the customer or rider. This connection needs to strong and robust enough to allow for the consummation of the transaction and the resulting revenue to Uber. If the signal drops before the rider meets up with the Uber driver, the revenue from the rider is at risk.
  • This scenario is especially relevant in emerging markets with limited and overstressed infrastructure such as cell towers, routers and servers. These emerging markets - including places like India and China - contain vast numbers of users and potential customers. Without clear and uninterrupted connectivity, transactions via mobile devices become complex and problematic at best and impossible at worst.
  • Another aspect of the present application keeps track of the data resources in a way that is virtually instantaneous, yet provides the owners with compensation for use of their data, while allowing the owners to access other data by paying a fee for that other data.
  • An embodiment describes a mobile device with a computer running a controlling program for operating functions of the mobile device. That computer runs a program, e.g., an "app" that detects different data sources in an area of the mobile device, and detects unique identifiers for each of the plural different data sources.
  • a database is created by a backend server for example, between registered clients and their identifiers. For example, the identifier can be an IP address.
  • the computer checks the database and allows selection of one of said clients to receive data from, and receiving data from the one of the clients.
  • the computer also indicates a cost of the data.
  • the app can also allow sharing the data, of the mobile device, so that the same mobile device can on the one hand get data from others, and then the other hand share their data with others.
  • the user receives money from the data sharing, and also pays money to do the data sharing.
  • Figure 1 is a chart showing Android programming.
  • Figure 2 is a chart of the present invention's coding and calculation procedures.
  • Figure 3 is a flow chart showing programming and command features of the present invention.
  • Figures 4 A to 4B are screen shots showing connection in the host mode and client mode.
  • Figure 5 shows a flowchart of operation of finding clients
  • Figure 6 shows a screen showing clients or "tetherballs" that have been found by the searching.
  • Figures 7 A-7B shows a questionnaire interface that can be used for determining information about the bandwidth sharing.
  • Figures 8 - 9D are charts showing the features involved in obtaining connectivity from multiple sources or channels.
  • the disclosed method and system describes a computer program, running on one or more computers, that accesses information to find different sources of data, and provides ways for users to share their data, e.g., their excess data; and also obtain access to data of others. For example, assume a user is in a location in Manhattan. Within range of this user there are various infrastructure elements for wireless communications. These likely include cables, connections, routers, servers, Wi-Fi signals, wireless carrier signals and numerous portable-computing devices such as smartphones/tablet computers, which themselves have access to data. [0037] In one embodiment, this can be shown as depictions of the different infrastructure elements, and graphs emanating from each of these infrastructure elements.
  • each of the major wireless carriers could be represented by vertical and horizontal bars representing their signal strength and bandwidth capacity respectively.
  • Each Wi-Fi signal would get a similar graphic. This process would repeat for each infrastructure element. This graphic would be in constant flux as the demands changed over time, e.g., microsecond by microsecond, and as the user moved within the area.
  • An embodiment describes a computer program that adaptively monitors these parameters, and makes decisions for the user based on user criteria.
  • the present invention utilizes an "app" or program that is
  • the application operates using the computing resources of the mobile device as described herein.
  • the app embraces the communication protocols of the native operating system (such as Android or iOS).
  • the executing application operates to discover where the "best" connections exist in real-time.
  • the "best” connection can be based on bandwidth, the strongest or the one with the most capability, cost to use the resource, or other criteria.
  • This data can then be displayed on a graphical dashboard on the mobile device.
  • the signal strength is represented by dots adjacent to the network name in a list (called table in iOS and Android) as shown in Figure 6.
  • the app can facilitate selecting and connecting to a selected connection. Once connected, the mobile device is "tethered" to that connection. The app can also allow the device to jump among the tethered connections, as other connections with better signal strength or less expensive connections become available. This allows obtaining the optimal signal strength across carriers or wireless service providers.
  • the hardware as operating using the executing application further allows for the user to utilize other networks within their area. All of this may occur behind the scenes so the user is unaware of the actions being taken by their device at the request of the app and its sophisticated analysis abilities. In another embodiment, the user may be required by take an action to join the selected tethered network, as described herein.
  • This invention anticipates giving the user a broad set of choices in the operation and functionality of the app.
  • the user is able to set preferences to determine the settings and choices that the app will implement in the background. These settings will range from the user being prompted to make selections of networks each time to a system where those choices are made without any input from the user (other than the initial setup).
  • the settings may also include a filter for various price points as well as the ability to store a certain payment method. This will make the app appeal to various users who have different mindsets regarding interaction with the device.
  • the user preferences can specify what kinds of connections should be automatically connected to, and when they should occur.
  • the user may have their own data plan, for example, and the preferences can specify that they would prefer their own data plan so long as they are within an area that they can obtain reasonable connectivity using their own data plan. If they do not obtain reasonable connectivity using their own data plan, then the user's preferences can specify when they would use someone else's data plan. For example, they might specify if my own connectivity is in a location where it is less than 30%, then automatically use another data plan of another person so long as that data plan is less than $5 an hour, and greater than 60%.
  • the specification can be set in other ways also.
  • the preferences can also be used for a user to specify the conditions under which they share their own data. For example, the user may share their own data at some rate of X dollars per megabyte or hour so long as they are within a specified percentage of their plan allotment. Then, they can also share their own data of some higher rate, but if that higher rate would cause them to exceed their own allotment, the app alerts the user or automatically turns off the data sharing.
  • Figures 7 A and 7B show a screen of preferences that can be used according to an embodiment to specify the conditions. In figure 8A, the host provides questions about the data per month that is used, including the cost per month, who the data should be shared with, when the data should be shared, how much the user wants to charge, and how much notification they want.
  • the user questions include how much data per month does the user have, cost per month, how often do they max out or incur overages, when they would want to purchase data from others, whether it's more important to have good costs for good quality of connection, the amount of notification and when should the tetherball app replace lost connections.
  • Java reflection in computer science
  • Java reflection lets a 3rd party developer call hidden/restricted functions and methods inside the framework, and pass the necessary parameters. This method would not be visible from the application layer, since it lies in the Android Runtime sub layer. However, a 3rd party developer could access this function from their app by executing a defined code.
  • the present invention uses this process of manually calling hidden methods within a class in the Android Framework in order to gain full access to the hotspot.
  • the invention in its current state requires no alteration of the device. This means that complete control of the device's Wi-Fi access point (whether it's connecting to another access point or creating a hotspot on its own) can be achieved without the need to root the device.
  • the hotspot can be turned on and configured the same way as the Settings application that comes installed with the device. The methods currently used work on all Android devices currently on the market, including 5.0 Lollipop and the soon to be released Android M.
  • the disclosed app has control over the hotspot and can be built in a non-invasive way.
  • the control over the hotspot can be automatic in Android, and manual, as discussed herein, in IOS. This does not open up any security risks, nor let the application access any restricted or significant parts of the OS other than the hotspot.
  • This application can also be used with other operating systems including iOS, as described herein.
  • the application is referred to herein as the TetherballTM application, since it allows tethering to multiple different sources, and changing the tethering based on analysis of which source is a best fit for a specified time and application.
  • an owner is a person or device which has data that can be shared, where the owner is also running their own version of an application that allows sharing their data.
  • the user as described herein is a person or device that needs data from some other device, and connects to some other owner to get data from their device under control of the Tetherball application.
  • Figure 1 shows the different modules and kernels making up the application.
  • FIG 3 shows the different modules and kernels making up the application.
  • the process for obtaining access to the hotspot within Android can be summarized in the flowchart shown in Figure 3.
  • First, the hidden methods are instantiated as Method objects at 300.
  • Second, at 310, the hotspot' s configuration is instantiated with the proper state and security parameters. This involves invoking the "setWi-FiApEnabled” method and setting the hotspot enabled state to "true” as well as setting the network security to WPA and TKIP.
  • the password for the Wi-Fi is changed or created by creating a custom NetConfig and invoking the "setWi- FiApEnabled” method once more.
  • Backend refers to the server or servers that store the data generated from usage of the app. Sign in, data storage, and push notifications are all handled using a database program.
  • the program is carried out by Parse, a web based service that provides a pre-built toolkit for developers to get started on.
  • User authentication occurs with a simple username and password of the user's choosing as shown in Figure 4A-4B, described herein.
  • the user Upon login, the user is presented with two options - to provide Wi-Fi or get connected. If the user chooses the provide Wi-Fi option, the user's information, e.g., their Mac ID, or SSID and password of the created hotspot are uploaded to Parse associated with the user's account information. This forms a database of the users who are associated with the application, and their Mac IDs Each user has metadata associated with them such as their username, their object id, a timestamp of last updates, and any other misc. details such as their hotspot SSID and password.
  • the programming of the present invention begins to scan for local Wi-Fi networks, and based on the SSID received from each Wi-Fi network, queries Parse for the user(s) associated with each SSID. Upon finding a match, the user interface of the app adds a new row to the list of the nearby "Tetherballs" found. The row contains information on signal strength, the carrier providing the data, and the name of the user (as well as a profile picture if using Facebook login). As mentioned before, such
  • the app running on the user's device can operate according to the flowchart of figure 5.
  • the app uses the radio equipment within the user's mobile device to scan for wireless networks.
  • the radio equipment that is used may depend on the kind of wireless networks being scanned for.
  • the app is scanning for Wi-Fi networks, and may use the radio equipment of the Wi-Fi within the mobile device.
  • the scanning looks for unique identifiers of all data sources within the local area. In one embodiment, those unique identifiers can be Mac IDs.
  • the program asks the database, here Parse, if any of those Mac IDs are
  • any of those Mac IDs are associated with registered users, then all of different options of different connections are shown as options in 620. These options may be as described herein, for example the quality of the connection and the cost of connection. Alternatively, the different options may be automatically connected to, if parameters for auto
  • connection has been set at 621.
  • the graphics are also automatically updated to show the other members, along with the quality of their data connection and other information about the users such as their mobile carrier.
  • the user's mobile device has information which enables the user or the app is appropriately programmed, to make an intelligent decision about where to obtain their data.
  • the program has information about other data sources in their vicinity, and also has
  • a timer starts indicating the amount of time the user has left
  • a screen is shown with the steps to join the hotspot with a button titled settings and instructions to return to the app once connected [0070] 7.
  • the user routes to the Wi-Fi settings, chooses the specified host Wi-Fi name and pastes password to connect
  • connection is lost, a user can go to the app and report a loss of connection, which pro-rates the cost to length of the connections
  • App records the hosts hotspot name and creates a password which is copied to the host's clipboard programmatically
  • a screen is shown with the steps to turn on the hotspot with a button that says start [ 0079 ] 4. Host clicks start and is taken into settings in which the host navigates to hotspot settings
  • the host receives a push notification to change password and process starts again from step 2
  • the following code can be used in one embodiment to create a Tetherball Host Hotspot
  • userTetherballSession[@"startTime”] currentT ' ime
  • userTetherballSession[@"user”] [PFUser currentUser]
  • userTetherballSession[@"sessionlD”] sessionID
  • Figure 4 A shows a set of screen shots for the flow of the application, for the host side of the application. This starts with a login at 400, where the user enters their username and password. After entering the username and password at 405, the user is provided with a screen that determines whether they want to share their Wi-Fi at 406 or get connected at 407. This is the host side, so the user clicks share, which causes the instruction screen at 410, which provides the user instructions on how to operate, here to open settings , turn on their hotspot, and use the system- generated password (which will also be provided to the user who shares) At 415, the user opens, in the iOS application, their settings followed at 420 by turning on their personal hotspot.
  • the password for that hotspot has been placed into their clipboard, which at 425 is shown as the paste command 426. This places the password 431 into the password field as shown in screen 430. After doing that, the hotspot is shown as ready at 435. At the same time, the screens at 440 and 445 shows that the user just connected and respectively was finished.
  • FIG. 4B The user side of the operation is shown in figure 4B, where at 450 the user logs in, followed by selecting from the screen 455 to get connected at 456. This brings up the screen 460 which shows the system searching for users within range, and at 465 shows which Tetherballs have been found. The user selects one from this list, here the cell spot 466. Once selecting that cell spot, instructions on how to operate are provided in screen 470 as item 471. This indicates that the user should open their settings, select their Wi-Fi, select the cell spot hotspot, paste the password from the clipboard (same password provided to the host) and then return. 475 illustrates the user opening the settings, and 480 shows the nearby Wi-Fi signals. The user selects the Wi-Fi 481, and in 485 the user pastes at 486 the password. This is shown entered at 490, followed by the user being connected at 495. This brings up the start using Wi-Fi screen 496 and brings up the status screen 497.
  • the user can choose to allow friends, family and even strangers to utilize his or her Internet connection with a fee to these people based on time or the amount of data transmitted.
  • it is conceptually similar to Airbnb or Uber, but it relates to sharing of wireless computer resources, rather than rooms or rides.
  • the user can set the amount of monetization that they desire to be either constant or, to be based on parameters and situations. For example, a user may set the amount that they desire for use of their data as a function of how much data they have already used in the month. In one embodiment if the user is at day 20 of their 30-day billing cycle, and they have only used a very small portion of their data, they can make their data available to others for a smaller fee in an attempt to use the last of their data. Conversely, if the user is close to the edge of their data plan, they can set the price higher, to take into account the possibility of overage fees by their carrier.
  • the user can decide based on some kind of special occasion or special event that they want to increase or decrease the amount that others will pay to share their data. For example, at a concert or other gathering, the user can set their data to be more expensive because there will be so much demand for the data.
  • the user can set automatic criteria for use of data as the demand for the data increases. For example, the user can automatically increase their data cost to others by 25% each time there are 5 queries about using their data.
  • the income taken from the data is automatically split between the Tetherball service and the data owner, with the Tetherball service receiving, out of each $X hour charged to User, a Revenue Share wherein the owner/host gets %Y, Tetherball gets %Z.
  • the host could set guidelines based on various pricing and time metrics. For example, when demand reached a critical level, the host's phone can automatically begin selling data or bandwidth access given the favorable economics. Alternatively, if a host was reaching the end of their data plan for that month, they could reduce the implementation of the hotspot automatically. It would effectively emulate a real-time marketplace where rational decisions are based on the prices provided by supply and demand at the moment.
  • the disclosed system allows for strangers to use the resources of another private, non-commercial party, in exchange for compensation conducted via software.
  • the programming of the app allows for integration with established payment processors such as PayPal or Google Wallet.
  • the accounting and security associated with financial data from credit cards and banks is kept within their methods and systems.
  • Google Wallet is likely preferred due its family resemblance from Google. It is anticipated that the embodiments may include additional programming to best effectuate these linkages.
  • the user interface of the present invention provides an index score for the host's connection.
  • the index score can be a score that grades out of a total of 100. It is a calculation of the host's tethering abilities relating to at least four variables: distance of the resource, price, speed, and signal strength. The following equation demonstrates it: "N” being the index score out of 100, "D” being the total distance in feet, “P” being the price per hour, “S” being the total speed of the host's connection in Mbps, and “B” being the Wi-Fi signal bars demonstrated to the user based on signal strength.
  • the Distance is calculated with a weight of 25 based on the total distance of a 2.4Ghz band reaching 150 feet it is measured by the total distance, in feet, multiplied by 0.166.
  • the price is calculated with a weight of 9 being the highest amount able to be charged then subtracted by the cost being charged.
  • the speed is calculated with a weight of 56, 56 being the fastest speed of a mobile, LTE, connection, it is measured by a score of one per Mbps (Megabits per second).
  • the signal strength is calculated with a weight of 10 being two multiplied by the number of Wi-Fi signal bars which is measured by the dBm of -50 being the highest, 5 bars, and -100 being the lowest, 0 bars.
  • the present invention's rating system also allows clients to view information about other users impressions of the specific host's connection. This allows the users to obtain some insight for the users on the best connection to tether from out of all of the possibilities.
  • Our rating system allows users to rate the host out of 5 stars after using their service(s), this is left as feedback able to be viewed prior to another person using that same host connection.
  • This rating system can be a star rating system where users give stars depending on how their experience went. It can also be based on computer ratings that are calculated by the different apps in the different clients or in the backend. For example, this can be based on multiple computer-calculated variables including:
  • Data sharing can be done via Bluetooth as well with the present invention.
  • Bluetooth multiple devices can provide chunks of data whereas on Wi-Fi, only one device can provide the data directly to the phone. This limitation exists since the Wi-Fi chipset on a mobile device 1) Cannot connect to a Wi-Fi network while it is being used to broadcast its wireless signal as a hotspot 2) and also cannot connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks at a time.
  • a Bluetooth connection occurs when two devices pair with each other. Upon pairing, the two devices can send data to each other and vice versa.
  • a Bluetooth enabled device can also connect to multiple Bluetooth connections. Suppose a user wants to download a file or load a webpage.
  • the user can connect to as many Bluetooth Tetherballs as desired and stream parts of that file or website from those devices.
  • the other added advantage of Bluetooth is that not only can data from the cellular connection be shared via Bluetooth, but also data from a Wi-Fi connection. [ 0098 ] In one embodiment, the data that comes from Bluetooth may not be piped into the Ethernet layer of the device, and therefore the data received via Bluetooth would only work in the app receiving it.
  • the app can be ported into another app.
  • the Tetherball app being ported into the Facebook app would allow data received via Bluetooth to only be utilized within the Facebook app only and not the Ethernet layer.
  • FIG. 10100 Another embodiment and/or extension of this software includes a hardware device much like hotspots offered by carriers today. Instead of using a smartphone, the present software runs on its own piece of hardware, e.g., a "dongle". This dongle can be a single purpose device without any of the overhead necessary in many of the different portable devices as it does not require any kind of touchscreen, sensors, GPS, or other power
  • a smartphone could be a simple palm sized device with cellular network connectivity equipped with a Wi-Fi module strapped on to a motherboard running Android, and (optional) a screen of some sort to display relevant information about the data usage.
  • a hardware device could be placed on buses, taxis, and stationary places within parks or outdoor locations where masses of people would benefit from the Wi-Fi connection.
  • a backend server manages and syncs the client's information across each of the hardware devices, providing an efficient way to cover large areas while maintaining the monetization of Wi-Fi access.
  • Another embodiment includes the modification of a device that has multiple Wi-Fi modules or a single module with capacity for multiple Wi-Fi signals. This would allow for much improved connectivity. It is analogous to a dual-clutch transmission in an automobile. Instead of switching from one network or Wi-Fi connection to another in a slow or jerky fashion, this embodiment could always be connected to two signals, e.g. the two "best” signals, or the "best” signal, and also the signal that the computer recognizes as showing the most likelihood of increasing data over time. In this way, optimal connectivity would be more likely. Similar to shifts in an automobile with a dual-clutch transmission, the transitions would be smoother, faster, and more seamless than the current methods.
  • the present invention also contemplates the creation of a device that either (1) extends Wi-Fi range or (2) adds on multiple Wi-Fi antennas to a smartphone.
  • the device would plug into the USB port of an Android device and include within it a Wi-Fi antenna and chipset for repeating Wi-Fi signals and a battery to both charge the phone and provide power to the Wi-Fi chipset.
  • the device would be manufactured with the additional chipset built in.
  • other user devices such as music player or smart watches could be utilized for their Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities since the majority of these devices have both of these chipsets.
  • the mobile device such as a smartphone, could become the master and make the watch or other device a slave.
  • the present invention can also be utilized by commercial partners according to another embodiment.
  • a company such as Facebook could give its users a connection or quantity of data in exchange for advertising, sponsorship, or other benefits.
  • the sponsor company could utilize its own wireless signals or develop partnerships with the wireless carriers to provide this access. This would be effective in certain markets and at specific times. Imagine getting to an outdoor festival with limited wireless access and being able to connect to a signal sponsored by a beverage company. The company would get a lot of "eyeballs" on their products while providing a benefit to the users, all in the context of an easy- to-use app as described here.
  • the present invention can also be vertically integrated within an existing social networking company or other industry leader. Companies such as Facebook are almost entirely dependent on their users for content
  • Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to promote Internet access and connectivity in less developed countries. Without the infrastructure of more developed economies, residents in these places do not have the access they need for education, health and business. Companies such as Google and Facebook have experimented with various technologies including balloons and drones.
  • the current invention allows wireless Internet access to expand in these places with far less infrastructure investment. It provides a low-cost mesh or peer-to-peer network where the use of bandwidth is shared and maximized in a smart and economical way.
  • This invention also anticipates the power of effective peer-to- peer data sharing. With the recent news headlines over government surveillance and the record keeping of large companies, many people are concerned for the safety and privacy of their data.
  • the computers can be servers and/or wireless clients.
  • Embodiments also describe ways to save energy in the host, by turning off data flow when not necessary.
  • This embodiment describes 4 basic channels / data flow paths to facilitate connectivity through data usage.
  • Each data flow path has the goal of providing ubiquitous connectivity for the user without significant need for user interaction.
  • a first communication channel operates to discover and automatically share hotspot credentials.
  • the hotspots are discovered and shared over the data network. This allows the recipient to compare signal strength and data variables to choose the best option.
  • the second communication channel operates if there is no data connectivity on two nearby devices.
  • the system investigates for credentials, which are discovered and shared by encoding credentials into SSID (network name).
  • SSID network name
  • the SSID includes a special code or hash, e.g., at the end of the SSID name, that provides the password to the wifi.
  • the Tetherball app receives the information and uses its internal programming to decode the password and use it in order to obtain wireless information.
  • a program or application that is running on one or more of the computers. That client is listening for the credentials.
  • the program operates to decode the password/SSID and connect automatically using the information in the decoded password/ SSID.
  • the third communication channel operates if no data
  • the third channel finds these hotspot credentials which have been discovered/shared by encoding credentials into SMS messages that are sent via the SMS gateway.
  • the messages are decoded by a proxy server to complete the data requests.
  • the server queries the location of the user through the use of location determination parameters, such as latitude and longitude.
  • the location of the nearest hotspot is sent as a data packet, e.g., a UDP packet.
  • the requested API call is then encoded along with other associated parameters. Since SMS is limited to 160 characters, the encoded data is split into 160 character chunks or segments. These encoded data strings are sent through the SMS gateway to a proxy server. The data chunks or segments are then
  • SMS calls are parsed, encoded and split into 160 character chunks or. segments. These are then sent back through SMS. SMS calls are sent much like TCP packets to ensure delivery. This channel is designed and built as a wrapper than can be used by other third- party applications. It allows data transmission for apps without cellular or Wi-Fi data being available on a device.
  • the program running on the computer then would programmatically activates the hotspot with these steps.
  • the user's device sends a request to activate the nearby hotspot. If the hotspot is available but not currently active, a request is sent through push or SMS to request the hotspot to turn on.
  • This request includes the SSID and password from the consumer/user to the host in a dynamic fashion thus creating a network profile.
  • the host's device is controlled to have its hotspot turned on with the new credentials. This router is then added to a database of potentially available routers in that geographic location. The SSID is collected for nearby hosts.
  • the present invention maintains the system to collect the password for the connections.
  • enhanced connectivity options are achieved through the use of compression and encoding.
  • the data stream is
  • this can include images that are encoded into binary objects for compression.
  • the images can be converted into a lossy JPEG format for further reduction into base64 strings.
  • the base64 strings are compressed using run-length encoding.
  • the compressed string is encoded as sound by encoding the string into variation through amplitude, frequency, phase modulation and other analytical measures.
  • Phase_Coefficient x, y, z are variables that are composed from the
  • Figure 8 illustrates these different ways of connecting between the user and the host, using the "tetherball" server 801.
  • Each of these has in common that credentials for the login are received by the app that is running in the client, used to log in to get data, and that the tetherball server receives information about data usage by the client.
  • a first scenario, shown in 805, connects between the host 810, which is the system that will be providing the data, and the user/client 800, who is the customer who will be receiving and paying for the data.
  • the customer has no data at the time they are requesting the connections.
  • the credentials are shared locally by the host.
  • the consumer requests the connection locally, by sending a request from the consumer 800 to the host 810.
  • the password and/or other information for connecting to the network over Wi-Fi from the host is actually encoded into the SSID of the wireless connection.
  • the host 810 is broadcasting at times that the host desires to share its Internet connection.
  • the credentials are encoded into the name of the SSID, for example "tetherball - ABCD".
  • the string "ABCD" is taken by the local app from the name.
  • the app decodes that string to obtain the password according to a decoding algorithm that is known to the app.
  • the app controls this access.
  • the user does not need to know the password. This provides a wholly seamless backend for the information.
  • the host can be a computer, or any other electronic device that has data.
  • the host can be in this embodiment a cellular phone with a data plan that has a hotspot capability.
  • the tetherball app can decode the string to obtain credentials to provide access to the data.
  • the app does not provide those credentials to the user, but rather uses them to obtain the data access.
  • the app monitors the data usage in order to bill the user for their access.
  • a second embodiment, shown in scenario 820 typifies the situation in areas like India, where there is a lack of cellular data.
  • Scenario 820 operates to receive the credentials over SMS. For example, if the user is not able to receive the credentials using the scenario in 805, upon attempting to receive a connection, the user's tetherball app sends an SMS text message to the tetherball server 801. This includes information indicative of the consumer, along with location information of the consumer. For example, that location information may include longitude and latitude. The server looks for sources of data nearby, e.g., hotspots, and sends back SMS information about those nearby hotspots. This can use a database that is periodically updated.
  • These hotspots can be "off ', i.e., not transmitting.
  • the tetherball server can command turning on the nearby hotspot at 821. That information is then sent back to the user's tetherball app, and used by the tetherball app to find that active hotspot which has been turned on by this information. Again, the app can track the data usage during this operation.
  • the message sent to the server 801 may say I am user XYZ, and I need to know what hotspot is nearby and I need to know the password for it.
  • the server 801 returns the information by SMS and commands turn on of the nearby hotspot, and enables a data connection even though the entire password in operation was carried out only over SMS.
  • SMS networks are more ubiquitous than data networks, and allows completing the data requests while only needing the SMS network.
  • the user may want a different data connection for example to obtain better speeds, or a better price for data.
  • data may be extremely expensive if the user is roaming.
  • the user uses their expensive data plan to connect to the tetherball server, e.g., via the existing LTE connection 831 , which causes the tetherball server to return the data about hotspot credentials over that expensive data connection, turning on the nearby hotspot if necessary, and enabling the user to connect via Wi-Fi 832 through the host 833, to the host's data connection 834.
  • This enables requesting data over a first connection 831, and then connecting to a second connection 834.
  • the host is not broadcasting and the consumer has no data.
  • the consumer sends a message over SMS to request nearby hotspots via the tetherball server.
  • the tetherball server sends a request to turn on to the nearby hotspot, which turns on its Internet server pro grammatically. This has the advantage of reducing power consumption by the host unless the Tetherball data is being used for the tetherball service.
  • hotspot can be any source of data, e.g., a cellular phone in hotspot mode, or a personal computer, for example.
  • the scenario 805 of the consumer with no data is shown in figure 9 a.
  • the host broadcasts the data connectivity in this embodiment encoded into the name of the SSID.
  • the device auto detects the tetherball hotspot and connects without needing data for credentials.
  • the device auto- detects the tetherball hotspot and connects without needing data or credentials.
  • the scenario 840 where a consumer has no cellular data and makes a request over SMS is shown as figure 9B.
  • the hotspot credentials are received over SMS, and the server programmatically enables the host to broadcast in order to enable the connection.
  • the scenario 820 where the user has no data but has network connectivity is shown in figure 9C. The consumer requests router
  • FIG. 9D the scenario 830 where the consumer has network connectivity and network data, but wants better network credentials.
  • the user is receiving the network data, but requests from the host to determine if the user can get better network connections.
  • the credentials from the host are received from the tetherball server.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates a flow diagram showing the steps and operations for the request for tetherball credentials as sent over SMS.
  • the client or user is shown as 1000 who initiates the process by registering the APL in point and request at 1005. That registration is carried out by sending the data to the tetherball server, 1020.
  • the tetherball server can be either a special purpose machine or a program to machine operating according to a software development kit.
  • a request is sent at 1010 with parameters as described herein. For example, this may send the users tetherball credentials along with the user's location, in an attempt to receive data from the system about different possibilities for connecting over the tetherball framework.
  • the tetherball server 1020 then can packet ties the request at 1025 and send the request at 1030.
  • the requests can be sent in a loop 1035 as many different SMSes and retries.
  • the SMS request can be sent with packet ties data at 1040 via the SMS gateway 1052 the tetherball proxy server 1060.
  • the SMS request that is sent via the SMS gateway can be received by the proxy server 1060 as an HTTP request with packet ties data 1065.
  • the tetherball proxy server can reconstruct the packet ties SMS info request at 1070 and send this to the API server 1080 at 1075.
  • the API server 1080 sends a response at 1085 back to the proxy server which is parsed and re-packet ties at 1090.
  • the parsed and re-packet ties information is sent via an SMS request with packet ties data at 1095, back through the SMS Gateway 1050 as 1096 through a loop 1097.
  • the data is reconstructed at 1098 and the response with this information is sent back to the client at 1099 including the information about the different tetherball servers and information.
  • FIG. 11 shows an exemplary client 1100 which can be a handheld computer such as a mobile phone.
  • the client 1100 can include a display screen 1105, and a processor 1110.
  • the processor 1110 carries out the operations of the tetherball framework including constructing the API request at 1115, packet ties in the request at 1120, sending the request 1125, and receiving a response at 1130.
  • the response is input into an SMS manager module at 1135 which is used to control the data flow in the client.
  • Figure 12 illustrates different data packets that can be used.
  • the client packet shown is 1200 can include an ID string of 8 characters, a T parts information, and a peanut him information, as well as a data payload.
  • the data payload can include a type, a request, and parameters.
  • the server receives this packet ties the information and sends back a packet ties the information 1210 of its own, which is similar to the client packet ties information including a data payload 1220 that includes a test datatype and a response string.
  • DSP DSP
  • ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
  • FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
  • a general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller,
  • the processor can be part of a computer system that also has an internal bus connecting to cards or other hardware, running based on a system BIOS or equivalent that contains startup and boot software, system memory which provides temporary storage for an operating system, drivers for the hardware and for application programs, disk interface which provides an interface between internal storage device(s) and the other hardware, an external peripheral controller which interfaces to external devices such as a backup storage device, and a network that connects to a hard-wired network cable such as Ethernet or may be a wireless connection such as a RF link running under a wireless protocol such as 802.11.
  • external bus 18 may be any of but not limited to hard wired external busses such as IEEE- 1394 or USB.
  • the computer system can also have a user interface port that communicates with a user interface, and which receives commands entered by a user, and a video output that produces its output via any kind of video output format, e.g., VGA, DVI, HDMI, display port, or any other form.
  • This may include laptop or desktop computers, and may also include portable computers, including cell phones, tablets such as the IP ADTM and Android platform tablet, and all other kinds of computers and computing platforms.
  • a processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. These devices may also be used to select values for devices as described herein.
  • a software module may reside in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of tangible storage medium that stores tangible, non transitory computer based instructions.
  • An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor.
  • the processor and the storage medium may reside in reconfigurable logic of any type.
  • the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium.
  • Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another.
  • a storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer.
  • such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.
  • the memory storage can also be rotating magnetic hard disk drives, optical disk drives, or flash memory based storage drives or other such solid state, magnetic, or optical storage devices.
  • any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium.
  • the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium.
  • DSL digital subscriber line
  • Disk and disc includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
  • the computer readable media can be an article comprising a machine-readable non-transitory tangible medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in computer implemented operations comprising the actions described throughout this specification.
  • Operations as described herein can be carried out on or over a website.
  • the website can be operated on a server computer, or operated locally, e.g., by being downloaded to the client computer, or operated via a server farm.
  • the website can be accessed over a mobile phone or a PDA, or on any other client.
  • the website can use HTML code in any form, e.g., MHTML, or XML, and via any form such as cascading style sheets ("CSS”) or other.
  • the computers described herein may be any kind of computer, either general purpose, or some specific purpose computer such as a workstation.
  • the programs may be written in C, or Java, Brew or any other programming language.
  • the programs may be resident on a storage medium, e.g., magnetic or optical, e.g. the computer hard drive, a removable disk or media such as a memory stick or SD media, or other removable medium.
  • the programs may also be run over a network, for example, with a server or other machine sending signals to the local machine, which allows the local machine to carry out the operations described herein.
  • TelephonyManager manager (TelephonyManager) getSystemService(Context.TELEPHONY_SERVICE);
  • ParseUser user ParseUser.getCurrentUser(); user.putfssid”, ssid); user.put("wifipass", pass);
  • netConfig. preSharedKey password
  • netConfig.allowedAuthAlgorithms.set WiConfiguration.AuthAlgorithm.LEA
  • wifiManager.getClass() getMethod("setWifiApEnabled"
  • WifiConfiguration. class boolean. class
  • boolean success (Boolean) setWifiApMethod.invoke(wifiManager, netConfig, true);
  • wifiManager.getClass() ThegetMethod("isWifiApEnabled”);
  • wifiManager.getClass() ThegetMethod("isWifiApEnabled”);

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Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif qui est programmé avec une application ou "app" pour partager une bande passante en direction et en provenance de sources multiples. Dans un mode de réalisation, l'invention utilise un dispositif mobile avec un ordinateur exécutant un programme de commande pour mettre en oeuvre des fonctions du dispositif mobile, et une application qui commande le partage de bande passante à partir du dispositif mobile, une bande passante partagée en provenance d'un autre dispositif mobile ou d'un dispositif terrestre étant obtenue. Des données d'utilisation, qui indiquent une quantité de données reçues et partagées à partir du client considéré, sont accumulées.
PCT/US2017/038587 2016-06-21 2017-06-21 Partage automatique d'accès au réseau sans fil et monétisation à partir d'une application de dispositif mobile qui reçoit des justificatifs d'identité sur un canal sans fil WO2017223227A1 (fr)

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US62/352,812 2016-06-21

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EP3771240A1 (fr) 2019-07-26 2021-01-27 Nokia Technologies Oy Établissement de cellules d'attache à distance
US11272558B2 (en) 2020-05-13 2022-03-08 Kyndryl, Inc. Secondary internet access for mobile devices
CN114501674A (zh) * 2021-06-10 2022-05-13 荣耀终端有限公司 一种热点连接方法、终端设备及电子设备

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EP3771240A1 (fr) 2019-07-26 2021-01-27 Nokia Technologies Oy Établissement de cellules d'attache à distance
CN112312516A (zh) * 2019-07-26 2021-02-02 诺基亚技术有限公司 远程建立系链小区
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US11272558B2 (en) 2020-05-13 2022-03-08 Kyndryl, Inc. Secondary internet access for mobile devices
CN114501674A (zh) * 2021-06-10 2022-05-13 荣耀终端有限公司 一种热点连接方法、终端设备及电子设备

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