Dual mode unit for short range, high rate and long range, lower rate data communications
US7013162B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 3, 2003 |
| Grant date | Mar 14, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 16, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W84/12
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique for communicating with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-speed wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or by transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.