Efficient automatic sharing of network access among devices

US9392067B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC · US

Inventors

• Billy R. Anders, JR. · Bothell, US
• Amer A. Hassan · Cary, US
• Aaron Cunningham · Bellevue, US
• Yatharth Gupta · Bellevue, US
• Jonathan Dahlke · Redmond, US
• Darene Brice Lewis · Bothell, US
• Ulrich Mueller · Hamburg, DE
• Marco Piumatti · Woodinville, US
• Ashraf Hamad · Woodinville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 2013
• Grant date: Jul 12, 2016
• Expiry date: May 18, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02D30/70
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An access point device is configured to improve usability of tethering, while improving battery life and managing data usage among and by the tethered devices. Both access point devices and client devices can remain in a low power state without a high power radio being powered until a shared network connection is to be used. To establish a connection to a network for the client device, the client device communicates with the access point device over a lower power communication device, such as a low power radio. The access point device activates its higher power radio. The two devices then connect over the high power radio, allowing the client device to then to use the access point device as a router to connect to a computer network.