US 8,009,651 B2Granted

Neighbouring device aiding in receiving sets of data

AssigneeSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB

InventorsHenrik Bengtsson, Bo Larsson, Mats Lindoff, Mats Blomberg, Anders Östsjö, Sten Minör

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Abstract

According to one embodiment, a first wireless communication device may receive a data file via a first wireless network interface, determine if the whole file has been properly received, receive at least the data of the file that have not been properly received via the first wireless interface from a neighboring second wireless communication device and combine the data received via the first wireless network interface with data received from the neighboring wireless communication device in order to obtain the complete file. The second wireless communication device may also receive the data file via a second wireless network interface and send at least the data of the file that have not been properly received over a neighbor device interface.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for receiving, from a server in a network, a set of data at a first wireless communication device via a base station connected to the network, the method comprising:

detecting, via a Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface of the first wireless communication device, at least one second wireless communication device within a communication area associated with the base station;
sending, via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, a request to the at least one second wireless communication device to obtain the set of data from the server via the base station;
receiving, via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, an acceptance of the request, by a number of the at least one second communication device;
sending, over the network, an indication of the number of the at least one second communication device to obtain the set of data from the server via the base station;
sending link quality data over a wireless network interface indicating a link quality based on the number of the at least one second communication device, where the indicated link quality is different than a link quality associated with the wireless network interface;
receiving, first data, of the set of data, transferred from the base station, via the wireless network interface of the first wireless communication device, wherein a transfer rate associated with the first data is based on the indication of the number of the at least one second communication device, and where the received first data is transferred from the base station with a quality corresponding to the indicated link quality;
determining that the first data does not include an entirety of the set of data;
receiving at least second data, of the set of data, forwarded from the number of the at least one second wireless communication device via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface;
and
combining the first data with the second data to obtain the entirety of the set of data.

7 more elements

A wireless communication device comprising:

a wireless network interface associated with a base station connected to a wireless wide area network (WAN),
a Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface for interfacing with neighboring wireless communication devices,
a network communication unit for communicating over the first wireless network interface,
a neighbor communication unit for communication with neighboring wireless communication devices via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, and
a control unit configured to:
detect, via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, at least one neighboring wireless communication device within a communication area associated with the base station,
send, via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, a request to the at least one neighboring wireless communication device to obtain the set of data from the wireless WAN via the base station,
receive, via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, an acceptance, of the request, by a number of the at least one neighboring communication device,
send, over the wireless WAN, an indication of the number of the at least one neighboring communication device to obtain the set of data from the wireless WAN via the base station,
send, over the wireless network interface, link quality data that indicates a link quality that is based on the number of the at least one neighboring communication device, where the indicated link quality is different than a link quality that exists over the wireless network interface;
receive first data, of the set of data, transferred from the base station, via the wireless network interface of the first wireless communication device, wherein a transfer rate associated with the first data is based on the indication of the number of the at least one neighboring communication device, and where the received first data is transferred from the base station with a link quality that corresponds to the indicated link quality;
determine that the first data does not include an entirety of the set of data,
receive at least second data, of the set of data, forwarded from the number of the at least one neighboring wireless communication device via the Bluetooth-enabled or infrared-enabled interface, and
combine the first data with the second data to obtain the entirety of the set of data.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/750,741Filed 18 May 2007
Published: US 2008/0285533 A120 Nov 2008
Granted: 30 Aug 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 1/06
By diversity reception: using space diversity
H04L 1/0026
Characterised by the signalling: transmission of channel quality indication
H04L 2001/0093
Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link: point-to-multipoint
H04W 92/18
Interfaces between hierarchically similar devices: between terminal devices