Cellular network traffic offload via local wireless connectivity

#Cellular networks include several components that work together to complete a connection. These include a backbone network, local infrastructure, and an over-the-air (OTA) segment. The most crowded and constrained portion of these components typically is the OTA segment. Wireless providers typically attempt to actively manage the amount of data on the OTA segment to increase the number of simultaneous connections.

#FIG. 1 is a diagram that depicts an exemplary overview of the selective use of local wireless connectivity at a mobile device for transferring data to another device instead of using a connection via an OTA segment of the cellular network servicing the mobile device;

#FIGS. 2A-2C depict examples of the determination of a proximity between the sender and the recipient of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary network environment in which the sender of FIG. 1 selectively uses local wireless connectivity for transferring data to the recipient of FIG. 1 instead of using a connection via an OTA segment of the cellular network;

#The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. The following detailed description does not limit the invention.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of the selective use of local wireless connectivity, such as, for example, BlueTooth or WiFi connectivity, at a mobile device for transferring data to another device instead of using a connection via an over-the-air (OTA) segment of the cellular network servicing the mobile device. As shown in FIG. 1, a sending mobile device 100 (labeled “sender” in FIG. 1) may seek to engage in data transfer 110 with a receiving mobile device 120 (labeled “recipient” in FIG. 1). Sender 100 and recipient 120 may include any type of digital device that has the capability to communicate and transfer data via a cellular network and via one or more other wireless connections (e.g., BlueTooth wireless, “Wi-Fi,” ultra-wideband (UWB), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telelcommunications (DECT), other personal area networks, etc.). The one or more other wireless connections may include short-range connections used for communications between sender 100 and recipient 120 (e.g., local wireless connectivity). Sender 100 and recipient 120 may include, for example, a computer (e.g., a desktop, laptop, palmtop, or tablet computer), a cellular telephone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player device, or a digital camera.

#Sender 100 may, via cellular network 130, contact a Network Information (NI) server 140 to determine whether the data transfer should occur via cellular network 130 or via local wireless connectivity 150 (e.g., via a personal area network (PAN) channel). Based on a determined proximity 160 of sender 100 to recipient 120, NI server 140 may remotely enable sender 100 to transfer the data to recipient 120 via local wireless connectivity 150 instead of via cellular network 130. The determined proximity 160 of sender 100 to recipient 120 may include a network proximity and/or a geographic proximity. For example, the network proximity may include determining whether sender 100 and recipient 120 are currently being served by the same base station (BS), cell antenna, and/or antenna sector of cellular network 130. The geographic proximity may include, for example, determining whether sender 100 and recipient 120 are geographically collocated (e.g., located geographically within a certain distance of one another). In one exemplary implementation, determining whether sender 100 and recipient 120 are geographically collocated may include determining if sender 100 and recipient 120 are close enough to one another to permit a wireless connection via the local wireless connectivity method (e.g., approximately 5 meters for BlueTooth Class 3, approximately 10 meters for BlueTooth Class 2, or approximately 100 meters for BlueTooth Class 1). Cellular network 130 may include one or more wireless public land mobile networks (PLMNs) (e.g., a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 PLMN, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) PLMN, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) PLMN and/or other types of PLMNs). Cellular network 130 may include, as described below (but not shown in FIG. 1), one or more access service networks and one or more connectivity service networks.