System and method for offloading traffic from cellular networks using plugins

One or more computer-readable memory or storage devices storing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

• providing an extensible framework comprising an authentication plugin host, a plurality of authentication plugins comprising an active authentication plugin, an authentication interface and a check network interface;
• in response to receiving at least one call to the authentication interface from the authentication plugin host, the active authentication plugin attempting authentication of the mobile computing device or a user of the mobile computing device on a network to which the mobile computing device is connected, and returning an indication of whether the attempted authentication was successful;
• and
• in response to receiving at least one call to the check network interface comprising information corresponding to one or more detected wireless networks, the active authentication plugin returning information corresponding to one or more preferred wireless networks and a connection order for the one or more preferred wireless networks, the one or more preferred wireless networks being previously designated as preferred and maintained at the mobile computing device,
• wherein the extensible framework further comprises a periodic update interface, the method further comprising in response to a call to the periodic update interface from the authentication plugin host, the active authentication plugin updating itself.

A method of offloading data traffic sent over a cellular network to a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

• sending information corresponding to one or more detected wireless networks from an authentication plugin host to an active authentication plugin, the one or more detected wireless networks and the active authentication plugin being associated with a mobile operator;
• receiving information corresponding to one or more preferred wireless networks from the active authentication plugin at the authentication plugin host, the one or more preferred wireless networks being designated as preferred in the mobile computing device;
• connecting the mobile computing device to one of the one or more preferred wireless networks, the one of the one or more preferred wireless networks to which the mobile computing device is connected being a connected wireless network and being selected from the one or more detected wireless networks;
• sending a request to the active authentication plugin to authenticate the mobile computing device or a user of the mobile computing device on the connected wireless network;
• receiving information from the active authentication plugin indicating that authentication was successful;
• offloading at least a portion of the data traffic to the connected wireless network;
• sending a keep alive message frequency from the active authentication plugin to the authentication plugin host;
• and
• sending keep alive message commands to the active authentication plugin from the authentication plugin host at substantially at least the send keep alive message frequency.

One or more computer-readable memory or storage devices storing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile computing device to perform a method of offloading data traffic sent over a cellular network to a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

• sending information corresponding to one or more detected wireless networks from an authentication plugin host to an active authentication plugin, the one or more detected wireless networks and the active authentication plugin being associated with a mobile operator;
• receiving information corresponding to one or more preferred wireless networks from the active authentication plugin at the authentication plugin host, the one or more preferred wireless networks being designated as preferred in the mobile computing device;
• connecting the mobile computing device to one of the one or more preferred wireless networks, the one of the one or more preferred wireless networks to which the mobile computing device is connected being a connected wireless network and being selected from the one or more detected wireless networks;
• sending a request to the active authentication plugin to authenticate the mobile computing device or a user of the mobile computing device on the connected wireless network;
• receiving information from the active authentication plugin indicating that authentication was successful;
• offloading at least a portion of the data traffic to the connected wireless network;
• sending a keep alive message frequency from the active authentication plugin to the authentication plugin host;
• and
• sending keep alive message commands to the active authentication plugin from the authentication plugin host at substantially at least the send keep alive message frequency.