Enhancement on smartwatch implementation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11671808-B2
Application number	US-202117225201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2021
Priority date	Apr 8, 2021
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

The subject matter described herein provides systems and techniques to automatically configure a proximal device, such as a smart watch, a tablet, or any other smart device, based on configuration information sent from the user equipment (UE) to the proximal device when the local communications connection, such as a wireless connection, between the devices is weak. If it is determined that there is a weak local communications connection between the UE and the proximal device the UE may automatically send network configuration information to the proximal device. If it is determined that there is a weak local communications connection between the UE and the proximal device the UE may automatically turn on its mobile hotspot, and automatically send the mobile hotspot configuration information to the proximal device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
monitoring, at a first device connected to a network, a connection quality for a local communications connection between the first device and a second device tethered to the network, wherein the first device is proximal to the second device;
determining that the connection quality is below a pre-determined threshold value; and
in response to determining that the connection quality is below a threshold value, sending from the first device, configuration information to the second device to allow the second device to directly connect to the network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a user equipment device, and the second device is a proximal device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connection quality includes an indication of signal strength of the local communications connection between the first device and the second device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information is associated with cellular network attributes used by the first device to connect to the network.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cellular network attributes include at least one of a Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, a RAT frequency division duplex configuration, a RAT time division duplex configuration, a uplink/downlink slot configuration for time division duplex, a RAT frequency and bandwidth, a RAT synchronization signal configuration, a RAT synchronization signal frequency/timing offset, a RAT cell-ID, a Global Navigation Satellite System assistant information, or an Ultra-wideband configuration information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information is associated with Wi-Fi network attributes.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Wi-Fi network attributes include at least one of mobile hotspot configuration information, a channel/service set identifier (SSID), and authentication information.

8. A system comprising one or more processors configured to:
monitor, at a first device connected to a network, a connection quality for a local communications connection between the first device and a second device tethered to the network, wherein the first device is proximal to the second device;
determine that the connection quality is below a pre-determined threshold value; and
send, from the first device, configuration information to the second device to allow the second device to directly connect to the network.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first device is a user equipment device, and the second device is a proximal device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the connection quality includes an indication of signal strength of the local communications connection between the first device and the second device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the configuration information is associated with cellular network attributes used by the first device to connect to the network.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the cellular network attributes include at least one of a Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, a RAT frequency division duplex configuration, a RAT time division duplex configuration, a uplink/downlink slot configuration for time division duplex, a RAT frequency and bandwidth, a RAT synchronization signal configuration, a RAT synchronization signal frequency/timing offset, a RAT cell-ID, a Global Navigation Satellite System assistant information, or an Ultra-wideband configuration information.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the configuration information is associated with Wi-Fi network attributes.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the Wi-Fi network attributes include at least one of mobile hotspot configuration information, a channel/service set identifier (SSID), and authentication information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
monitor, at a first device connected to a network, a connection quality for a local communications connection between the first device and a second device tethered to the network, wherein the first device is proximal to the second device;
determine that the connection quality is below a pre-determined threshold value; and
send, from the first device, configuration information to the second device to allow the second device to directly connect to the network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first device is a user equipment device, and the second device is a proximal device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the connection quality includes an indication of signal strength of the local communications connection between the first device and the second device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the configuration information is associated with cellular network attributes used by the first device to connect to the network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the cellular network attributes include at least one of a Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, a RAT frequency division duplex configuration, a RAT time division duplex configuration, a uplink/downlink slot configuration for time division duplex, a RAT frequency and bandwidth, a RAT synchronization signal configuration, a RAT synchronization signal frequency/timing offset, a RAT cell-ID, a Global Navigation Satellite System assistant information, or an Ultra-wideband configuration information.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the configuration information is associated with Wi-Fi network attributes.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Wang Jibing
• Stauffer Erik Richard
• Zhang Qin

Classifications

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04L43/16 Primary

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• H04L41/0816

  the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events · CPC title

• H04L43/08

  Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters · CPC title