Automatic wireless communication protocol toggling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949302-B2
Application number	US-201615079306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

In general, this disclosure is directed to techniques for toggling communication connections based on signal strengths. A first computing device receives an indication of a user input to send data packets to a second computing device. Responsive to receiving the indication, the first computing device determines a signal strength of a first wireless communication connection, comprising one of a cellular network connection or a wireless local area network connection, to the second computing device, and determines whether the signal strength satisfies a threshold signal strength level. Responsive to determining that the signal strength does not satisfy the threshold signal strength level, the first computing device automatically establishes a second wireless communication connection, including a mesh network using a different wireless communication protocol than the first wireless communication connection, to the second computing device, and sends the data packets to the second computing device via the second wireless communication connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device, an indication of a user input to send, using an application currently executing at the first computing device, a first set of one or more data packets to a second computing device;
responsive to receiving the indication of the user input, determining, by the first computing device, a first signal strength of a first wireless communication connection to the second computing device, wherein the first wireless communication connection comprises one of a cellular network connection or a wireless local area network connection;
determining, by the first computing device, whether the first signal strength of the first wireless communication connection satisfies a threshold signal strength level;
responsive to determining that the first signal strength does not satisfy the threshold signal strength level:
automatically establishing, by the first computing device, a second wireless communication connection to the second computing device, wherein the second wireless communication connection includes a mesh network and uses a different wireless communication protocol than the first wireless communication connection; and
sending, by the first computing device, to the second computing device, and via the second wireless communication connection, the first set of one or more data packets; and

after sending the first set of one or more data packets via the second wireless communication connection and while the first computing device is connected to the mesh network via the second wireless communication connection:
receiving, by the first computing device, an indication of a second user input to send, using the application currently executing at the first computing device, a second set of one or more data packets to the second computing device;
responsive to receiving the indication of the second user input, determining, by the first computing device, an updated signal strength of the first wireless communication connection;
determining, by the first computing device, whether the updated signal strength of the first wireless communication connection satisfies the threshold signal strength level; and
responsive to determining that the updated signal strength satisfies the threshold signal strength level:
automatically disconnecting, by the first computing device, from the second wireless communication connection; and
sending, by the first computing device, to the second computing device, and via the first wireless communication connection, the second set of one or more data packets.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the first signal strength satisfies the threshold signal strength level, sending, by the first computing device, to the second computing device, and via the first wireless communication connection, the first set of one or more data packets.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the first set of one or more data packets via the second wireless communication connection comprises:
sending, by the first computing device, to a third computing device, via one of a short wavelength radio connection or a wireless local area network connection, the first set of one or more data packets.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein sending the first set of one or more data packets via the second wireless communication connection further comprises:
sending, by the first computing device, via the third computing device, and to a server device, the first set of one or more data packets.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the first set of one or more data packets via the second wireless communication connection comprises:
sending, by the first computing device, directly to the second computing device, via one of a short wavelength radio connection or a wireless local area network connection, the first set of one or more data packets.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of one or more data packets are associated with one of a text message, a picture message, or a video call.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of one or more data packets comprise a first set of one or more data packets, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the first computing device, from the second computing device, and via the second wireless communication connection, a second set of one or more data packets.

8. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
after sending the first set of one or more data packets via the second wireless communication connection:
receiving, by the first computing device, from the second computing device, and via the first wireless communication connection, a third set of one or more data packets; and
responsive to receiving the third set of one or more data packets, automatically disconnecting, by the first computing device, from the second wireless communication connection.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first signal strength of the first wireless communication connection satisfies the threshold signal strength level comprises:
determining, by the first computing device, an amount of time over a predefined span of time that the first signal strength for the first wireless communication connection is below the threshold signal strength level;
determining, by the first computing device, whether the amount of time over the predefined span of time that the first signal strength for the first wireless communication connection is below the threshold signal strength level is greater than or equal to a threshold amount of time; and
responsive to determining that the amount of time over the predefined span of time that the first signal strength for the first wireless communication connection is below the threshold signal strength level is greater than or equal to the threshold amount of time, determining, by the first computing device, that the first signal strength does not satisfy the threshold signal strength level.

10. A computing device comprising:
a wireless radio configured to send and receive data packets via a plurality of wireless communication connections;
one or more processors; and
a storage device configured to store one or more modules operable by the at least one processor to:
receive an indication of a user input to send, using an application currently executing at the computing device, a first set of one or more data packets to a second computing device;
responsive to receiving the indication of the user input, determine a first signal strength of a first wireless communication connection to the second computing device, wherein the first wireless communication connection comprises one of a cellular network connection or a wireless local area network connection;
determine whether the first signal strength of the first wireless communication connection satisfies a threshold signal strength level;
responsive to determining that the first signal strength does not satisfy the threshold signal strength level:
automatically establish, using the wireless radio, a second wireless communication connection to the second computing device, wherein the second wireless communication connection includes a mesh network and uses a different wireless communication protocol than the first wireless communication connection; and
send, using the wireless radio, to the second computing device, and via the second wireless communication connection, the first set of one or more data packets; and

after sending the first set of one or more data packets via the second wireless communication connection and while the first computing device is connected to the mesh network via the second wireless communication

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Price Thomas
• Toksoz Tuna

Classifications

• H04W72/542

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04W72/54

  based on quality criteria · CPC title

• G06F21/335 Primary

  for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets · CPC title

• H04W76/00

  Connection management · CPC title

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title