Wireless communication methods, systems, and computer program products

摘要

A method, wireless device and computer program product for expanding the coverage of a cellular network. A wireless device (e.g., cellular telephone) is able to communicate with a base station in a cell of the cellular network over a non-cellular interface via another wireless device in a cell through the use of multi-hopping. A wireless device may request permission to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off another wireless device when its signal strength is below a threshold. Alternatively, a wireless device may receive a request to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off the wireless device that sent the request when that wireless device has excess capacity in its bandwidth with the base station. By enabling wireless devices to communicate with a base station in such a manner, the effective capacity of the cellular network is expanded and the effective capacity of the cellular network is improved.

主权项

1. A method of conveying data on a cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network, the method comprising:
determining, in a first relay cellular device, that the first relay cellular device will make itself available as a relay for other cellular devices in a cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; in response to determining that the first relay cellular device will make itself available as a relay, transmitting, from a non-cellular interface of the first relay cellular device, a first node-state signal indicating the availability of the first relay cellular device as a relay for other cellular devices in the cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; receiving, with a non-cellular interface of an originating cellular device, the first node-state signal transmitted from the first relay cellular device; determining, in the originating cellular device, based on the first node-state signal that the originating cellular device will wirelessly connect to a base station of a cellular network via the first relay cellular device in the cellular and multi-hop, non-cellular network; and in response to determining that the originating cellular device will wirelessly connect to the base station of the cellular network via the first relay cellular device:
transmitting uplink data, for transmission to the base station, from the originating cellular device via the first relay cellular device, wherein the step of transmitting uplink data, for transmission to the base station, from the originating cellular device via the first relay cellular device comprises:obtaining in the originating cellular device a security key based on a cellular-security identifier associated with the originating cellular device, wherein the security key is received from the cellular network associated with the base station;encrypting with the originating cellular device the uplink data for transmission to the base station with the security key to form encrypted data;transmitting the encrypted data via the non-cellular interface of the originating cellular device to the non-cellular interface of the first relay cellular device; andtransmitting the encrypted data via a cellular interface of the first relay cellular device to the base station.