System and method for offloading traffic from cellular networks using plugins

摘要

An extensible framework for offloading data traffic sent to a mobile computing device over a cellular network to a wireless network comprises software plugins, a plugin host that is typically part of the mobile device operating system, and plugin interfaces through which the plugin host communicates with the plugins. A plugin is associated with one or more mobile operators. The framework can comprise one or more plugins, but typically, only one plugin is active at a time. The framework can automatically detect and connect to wireless networks associated with a mobile operator associated with an active plugin. The plugin can automatically authenticate the mobile device or a mobile device user with the mobile operator over the connected wireless network. The plugins are not allowed access to operating system functions responsible for detecting and connecting and disconnecting to a wireless network, which can improve mobile operating system stability and battery life.

主权项

1. 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 plugin update frequency from the active authentication plugin to the authentication plugin host; and sending plugin update commands to the active authentication plugin from the authentication plugin host at substantially at least the plugin update frequency.