Patent ID: 7471701
Filing Date: 2008-12-30
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for seamless integration of multiple wireless data connections comprising the steps of: establishing a connection with a data source from a requester device for the purpose of retrieving information from the data source; determining characteristics of data to be retrieved from the data source including a size of the data and an estimate of time required to retrieve the data at the requester device; requesting assistance from other wireless devices (contributors) in an immediate vicinity of the requestor device to assist in the retrieval of the information, by sending requests to wireless devices in the immediate vicinity of the requester device requesting assistance in retrieving information packets; receiving responses from the other wireless devices with regard to availability to retrieve information from the data source for the requestor device, in response to a request for use in the retrieval of information packets; determining a number of confirmed wireless devices that will assist in the retrieval of data from the data source; the determined wireless devices being contributor devices and the number of confirmed devices and the requestor device being a total number of receiver devices; determining packet ranges for the data to be retrieved based on the number of available wireless devices that will retrieve data; assigning packet ranges for the data to be retrieved between the requestor device and the contributor devices; connecting all contributor devices to the data source by determining the size of an information packet to be downloaded to the requestor device; and dividing the information packet into ranges based on the total number of receiver devices; receiving information packets at the requestor and contributor devices; transmitting the received packets from the contributor devices to the requestor device; and assembling the received packets at the requestor device into the original data downloaded from the data source.