Patent ID: 8897447

Claim:
A mobile communication device, comprising: a first network interface configured for connection to a telecommunications network to establish a network connection with the telecommunications network; a second network interface configured for connection to a tethered computing device to establish a series of tethered connections with the tethered computing device and permit the tethered computing device to use the network connection; and, a processor configured to: generate a first set of credentials; receive a first request from the tethered computing device to establish a first tethered connection of the series of tethered connections; establish the first tethered connection if the first request includes the first set of credentials; receive a first set of information from the tethered computing device during the first tethered connection; determine, responsive to the first set of information, a first parameter associated with a first synchronization period of a subsequent connection during which the network connection is utilizable by the tethered computing device to synchronize data between the tethered computing device and another computing device connected to the telecommunications network, the first parameter comprising a start time for the first synchronization period; provide the first parameter of the first synchronization period to the tethered computing device over the first tethered connection; generate a second set of credentials for the subsequent connection that remain valid for the first synchronization period of the subsequent connection; provide the second set of credentials to the tethered computing device over the first tethered connection; disable the first tethered connection; establish a first synchronization wireless access point responsive to the first parameter through which the tethered computing device establishes a second tethered connection of the series of tethered connections to access the network connection; receive a second request from the tethered computing device over the first synchronization wireless access point to establish the second tethered connection; and, establish the second tethered connection if the second request includes the second set of credentials.