Aggregating Cellular Bandwidth for WiFi Hotspot via Mesh Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no known method to automatically combine the wireless wide area broadband bandwidth of individual cellular devices into a single higher speed connection for a WiFi hotspot, limiting group access to high-speed Internet access for collaborative work or other applications.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that aggregates cellular bandwidth from multiple user devices by appending a shared character string to network names, scanning for WLANs, connecting to participating devices, and combining bandwidth through cellular and WLAN interfaces to host a WiFi network with increased bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single cellular connection is used to host a WiFi hotspot, then the setup is simple and reliable, but the available bandwidth is limited to what one cellular device can provide
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cellular connections from different user devices into a single aggregated bandwidth resource. Devices form a mesh network where each device's cellular connection is merged with others, creating a unified high-bandwidth WiFi hotspot that leverages the combined capacity of all participating devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the bandwidth aggregation task across multiple independent cellular devices, where each device contributes its own cellular connection separately. The bandwidth aggregation is achieved by dividing the network into multiple nodes, each providing a portion of the total bandwidth, rather than requiring a single high-capacity connection.
2Productivity
If multiple cellular connections are combined to increase bandwidth, then higher throughput is achieved, but the system complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automatic device discovery, authentication, and bandwidth aggregation. The system autonomously manages the complexity of combining multiple cellular connections by having devices automatically scan for one another, establish secure connections, and negotiate bandwidth sharing without requiring manual configuration or complex user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal platform that can aggregate bandwidth from any number of cellular devices with different connection qualities. The multi-functional architecture allows the same system to work whether two devices or twenty devices are participating, adapting automatically to the number and capability of connected devices without requiring different solutions for different scenarios.
3Ease of operation
If manual configuration of bandwidth aggregation is required, then security and control are maintained, but ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where devices continuously monitor the status of their cellular connections and the overall network performance. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts bandwidth allocation, reconfigures connections, and manages device participation to maintain stable and reliable aggregated bandwidth while operating automatically without user intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving an instruction to aggregate cellular bandwidth of a user device with the cellular bandwidth of one or more participating user devices; appending a shared character string to a network name of the user device based on receiving the instruction; scanning for wireless local area networks (WLANs) after appending the shared character string; identifying one or more WLAN networks with the network names having the shared character string, where the one or more WLAN networks are hosted by the one or more participating user devices; connecting to a particular WLAN network, of the one or more WLAN networks via a WLAN interface of the user device; combining bandwidth from the cellular interface of the user device with the bandwidth from the WLAN interface of the user device; and hosting a WLAN network providing a sum of the bandwidth from the WLAN interface and the cellular interface.