Master Account Sharing for Wireless Device Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often need to maintain separate accounts with communications operators for multiple wireless-enabled devices, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to overlapping functionalities and resource usage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that allows multiple computing devices to share a master account, where candidate devices can communicate with a communication system using a master device, either directly or through a tethering relationship, based on predefined conditions, such as proximity, to consolidate resource usage and billing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate accounts are maintained for multiple wireless-enabled devices, then each device can independently access communication resources, but account management complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple device accounts into a single master account that can be shared across multiple wireless-enabled devices. The communication system allows a master device to establish a master account and authorize candidate devices to access communication resources through this shared account, eliminating the need for separate accounts for each device while maintaining device independence in accessing resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The master account serves multiple functions by enabling any authorized candidate device to access communication resources. The account holder can authorize multiple devices to use the same account, and the system automatically manages resource allocation across all devices, making the account structure universal rather than device-specific.
2Loss of information
If multiple separate accounts are used for different devices, then resource usage can be tracked individually, but billing costs and administrative overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines resource usage tracking for multiple devices into a single master account framework. The communication system tracks and aggregates resource consumption across all candidate devices using the master account, providing unified billing information to the account holder while reducing the total number of accounts from multiple device-specific accounts to one shared account.
3Loss of time
If automatic tethering relationships are established between devices, then setup time is reduced, but control over resource allocation may be diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automatic tethering relationship establishment. When a candidate device enters a service area and satisfies prescribed conditions, the system automatically establishes the tethering relationship without requiring manual user intervention. The master device and communication system autonomously manage the connection setup, reducing setup time while the account holder retains control over resource allocation through the master account framework.
Data Source
AI summary
Functionality is described that allows plural computing devices to share a master account. In one implementation, the functionality allows any candidate device to directly communicate with a communication system using the master account, providing that the candidate device satisfies a prescribed condition with respect to a master device. For example, the functionality can allow the candidate device to communicate with the communication system if it is within a threshold distance of the master device. In another implementation, the functionality instructs the master device and the candidate device to set up a tethering relationship. The functionality can then allow the candidate device to communicate with the communication system, via the master device, using the master account. In one implementation, the functionality can set up the tethering relationship without substantial (or any) involvement of the user (or users) who operate the master device and candidate device.