Device, system, and method of selectively activating a wireless network connection

Abstract

Device, system, and method of selectively activating a wireless network connection. In some demonstrative embodiments, a mobile device may include a wireless network communication unit capable of communicating with an access-point over a wireless network connection; a personal-area-network communication unit capable of communicating with one or more other mobile devices over one or more wireless personal-area-network connections, respectively; and a communication controller to mediate communications between the mobile devices and the access point when the wireless network connection is active, and to communicate with the access-point via at least one of the personal-area-network connections when the wireless network connection is not active. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 . A mobile device comprising:
 a wireless network communication unit capable of communicating with an access-point over a wireless network connection;   a personal-area-network communication unit capable of communicating with one or more other mobile devices over one or more wireless personal-area-network connections; and   a communication controller to mediate communications between said mobile devices and said access point when said wireless network connection is active, and to communicate with said access-point via at least one of said personal-area-network connections when said wireless network connection is not active.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein said wireless network communication unit comprises a local-area-network communication unit, and wherein said wireless network connection comprises a wireless local-area-network connection. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein said mobile device is to selectively activate or de-activate said wireless local-area-network connection based on a bandwidth of an intended communication between said mobile device and said access-point. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein said mobile device is to power off said local-area-network communication unit when communicating with said access-point via said personal-area-network connections. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein a bandwidth of said wireless network connection is greater than a bandwidth of said personal-area-network connection, and wherein a power consumption of said mobile device, when communicating with said access-point via said personal-area-connection, is lower than a power consumption of said mobile device, when communicating with the access-point via the wireless network connection. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more other mobile devices comprise first and second mobile devices, and wherein said mobile device is to communicate with said access-point via said first mobile device, activate said wireless network connection to communicate directly with said access-point, and mediate communications between said first and second mobile devices and said access point over said wireless network connection. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more personal-area-network connections comprise an ultra-wideband connection. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein said mobile device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of: a cellular phone, a handheld device, a wireless communication device, and a personal-digital-assistant device, a smart phone, and ultra-mobile-device. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 mediating communications between one or more mobile devices and an access point by communicating with said access-point over a wireless network connection and communicating with said one or more mobile devices over one or more personal-area-network connections, respectively; and   when said wireless network connection is not active, communicating with said access-point via at least one of said personal-area-network connections.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said wireless network connection comprises a wireless local-area-network connection. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  comprising selectively activating or de-activating said wireless local-area-network connection based on a bandwidth of an intended communication between said mobile device and said access-point. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  comprising powering off said local-area-network communication unit when communicating with said access-point via said personal-area-network connections. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a bandwidth of said wireless network connection is greater than a bandwidth of said personal-area-network connection, and wherein a power consumption when communicating with said access-point via said personal-area-connection, is lower than a power consumption, when communicating with the access-point via the wireless network connection. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said one or more other mobile devices comprise first and second mobile devices, the method comprising:
 communicating with said access-point via said first mobile device;   activating said wireless network connection to communicate directly with said access-point; and   mediating communications between said access point and said first and second mobile devices over said wireless network connection.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said mobile device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of: a cellular phone, a handheld device, a wireless communication device, and a personal-digital-assistant device, a smart phone, and ultra-mobile-device.