Wireless wide area network characteristics indicated over a wireless local area network

Abstract

What is disclosed is a method of operating a communications system. The method includes transferring a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon signal from a wireless transceiver, where the WLAN beacon signal comprises packets identifying the WLAN. The method further provides receiving wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals into the wireless transceiver and determining WWAN characteristics. The WWAN characteristics comprise at least one of signal strength, data rate, and transceiver battery status. The method further includes, in the wireless transceiver, inserting a characteristic indicator into the packet headers of the WLAN beacon signal indicating the WWAN characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) communication system to transfer Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system information, the method comprising:
 wirelessly receiving an LTE signal from an LTE communication system and processing the LTE signal to determine LTE Radio Frequency (RF) signal strength;   generating a data packet indicating the WiFi communication system and the LTE RF signal strength; and   wirelessly transferring a WiFi signal from the WiFi communication system including the data packet indicating the WiFi communication system and indicating the LTE RF signal strength.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising wirelessly transferring another WiFi signal from the WiFi communication system including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to display the LTE RF signal strength. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising wirelessly transferring another WiFi signal from the WiFi communication system including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to simultaneously display the LTE RF signal strength and a WiFi signal strength. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising processing the LTE signal to determine an LTE data rate and wherein generating and transferring the data packet in the WiFi signal comprises generating and transferring the data packet indicating the LTE data rate in the WiFi signal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 processing the LTE signal to determine an LTE data rate; 
 wherein generating and transferring the data packet in the WiFi signal comprises generating and transferring the data packet indicating the LTE data rate in the WiFi signal; and 
 wirelessly transferring another WiFi signal from the WiFi communication system including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to display the LTE data rate. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining a battery power status for the WiFi communication system and wherein generating and transferring the data packet in the WiFi signal comprises generating and transferring the data packet indicating the battery power status for the WiFi communication system in the WiFi signal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining a battery power status for the WiFi communication system; 
 wherein generating and transferring the data packet in the WiFi signal comprises generating and transferring the data packet indicating the battery power status for the WiFi communication system in the WiFi signal; and 
 wirelessly transferring another WiFi signal from the WiFi communication system including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to display the battery power status for the WiFi communication system. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein generating and transferring the data packet comprises generating and transferring the data packet indicating a Service Set Identifier (SSID) for the WiFi communication system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein generating and transferring the data packet comprises generating and transferring a user datagram protocol packet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein generating and transferring the data packet comprises generating and transferring a media access control layer packet. 
     
     
         11 . A Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) communication system to transfer Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system information comprising:
 an LTE network interface configured to wirelessly receive an LTE signal from an LTE communication system and process the LTE signal to determine LTE Radio Frequency (RF) signal strength;   a processing system configured to generate a data packet indicating the WiFi communication system and the LTE RF signal strength; and   a WiFi network interface configured to wirelessly transfer a WiFi signal including the data packet indicating the WiFi communication system and indicating the LTE RF signal strength.   
     
     
         12 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer another WiFi signal including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to display the LTE RF signal strength. 
     
     
         13 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer another WiFi signal including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to simultaneously display the LTE RF signal strength with a WiFi signal strength. 
     
     
         14 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the LTE network interface is configured to process the LTE signal to determine an LTE data rate; 
 the processing system is configured to generate the data packet indicating the LTE data rate; 
 the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer the WiFi signal including the LTE data rate. 
 
     
     
         15 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 the LTE network interface is configured to process the LTE signal to determine an LTE data rate; 
 the processing system is configured to generate the data packet indicating the LTE data rate; and 
 the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer the WiFi signal including the LTE data rate and to wirelessly transfer another WiFi signal including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to display the LTE data rate. 
 
     
     
         16 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the processing system is configured to determine a battery power status for the WiFi communication system and to generate the data packet indicating the battery power status for the WiFi communication system; and 
 the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer the WiFi signal including the data packet indicating the battery power status for the WiFi communication system. 
 
     
     
         17 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the processing system is configured to determine a battery power status for the WiFi communication system and to generate the data packet indicating the battery power status for the WiFi communication system; and 
 the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer the WiFi signal including the data packet indicating the battery power status for the WiFi communication system and to wirelessly transfer another WiFi signal including a software module configured to direct a user communication device to display the battery power status for the WiFi communication system. 
 
     
     
         18 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the processing system is configured to generate the data packet indicating a Service Set Identifier (SSID) for the WiFi communication system; and 
 the WiFi network interface is configured to wirelessly transfer the WiFi signal including the data packet indicating the SSID for the WiFi communication system. 
 
     
     
         19 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein the data packet comprises a user datagram protocol packet. 
     
     
         20 . The WiFi communication system of  claim 11  wherein the data packet comprises a media access control layer packet.