Wireless Area Network Enabled Mobile Device Accessory

Abstract

A wearable wireless portable device (“WWPD”) includes cellular/WAN communications circuitry for establishing a direct connection to a telecommunication network and a low-power short range radio for establishing an indirect connection to the telecommunication network via the communications circuitry of the more feature-rich mobile device. The WWPD may be configured to deactivate its cellular/WAN communications circuitry (and other resource such as GPS) to communicate with a more feature-rich mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) via low-power short range communication technologies when it is in close proximity to the mobile device, and activate its cellular/WAN circuitry to provide cellular and/or network connectivity when it is not in close proximity to the mobile device. The WWPD does not require the bulky battery systems, which enables the WWPD to be packaged into a small and lightweight device, such as a wrist watch or pendant and enables longer battery life for the battery of the WWPD.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A first device, comprising:
 wide area network, WAN, communications circuitry;   low-power short range communication circuitry; and   a processor coupled to the WAN communications circuitry and the low-power short range communication circuitry, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a low-power short range communication link with a second device; 
 establishing a network connection to a telecommunication network; 
 providing, to the second device, access to the telecommunication network via the low-power short range communication link; 
 performing at least one additional functionality found on the second device; and 
 providing information associated with the at least one additional functionality to the second device via the low-power short range communication link. 
   
     
     
         2 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional functionality is selected from the group consisting of heart rate sensor functionality, blood pressure sensor functionality, gyroscope functionality, accelerometer functionality, pedometer functionality, thermometer functionality, glucometer functionality and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional functionality comprises a position location functionality. 
     
     
         4 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one additional functionality is selected from the group consisting of a global positioning satellite, GPS, module, a bio monitor, an exercise module, a personal security module, an entertainment module, a camera, a speaker, a display, a user interface, a time module, a web browser, and a microphone. 
     
     
         5 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
 receiving from the second device a control message to establish a network connection to the telecommunication network;   establishing the network connection responsive to the control message; and   providing via the low-power short range communication link communications between the second device and the telecommunication network.   
     
     
         6 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that providing via the low-power short range communication link communications between the second device and the telecommunication network comprises:
 providing via the low-power short range communication link content from the telecommunication network to the second device.   
     
     
         7 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the low-power short range communication link is a Wi-Fi link. 
     
     
         8 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the low-power short range communication link is a Bluetooth link. 
     
     
         9 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises a wearable wireless portable device. 
     
     
         10 . A method of wireless communication at a first device, comprising:
 establishing a low-power short range communication link with a second device;   establishing a network connection to a telecommunication network;   providing, to the second device, access to the telecommunication network via the low-power short range communication link;   performing at least one additional functionality found on the second device; and   providing information associated with the at least one additional functionality to the second device via the low-power short range communication link.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising receiving from the second device a control message to establish a network connection to the telecommunication network;
 establishing the network connection responsive to the control message; and   providing via the low-power short range communication link communications between the second device and the telecommunication network.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising providing via the low-power short range communication link content from the telecommunication network to the second device. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one additional functionality comprises a position location functionality. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises a smart phone. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the second device comprises a wearable wireless portable device. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a first communication device, wherein the processor is coupled to WAN communications circuitry and low-power short range communication circuitry of the first communication device, to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a low-power short range communication link with a second communication device;   establishing a network connection to a telecommunication network;   providing, to the second communication device, access to the telecommunication network via the low-power short range communication link;   performing at least one additional functionality found on the second communication device; and   providing information associated with the at least one additional functionality to the second communication device via the low-power short range communication link.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising
 receiving from the second communication device a control message to establish a network connection to the telecommunication network;   establishing the network connection responsive to the control message; and   providing via the low-power short range communication link communications between the second communication device and the telecommunication network.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising
 providing via the low-power short range communication link content from the telecommunication network to the second communication device.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one additional functionality comprises a position location functionality.