US Patent 7184774 Coordination among mobile stations servicing terminal equipment

Coordination among mobile stations enables a terminal device (114) to establish a most appropriate wireless network connection. According to the present invention, a connection request, including network connectivity requirements, is communicated from the terminal device (114) to a first mobile station (116). The first mobile station (116) then transmits the network connectivity requirements to a second mobile station (117–119) that is also capable of establishing a wireless network connection. A determination based in part or in whole on the network connectivity requirements is then made at one of the first and second mobile stations (116–119) which station can provide a most appropriate wireless network connection. A network connection is then established through one of the first and second mobile stations (116–119) based on the determination of which of the first and second mobile stations (116–119) can provide the most appropriate wireless network connection.