Architecture and protocol for a wireless communication network to provide scalable web services to mobile access devices

• US 20020143856A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bharat Sastri, Shiv Balakrishnan
• Original Assignee: Bharat Sastri, Shiv Balakrishnan
• Inventors: Sastri, Bharat, Balakrishnan, Shiv
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A network architecture for small, low-cost, high functionality portable wireless devices which shifts many of the functions performed in typical handheld communication devices to a central Application Server (AS) computer. Communication between the AS and the portable devices is performed using standard Internet Protocol (IP) packets. The AS includes a Client Proxy Server (CPS) which interfaces to applications on the server, and Device Personality Objects (DPOs) that handle the special characteristics of each different types of portable devices. Each portable device has a unique CPS/DPO pair running on the AS that accepts input from the portable devices and provides input to the various applications on the AS and which accepts outputs from the various applications and passes it to the portable devices. Communication from the portable devices to the AS is entirely via IP packets.

Claims

1. ) A system including a plurality of portable devices each having at least one input/output device and a central server,

said server including at least one Client Proxy Server (CPS) and a Device Personality Object (DPO) for each portable device, whereby there is a CPS/DPO program pair for each portable device,

a packetizer/de-packetizer at each portable device for generating internet Protocol (IP) packets from input to said portable device and for generating output from IP packets provided to said portable device,

a communication network for transmitting IP packets between each portable devices and the associated CPS/DPO pair,

said central server including at least one application program,

each CPS/DPO pair providing an interface between the associated hand held device and said application program,

whereby said hand held devices merely serve as input output devices, transmitting and receiving IP packets to and from the associated CPS/DPO pair, and all computation and data storage relative to said application is done at said central server.

4. ) The system recited in claim 1 where each of said portable devices includes a Software defined Radio (SDR) which transmits IP packets to said AS.

7. ) The system recited in claim 1 where each of said portable devices includes an Application Specific Device Module (ASD) that identifies the particular device to the AS.

2. ) A system which includes a plurality of portable devices, said portable devices having device characteristics and at least one input/output device,

each of said portable devices including a packetizer/de-packetizer for packetizing and de-packetizing input to said hand portable devices into IP packets,

a central application server which includes at lease one application program and a CPS (Client Proxy Server) for each of said plurality of hand held devices,

a communication network for transmitting IP (Internet Protocol) packets from said portable devices to said server, whereby input to said handheld device is packetized and transmitted to the associated CPS, and data from said CPS is packetized and transmitted to the associated portable device,

said CPS being adapted to abstract device dependencies from said application program and to uniquely map between the device characteristics of said portable devices and said application program.

5. ) The system recited in claim 2 where each of said portable devices includes a Software defined Radio (SDR) which transmits IP packets to said AS.

8. ) The system recited in claim 2 where each of said portable devices includes an Application Specific Device Module (ASD) that identifies the particular device to the AS.

3. ) A system including,

a plurality of portable devices,

a central server,

a radio communication network for transmitting standard Internet Protocol (IP) packets between providing radio communication between said portable devices and said central server,

a plurality of applications on said central server,

a Client Proxy Server (CPS)program on said central server which interfaces input and output messages from said portable devices to said applications,

whereby said portable devices serve as input output devices, communicating with said central server using IP packets and all computations and data storage relative to said applications is done at said central server, and

whereby said portable devices can be very simple low cost devices that use little power.

6. ) The system recited in claim 3 where each of said portable devices includes a Software defined Radio (SDR) which transmits IP packets to said AS.

9. ) The system recited in claim 3 where each of said portable devices includes an Application Specific Device Module (ASD) that identifies the particular device to the AS.

10. ) A method of connecting a plurality of portable devices to an application program located at a central server, each of said portable device having input and output capability, said central server including at least one application program, said portable devices not including a browser,

each portable device generating Internet Protocol (IP) packets containing the input received by the associated portable device,

transmitting said IP packets to said AS,

de-packetizing said packets at said AS and using the input received by the associated portable device to exercise said application program and to generate output,

packetizing said output into IP packets and transmitting the IP packets containg said output to the associated portable device,

de-packetizing said output at the portable device and presenting said output to a user,

whereby said portable devices communicate with said application program at said central server using IP packets.