Method and system for two-way initiated data communication with wireless devices
First Claim
1. A method in a computer network environment that is connected to a wireless communications network through an address management proxy system, the wireless communications network connected to a wireless device using a private network address of the wireless communications network, the wireless device having an associated unique identifier, the address management proxy system having a public network address of the computer network environment, and the computer network environment connected to a wired device using a public network address of the computer network environment, comprising:
- under control of the wired device, using the public network address of the address management proxy system, sending a request to the address management proxy system for an indication of a public network address of the computer network environment to use for communicating with the wireless device, the request indicating the unique identifier associated with the wireless device;
under control of the address management proxy system, receiving the request for the indication of the public network address;
determining a public network address from a plurality of available public network addresses of computer network environment;
associating the determined public network address with the private network address of the wireless device that corresponds to the indicated unique identifier; and
forwarding an indication of the determined public network address to the wired device; and
under control of the wired device, receiving the indicated public network address; and
sending data to the wireless device using the indicated public network address, such that the wired device perceives that the wired device is communicating directly with the wireless device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for providing two-way initiated, bi-directional communication with wireless devices using connection-based or connection-less protocols, such as, for example, TCP/IP and UDP/IP, are provided. Example embodiments provide an Address Management Proxy System (“AMPS”), which enables devices and systems connected to a public internet, such as the Internet, to initiate communication with and to send data to wireless devices connected to a private wireless network, without exposing the non-routable private addresses of these wireless devices. The AMPS allocates a public (routable) network address for temporarily use by a requesting device on a public network to communicate with a wireless device on a wireless network. In one embodiment, a pool of public addresses, for example, public IP addresses, is maintained by the AMPS and allocated dynamically to wireless network devices as required. In one embodiment, the AMPS comprises one or more modified DNS/API servers, one or more Address Proxy/Routers, an Address Management Data Server, one or more data repositories, and optionally a load balancer. The AMPS DNS'"'"'/API server receives a request from a device on a public network for a particular wireless device, and returns an appropriate temporary public address, which is internally mapped to the private address of the wireless device. The public address is then usable by the device on the public network to send data to the wireless device.
163 Citations
108 Claims
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1. A method in a computer network environment that is connected to a wireless communications network through an address management proxy system, the wireless communications network connected to a wireless device using a private network address of the wireless communications network, the wireless device having an associated unique identifier, the address management proxy system having a public network address of the computer network environment, and the computer network environment connected to a wired device using a public network address of the computer network environment, comprising:
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under control of the wired device, using the public network address of the address management proxy system, sending a request to the address management proxy system for an indication of a public network address of the computer network environment to use for communicating with the wireless device, the request indicating the unique identifier associated with the wireless device;
under control of the address management proxy system, receiving the request for the indication of the public network address;
determining a public network address from a plurality of available public network addresses of computer network environment;
associating the determined public network address with the private network address of the wireless device that corresponds to the indicated unique identifier; and
forwarding an indication of the determined public network address to the wired device; and
under control of the wired device, receiving the indicated public network address; and
sending data to the wireless device using the indicated public network address, such that the wired device perceives that the wired device is communicating directly with the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer network environment comprising:
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a wireless device connected to a wireless communications network using a private network address of the wireless communications network, the wireless device having an associated unique identifier;
a wired device connected to the computer network environment using a public network address of the computer network environment, that is structured to;
request an indication of a public network address of the computer network environment to use for communicating with the wireless device, the request indicating the unique identifier associated with the wireless device, receive the indicated public network address, and, send data to the wireless device using the indicated public network address, such that the wired device communicates directly with the wireless device using a virtual end-to-end connection; and
an address management proxy system connected to the computer network environment using a public network address of the computer network environment, that is structured to;
receive the request from the wired device, determine a public network address from a plurality of available public network addresses of computer network environment, associate the determined public network address with the private network address of the wireless device that corresponds to the indicated unique identifier, and forward an indication of the determined public network address to the wired device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method in a computer network environment for establishing a bi-directional communication channel virtual communication channel between a first device connected to the computer network environment using a public network address and a second device connected to a wireless communications network and having a private address, comprising:
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receiving a request from the first device to communicate with the second device;
dynamically determining a public network address from a pool of public network addresses;
associating the determined public network address with the private address of the second device; and
returning an indication of the determined public network address to the first device so that the first device can thereafter send data to the second device using the determined public network address. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An address proxy management system connected to a computer network environment for establishing a virtual communication channel between a first device connected to the computer network environment using a public network address and a second device connected to a wireless communications network and having a private address comprising:
domain name service (DNS) that is structured to;
receive a request from the first device to communicate with the second device, dynamically determine a public network address from a pool of public network addresses;
associate the determined public network address with the private address of the second device; and
return an indication of the determined public network address to the first device so that the first device can thereafter send data to the second device using the determined public network address. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. An address proxy management system connected to a computer network environment for establishing a virtual communication channel between a first device connected to the computer network environment using a public network address and a second device connected to a wireless communications network and having a private address comprising:
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means for receiving a request from the first device to communicate with the second device;
means for dynamically determining a public network address from a pool of public network addresses;
means for associating the determined public network address with the private address of the second device; and
means for returning an indication of the determined public network address to the first device so that the first device can thereafter send data to the second device using the determined public network address.
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67. A computer-readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a processor in a computer system to establish a bi-directional communication channel virtual communication channel between a first device connected to a computer network environment using a public network address and a second device connected to a wireless communications network and having a private address, by:
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receiving a request from the first device to communicate with the second device;
dynamically determining a public network address from a pool of public network addresses;
associating the determined public network address with the private address of the second device; and
returning an indication of the determined public network address to the first device so that the first device can thereafter send data to the second device using the determined public network address. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A method in a computer network environment for communicating with a wireless device connected to an address management proxy system using a private network address, the wireless device having an associated unique identifier that is not the private network address, the address management proxy system connected to the computer network environment using a public network address of the network environment, comprising:
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requesting from the address management proxy system a public network address that corresponds to the unique identifier associated with the wireless device;
receiving an indication of the public network address of the wireless device; and
sending data to the indicated public network address. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. A computer-readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to communicate in a computer network environment with a wireless device connected to an address management proxy system using a private network address, the wireless device having an associated unique identifier that is not the private network address, the address management proxy system connected to the computer network environment using a public network address of the network environment, by:
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requesting from the address management proxy system a public network address that corresponds to the unique identifier associated with the wireless device;
receiving an indication of the public network address of the wireless device; and
sending data to the indicated public network address. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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99. A wired device that is connected to a computer network environment using a public network address of the computer network environment, the network environment connected to an address management proxy system using a public network address of the network environment, the address management proxy system connected to a wireless device using a private network address, the wireless device having an associated unique identifier that is not the private network address, comprising:
communications code module that is structured to;
request from the address management proxy system a public network address that corresponds to the unique identifier associated with the wireless device, receive an indication of the public network address of the wireless device; and
send data to the indicated public network address. - View Dependent Claims (100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108)
Specification