Arranging session between server and client device

• US 20030101329A1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lahti, Jerry, Mittal, Gaurav, Sahinoja, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]

Abstract

A method of starting a session in a synchronization system. The maximum size of a message that is to be sent from a synchronization server to a mobile station for the request, and coding instructions, by which at least one of the identifiers can be coded into a bit sequence requiring substantially fewer bits than its ASCII presentation, are determined in the synchronization server. Decoding instructions, by means of which the original identifier is obtained from the bit sequence, are determined in the mobile station. When the purpose is to transmit a request indicating the need for starting a session to at least one mobile station, a message is formed, is shorter or as long as said maximum size and comprises the pre-selected identifiers, at least one of which is presented as a bit sequence defined according to the coding instructions. The mobile station forms a session initialization message on the basis of the information included in the message received from the server, at least part of information being defined from the received bit sequence according to said decoding instructions.

Claims

1. A method of starting a session in a synchronization system which comprises at least one electronic device acting as a client device and comprising communication means, at least one synchronization server and a telecommunication network providing a message transmission service, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring the synchronization server to determine for a request, indicating the need for starting a session and to be transmitted to the client device, the identifier of the synchronization server, a version identifier and the identifier of the requested synchronization session,

determining in the synchronization server the maximum size for a message that is to be sent from the synchronization server to the client device for the request,

determining coding instructions, by which at least one of the identifiers can be coded into a bit sequence requiring substantially fewer bits than its ASCII presentation, in the synchronization server and decoding instructions, by means of which the original identifier is obtained from the bit sequence, in the client device,

in response to the need of transmitting the request indicating the need for starting a session to at least one client device, forming one message, which message is shorter or as long as said maximum size and comprises at least said identifiers, at least one of which is presented as a bit sequence defined according to the coding instructions,

transmitting the message to the client device by using said message transmission service,

forming a session initialization message on the basis of the information included in the received message, at least part of said information being defined from the received bit sequence by means of said decoding instructions, and

transmitting the session initialization message from the client device to the synchronization server.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

a transport layer service in the synchronization system is configured by using a WAP protocol, whereby the message further comprises WSP header fields (Wireless Session Protocol).

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the message also denotes an application to which the content of the message should be directed, the denotion being defined by setting the information on the application to a predetermined location as from the beginning of the message or after a predetermined character, and

the content of the message is directed in the client device to the application denoted by the message.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein

the message transmission service is SMS.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the identifier of the synchronization server is determined in the field containing a shared secret.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the synchronization server is also configured to determine a bit sequence in the message, indicating whether the client or the server has caused the message.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the coding instructions and the decoding instructions comprise one or more correspondence tables.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the session is initialized for synchronizing a data set included in the client device and at least one database.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the synchronization server transmits a request for starting a device management session, and

the management session is initialized between the server and the client device.

10. A synchronization system comprising at least one electronic device acting as a client device and comprising communication means, at least one synchronization server and a telecommunication network providing a message transmission service, in which synchronization system:

the synchronization server is configured to determine for a request, indicating the need for starting a session and to be transmitted to the client device, the identifier of the synchronization server, a version identifier and the identifier of the requested synchronization session,

the synchronization server is configured to determine the maximum size for a message that is to be sent from the synchronization server to the client device for the request,

coding instructions, by which at least one of the identifiers can be coded into a bit sequence requiring substantially fewer bits than its ASCII presentation, are determined in the synchronization server and decoding instructions, by means of which the original identifier is obtained from the bit sequence, are determined in the client device,

in response to the need of transmitting the request indicating the need for starting a session to at least one client device, the synchronization server is configured to form one message, which message is shorter or as long as said maximum size and comprises at least said identifiers, at least one of which is presented as a bit sequence defined according to the coding instructions,

the synchronization server is configured to transmit the message to the client device by utilizing the message transmission service,

the client device is configured to form a session initialization message on the basis of the information included in the received message, at least part of information being defined from the received bit sequence by means of said decoding instructions, and

the client device is configured to transmit the session initialization message to the synchronization server.

11. A synchronization server,

which synchronization server is configured to determine for a request, indicating the need for starting a session and to be transmitted to at least one client device, the identifier of the synchronization server, a version identifier and the identifier of the requested synchronization session,

the synchronization server is configured to determine the maximum size for a message that is to be sent from the synchronization server to the client device for the request,

in which synchronization server coding instructions, by which at least one of the identifiers can be coded into a bit sequence requiring substantially fewer bits than its ASCII presentation, are determined,

which synchronization server, in response to the need of transmitting the request indicating the need for starting a session to at least one client device, is configured to form one message, which message is shorter or as long as said maximum size and comprises at least said identifiers, at least one of which is presented as a bit sequence defined according to the coding instructions, and

which synchronization server is configured to transmit the message to at least one client device by utilizing the message transmission service.

12. An electronic device comprising

means for receiving and transmitting messages,

means for communicating with a device management server, for which device management server said electronic device acts as a client device,

means for storing decoding instructions, by means of which decoding instructions the original information is obtained from the bit sequence coded by the device management server,

means for converting at least one bit sequence included in the message received from the device management server into the original information on the basis of the decoding instructions,

means for forming an initialization message for a device management session between the device management server and said device on the basis of the information indicated by the message received from the device management server, at least part of information being defined from the received bit sequence by means of said decoding instructions,

means for sending the initialization message for the device management session to the device management server, and

means for altering the configuration of said device according to management commands received from the device management server during the device management session.

13. A computer program loadable to the memory of a synchronization server, said program product comprising a computer program code, which, when being executed in the processor of the synchronization server, causes the synchronization server to:

determine for a request, indicating the need for starting a session and to be transmitted to at least one client device, the identifier of the synchronization server, the identifier of a synchronization protocol version supported by the synchronization server and the identifier of the requested synchronization session,

determine the maximum size for a message that is to be sent from the synchronization server to the client device for the request,

set coding instructions, by which it can code at least one of the identifiers into a bit sequence requiring substantially fewer bits than its ASCII presentation,

in response to the need of transmitting the request, indicating the need for starting a session to at least one client device, form one message, which message is shorter or as long as said maximum size and comprises at least said identifiers, at least one of which is presented as a bit sequence defined according to the coding instructions, and

transmit the message to at least one client device by utilizing the message transmission service.

14. A computer program loadable to the memory of an electronic device, said computer program comprising a program code, which, when being executed in the processor of the electronic device, causes the electronic device to:

set decoding instructions, by means of which decoding instructions the original identifier is obtained from the bit sequence coded by the device management server,

convert at least one bit sequence included in the message received from the device management server into the original information on the basis of the decoding instructions,

form an initialization message for a device management session between the device management server and said device on the basis of the information indicated by the message received from the device management server, at least part of information being defined from the received bit sequence by means of said decoding instructions,

means for sending the initialization message for the device management session to the device management server, and

means for altering the configuration of the device according to management commands received from the device management server during the device management session.