Port routing functionality

• US 20040264402A9
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mobile Sonic Incorporated (Absolute Software Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Padcom Incorporated (NetMotion Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bogdon, Christopher J., Hofstaedter, Christian E., Whitmore, David L.
• Application Number:
  US10/084,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122394A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 : Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method is provided for routing data over multiple routes, including wireless networks, the data being received from multiple applications. The method includes ascertaining availability of the multiple routes, receiving data from a selected application of the applications, determining a designated route that is associated with the selected application, and sending the received data over the designated route when the designated route has been ascertained to be available. Moreover, a system is provided for routing data over multiple wireless networks. The data is sent from multiple applications each having a unique source port number. The system includes a mobile router that receives data from a selected a mobile router that receives data from a selected application. The mobile router includes a port routing table containing information that specifies, based on one or more characteristics of the data, over which wireless network the data should be routed. The characteristics of the data include a port number, IP address or protocol.

Claims

1. A method for routing data over multiple routes, including wireless networks, the data being received from a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

ascertaining availability of the multiple routes;

receiving data from a selected application of the plurality of applications;

determining a designated route that is associated with the selected application; and

sending the received data over the designated route when the designated route has been ascertained to be available.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the determining further comprises determining the designated route based upon at least one port number assigned to the selected application.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the determining further comprises determining the designated route based upon at least one IP address associated with the selected application.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the determining further comprises determining the designated route based upon at least one protocol of the data received from the selected application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated route indicates that the data is to be ignored, and in which the sending further comprises not sending the data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated route comprises a default route.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated route comprises an alternate route.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the determining further comprises determining the designated route based upon a port number associated with a destination of a received packet.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the determining further comprises determining the designated route based upon an IP address associated with a destination of a received packet.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the ascertaining further comprises notifying a host network server of the availability of each route when a route is ascertained to be available.

11. A system for routing data over multiple wireless networks, the data being sent from a plurality of applications, the system comprising:

a mobile router that receives data from a selected one of the applications, the mobile router comprising a port routing table containing information that specifies, based on at least one characteristic of the data, over which wireless network the data should be routed, the at least one characteristic comprising at least one of a port number, IP address and protocol.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein an alternate route over which the data is routed is specified based upon the at least one characteristic of data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein a default route over which the data is routed is specified based upon the at least one characteristic of data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein an ignore route is specified based upon the at least one characteristic of data.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the information in the port routing table is configured from the host network server and pushed to the port routing table in the mobile router.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile router notifies the host network server whenever any wireless network enters an in-coverage state.

17. A system for routing data over multiple wireless networks, the data being sent from a plurality of applications, the system comprising:

a host network server that receives data from a selected one of the applications, the host network server comprising a port routing table containing information that specifies, based on at least one characteristic of the data, over which wireless network the data should be routed, the at least one characteristic comprising at least one of a port number, IP address and protocol.

18. A computer readable medium storing a computer program that enables the specification of IP routing behavior over multiple wireless networks, the medium comprising:

a source code segment that receives data from a plurality of applications, each application having a unique port number;

a source code segment that stores a port routing table containing information that specifies, based on at least one of an application'"'"'s port number, IP address and protocol, over which wireless network the application'"'"'s data should be routed, and whether the application'"'"'s data should not be routed over the multiple wireless networks; and

a source code segment that determines from the information contained in the port routing table an appropriate wireless network for the data from the plurality of applications to be routed over.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the port routing table comprises at least one of a port route type indicator field, IP address field, protocol type field, port number field, and network ID field.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the port route type indicator comprises one of alternate, ignore, and default indicators.

21. The medium of claim 20, wherein when the alternate indicator is selected, data will be routed through a specified alternate wireless network.

22. The medium of claim 20, wherein when the ignore port route type indicator is selected, data will be ignored instead of being routed.

23. The medium of claim 20, wherein when the default port route type indicator is selected, data will be routed through a default network.

24. The medium of claim 19, the port routing table further comprising a field to indicate whether an IP address appears in a source, destination, or either location within a protocol header of data packets being transmitted.

25. The medium of claim 19, wherein the protocol type field identifies the transport level protocol type of the packet.

26. The medium of claim 19, wherein the port number field identifies the port number of an application.

27. The medium of claim 26, the port routing table further comprising a field to indicate whether a port number appears in a source, destination, or either location within a protocol header of data packets being transmitted.

28. The medium of claim 19, wherein the network ID field identifies which network is used to route data.

29. The medium of claim 18, further comprising an availability source code segment that ascertains the availability of the multiple wireless networks.

30. The medium of claim 29, further comprising a sending source code segment that sends the received data over the appropriate wireless network when the routing path has been ascertained to be available.