Federated multiprotocol communication
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and business techniques are disclosed for use in distributed communication systems comprising a plurality of communication protocols. In one embodiment a first air interface is used to initiate communication between a wireless client and a remote server at least partially using a first wireless access point. The server sends the wireless client a stub of a distributed object. The stub is used to instantiate an object class. The object class defines an interface that the remote client can use to communicate with the remote server using an upper layer interface. The distributed object stub also provides an implementation of a software radio configuration for a set of lower protocol layers in a second air interface. The wireless client can thereby communicate with a second wireless access point using said second air interface protocol. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are disclosed that focus on toll-tag and electronic-commerce related highway systems, distributed federated wireless access systems, and wide area wireless system capacity augmentation.
98 Citations
128 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. For use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, wherein a mobile unit communicates via the Internet at a transport layer or above with a roam management server system to facilitate a roam operation, a method comprising:
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receiving at the roam management server system an indication that the mobile unit is in radio contact range of the wireless local area network;
determining whether a connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network is superior to a connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network, in accordance with one or more user-specified criteria; and
sending from the roam management server system to at least one of the mobile unit and the wireless local area network an indication to switch from the connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to the connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network in the event that it is determined that the connection to the wireless local area network is superior, to thereby facilitate the roam operation. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. For use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, wherein a mobile unit communicates via the Internet at a transport layer or above with a roam management server system, a method comprising:
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receiving at the roam management server system an indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of the wireless local area network; and
the roam management server system determining whether a connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network is superior to a connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network, in accordance with an optimization strategy; and
sending from the roam management server system to at least one of the mobile unit and the wireless local area network an indication to switch from the connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to the connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network in the event that it is determined that the connection to the wireless local area network is superior, to thereby facilitate a roam operation. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. For use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, wherein a mobile unit communicates via the Internet at a transport layer or above with a roam management server system via either the cellular network or the wireless local area network, a method comprising:
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establishing a connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network;
receiving an indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of the wireless local area network;
determining whether a connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network is superior to the, connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network, in accordance with an optimization strategy;
providing to at least one of the mobile unit and the wireless local area network an indication to switch from the connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to the connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network in the event that it is determined that the connection to the wireless local area network is superior; and
switching from the connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to the connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network in the event that it is determined that the connection to the wireless local area network is superior, to thereby complete a roam operation, wherein at least the receiving, determining, and providing are performed by the roam management server system. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 127, 128)
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117. The method according to claim 1116, wherein both the cellular network information and the WLAN information are posted in an online marketplace server system accessible by the roam management server system.
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125-1. The method according to claim 122, wherein the authentication function authenticates the mobile unit via communications with an authentication server of a home cellular network associated with the mobile unit.
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126-2. The method according to claim 75, wherein the roam management server system includes a mobile unit authorization function.
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126-3. The method according to claim 126, wherein the mobile unit authorization function authorizes the mobile unit via communications with an authorization server of a home cellular network associated with the mobile unit.
Specification