User based communication mode selection on a device capable of carrying out network communications.

• US 20050238046A1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Pradeep, Hassan, Amer
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• 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

An application program is disclosed for execution on a computing device capable of supporting network communications via multiple differing communication modes. The application includes a set of user interface elements facilitating easy user selection of one of a set of communication modes supported by the computing device. Thereafter, the selected communication mode is utilized to support communications for the application. The application program also includes an interface to a transport layer component. The interface initiates binding a network interface to an endpoint opened by the application in accordance with the designation of the communication mode. Furthermore, the interface passes transmission requests to the interface identifying the endpoint. Therefore the interface facilitates forcing use of the designated network interface to complete the transmission requests of the application.

Claims

1. An application program executable upon a computing device capable of supporting network communications via multiple differing communication modes, the application comprising:

a set of user interface elements facilitating designating a communication mode through which communications originating from the application pass; and

an interface to a transport layer component for;

initiating binding a network interface to an endpoint opened by the application in accordance with the designation of the communication mode, and

passing transmission requests to the interface identifying the endpoint and thereby forcing use of the network interface to complete the transmission requests.

2. The application program of claim 1 wherein the application supports email functionality.

3. The application program of claim 1 wherein the application supports browser functionality.

4. The application program of claim 1 wherein the designation persists for a transaction.

5. The application program of claim 1 wherein the designation persists for a session.

6. The application program of claim 1 wherein the designation persists for the duration of an instance of the application program.

7. The application program of claim 1 wherein the designation persists until a new designation is provided.

8. The application program of claim 1 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise icons corresponding to types of network interfaces.

9. The application program of claim 8 wherein the icons present a characteristic, to a user, of the corresponding network interfaces.

10. The application program of claim 1 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise menus.

11. The application program of claim 1 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise list boxes.

12. The application program of claim 1 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise icons corresponding to particular communication modes.

13. A method for establishing a network connection through an application user interface presented by an application program executing upon a computing device capable of supporting network communications via multiple differing communication modes, the method comprising:

presenting, via the user interface, a set of user interface elements facilitating a designation of a communication mode through which communications originating from the application pass;

registering the designation of the communication mode;

initiating binding a network interface to an endpoint opened by the application in accordance with the designation of the communication mode; and

passing transmission requests to the interface identifying the endpoint and thereby forcing use of the network interface to complete the transmission requests.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the application supports email functionality.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the application supports browser functionality.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the designation persists for a transaction.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the designation persists for a session.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the designation persists for the duration of an instance of the application program.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the designation persists until a new designation is provided.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise icons corresponding to types of network interfaces.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the icons present a characteristic, to a user, of the corresponding network interfaces.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise menus.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise list boxes.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise icons corresponding to particular communication modes.

25. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

opening, by a transport layer component, an endpoint corresponding to a connection established on behalf of the application program, wherein the endpoint identifies communications associated with the connection.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of:

binding the network interface to the endpoint, wherein the binding step comprises creating a routing table entry, corresponding to the connection, identifying the endpoint and a network address corresponding to the network interface.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the transport layer component, a packet from the application program identifying the endpoint;

determining, by referencing the routing table entry, the network interface corresponding to the network address bound to the endpoint; and

passing the packets onto the network interface in accordance with the determining step.

28. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for establishing a network connection through an application user interface presented by an application program executing upon a computing device capable of supporting network communications via multiple differing communication modes, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of:

presenting, via the user interface, a set of user interface elements facilitating a designation of a communication mode through which communications originating from the application pass;

registering the designation of the communication mode;

initiating binding a network interface to an endpoint opened by the application in accordance with the designation of the communication mode; and

passing transmission requests to the interface identifying the endpoint and thereby forcing use of the network interface to complete the transmission requests.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the application supports email functionality.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the application supports browser functionality.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the designation persists for a transaction.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the designation persists for a session.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the designation persists for the duration of an instance of the application program.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the designation persists until a new designation is provided.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise icons corresponding to types of network interfaces.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the icons present a characteristic, to a user, of the corresponding network interfaces.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise menus.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise list boxes.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the set of user interface elements comprise icons corresponding to particular communication modes.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

opening, by a transport layer component, an endpoint corresponding to a connection established on behalf of the application program, wherein the endpoint identifies communications associated with the connection.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

binding the network interface to the endpoint, wherein the binding step comprises creating a routing table entry, corresponding to the connection, identifying the endpoint and a network address corresponding to the network interface.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving, by the transport layer component, a packet from the application program identifying the endpoint;

determining, by referencing the routing table entry, the network interface corresponding to the network address bound to the endpoint; and

passing the packets onto the network interface in accordance with the determining step.