Method for handling communications over a non-permanent communication link

• US 20060233187A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Shenfield, Michael, Vitanov, Kamen B., Bibr, Viera, Rogers, Jeffrey Christopher, Fritsch, Brindusa L., Karmakar, Srimantee
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

A method is disclosed for handling communications over a non-permanent communication link. The method comprising centrally receiving a message to transmit from a plurality of applications, checking the availability of the non-permanent communication link, if the non-permanent communication link is not-available, queuing the received message for future transmission, and providing the message to a transport/network layer if the communication link is available.

Claims

1. A method for handling communications over a non-permanent communication link, said method comprising:

centrally receiving a message to transmit from at least one application among a plurality of applications;

checking the availability of said non-permanent communication link;

if said non-permanent communication link is not-available, queuing said received message for future transmission; and

providing said message to a transport/network layer if said communication link is available.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said queuing of said received message for future transmission comprises selecting an appropriate queue amongst a plurality of queues for said received message and providing said received message from said selected appropriate queue.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of queues comprises one of a queue per application and a queue per destination server.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said checking comprises receiving a status signal from said transport/network layer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said receiving of said status signal is performed in response to at least one event provided by said transport/network layer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said receiving of said status signal is provided in response to a request for a status check.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said queuing is performed in a given queue having a given limit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said given limit is created using at least one of a maximum number of messages to send for a given application.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein when said given queue reaches said given limit, a notification is provided to a given application.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said application notifies a user upon receipt of said notification.

11. A computer readable memory comprising instructions which when executed perform the steps of:

centrally receiving a message to transmit from at least one application among a plurality of applications;

checking the availability of said non-permanent communication link;

if said non-permanent communication link is not-available, queuing said received message for future transmission; and

providing said message to a transport/network layer if said communication link is available.

12. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 11, wherein said queuing of said received message for future transmission comprises selecting an appropriate queue amongst a plurality of queues for said received message and providing said received message from said selected appropriate queue.

13. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 12, wherein said plurality of queues comprises one of a queue per application and a queue per destination server.

14. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 11, wherein said checking comprises receiving a status signal from said transport/network layer.

15. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 14, wherein said receiving of said status signal is performed in response to at least one event provided by said transport/network layer.

16. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 14, wherein said receiving of said status signal is provided in response to a request for a status check.

17. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 11, wherein said queuing is performed in a given queue having a given limit.

18. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 17, wherein said given limit is created using at least one of a maximum number of messages to send for a given application.

19. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 17, wherein when said given queue reaches said given limit, a notification is provided to a given application.

20. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 19, wherein said application notifies a user upon receipt of said notification.

21. A communication management unit for handling communications from a plurality of applications to a transport/network layer and over a non-permanent communication link, said communication management unit comprising:

a dispatching unit for receiving a message to transmit at least one application among said plurality of applications;

a queuing control unit for checking the availability of said non-permanent communication link; and

a queue for queuing said received message if said non-permanent communication link is not-available, and for providing said message to a transport/network layer if said communication link is available.

22. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said queue comprises a plurality of queues, wherein said queuing control unit is further for selecting an appropriate queue amongst said plurality of queues for said received message and for providing said received message from said selected appropriate queue.

23. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 22, wherein said plurality of queues comprises one of a queue per application and a queue per destination server.

24. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said queuing control unit is further for receiving a status signal indicative of the availability of said non-permanent communication link and for producing an enable signal when said non-permanent communication link is available;

and further wherein said queue is further for queuing said received message in absence of said enable signal and for forwarding said received message in presence of said enable signal.

25. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 24, wherein said queuing control unit receives said status signal in response to at least one event provided by said transport/network layer.

26. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 24, said queuing control unit receives said status signal in response to a request for a status check.

27. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said queue comprises a plurality of queues, wherein said queuing control unit is further for selecting an appropriate queue amongst said plurality of queues for said received message and for providing said received message from said selected appropriate queue, and further wherein a given queue of said plurality of queues has a given limit.

28. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 27, wherein said given limit is created using at least one of a maximum number of messages to send for a given application.

29. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 27, wherein given queue reaches said given limit, further wherein when said given queue reaches said given limit, a notification is provided to a given application.

30. The communication management unit as claimed in claim 29, wherein said application notifies a user upon receipt of said notification.