VIRTUAL CONNECTION OF A REMOTE UNIT TO A SERVER

• US 20080310392A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aido Mobility LLC (Endpoint IP LLC), Communication Interface Technologies LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: East Texas Technology Partners, LP
• Inventors: Anastasi, Mark Nicholas, Dowling, Eric Morgan
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods are provided which allow a remote user to maintain a virtual session with a server. A virtual session allows a remote and possibly mobile user to maintain a virtual presence in an office environment without actually being present. Using the present invention, a remote user can access a central application program such as an Internet service provider, a database system, an inventory system or billing system. Likewise, the remote user can receive calls and other forms of communications as though he or she were present in an office environment. A virtual session does not require a physical connection to be continuously present in order to provide a virtual connectivity. This is especially important for mobile applications where the remote user may incur long distance and/or wireless toll charges. Also, methods are presented to allow a remote unit to rapidly reconnect in a transparent and seamless way without burdening the user with the need to connect and reconnect or to upload and download information. Related methods are provided to allow the virtual session to be established, operated and maintained.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session with a remote computing device, the communication session supporting communication with at least a first program executing at an application layer of the remote computing device;

while the communication session is inactive, sending a first communication to the remote computing device that includes a set of information identifying the first program;

wherein the sending causes;

the set of information to be evaluated at the application layer of the remote computing device;

a determination that the set of information identifies the first program; and

the communication session to be reactivated, permitting information to be exchanged between the first program and the server via the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is a mobile handset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication is sent wirelessly, and wherein the communication session is a virtual session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is established over an Internet connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first program is a browser.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first communication is a requested web page.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first program is a messaging program.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first communication is an email.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising inactivating the communication session by disconnecting a physical communication channel to the remote computing device.

10. A system, comprising:

a communication interface coupleable to one or more networks;

a processor;

a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to;

establish a communication session with a mobile phone, the communication session supporting communication with a first program that is stored on the mobile phone and that is executable at an application layer of the mobile phone;

while the communication session is inactive, send a wireless signal to the mobile phone, wherein the wireless signal includes a set of information identifying the first program;

wherein the sending of the wireless signal causes the set of information to be evaluated at an application layer of the mobile phone and determined to identify the first program; and

wherein the sending of the wireless signal causes the communication session between the system and the mobile phone to be reactivated.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first program is one of the following types of programs:

messaging program, browser.

12. A method, comprising:

establishing a communication session with a remote device, the communication session supporting communication, over a first physical communication path, with a first application program executing at an application layer of the remote device;

upon the first physical communication path being disconnected, maintaining the communication session in an inactive state, including by storing information linking the communication session to the first application program;

while the first physical communication path is disconnected, receiving a communication request, wherein the communication request is directed to the remote device; and

upon determining that the communication request includes information identifying the first application program, reactivating the communication session, including establishing a second physical communication path with the remote device that supports communication with the first application program.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote device is a mobile handset.

14. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session with a remote server, the communication session supporting communication with at least a first program executing at an application layer of the computing device;

while the communication session is deactivated, receiving an incoming communication from the remote server;

at the application layer, reading a set of information associated with said incoming communication;

upon determining that the set of information includes information identifying the first program, reactivating the communication session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computing device is a mobile handset.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication session is established over one of:

a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

a cellular network, a PCS network.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication session is established over an Internet connection.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the incoming communication corresponds to an electronic message.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the incoming communication corresponds to a web page.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication session is deactivated in response to a prediction generated by the computing device.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the establishing of the communication session includes establishing a first physical layer connection between the computing device and the remote server, wherein deactivation of the communication session includes disconnecting the first physical layer connection, and wherein said reactivating includes reestablishing a second physical layer connection between the computing device and the remote server.

22. A mobile handset, comprising:

a wireless communication interface operable to communicate over a wireless network with a remote entity;

a processor unit;

memory storing program instructions executable by the processor unit to;

establish a communication session with the remote entity, the communication session supporting communication with one or more programs stored on the mobile handset;

while the communication session is inactive, receive a set of information encoded on a wireless signal received from the remote entity via the wireless communication interface;

at an application layer, read identifying information within the received set of information;

upon determining that the identifying information identifies a first program of the one or more programs, reactivate the communication session.

23. The mobile handset of claim 22, wherein the first program is a messaging program.

24. The mobile handset of claim 23, wherein the received set of information corresponds to an email message.

25. The mobile handset of claim 22, wherein the first program is a browser program.

26. The mobile handset of claim 25, wherein the received set of information corresponds to a requested web page.

27. The mobile handset of claim 22, wherein the communication session is established over a physical layer connection, wherein the physical layer connection is disconnected when the communication session is inactive, and wherein the communication session is reactivated by reestablishing the physical layer connection.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

an external communication interface coupleable to one or more networks external to the apparatus;

first means for establishing a virtual session with a remote entity, for receiving a set of information from the remote entity while the virtual session is inactive, and for reactivating the virtual session upon determining, at an application layer, that identifying information in the received set of information identifies a first application layer program that is stored on the apparatus.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first application-layer program is a messaging program.

30. A method, comprising:

during a currently inactive communication session with a remote computing device, a server sending a first communication to the remote computing device, wherein the first communication is not initiated in response to a communication from the remote computing device;

wherein said sending causes the remote computing device to reactivate the communication session.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the remote computing device is mobile handset.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein reactivation of the communication session includes reestablishing a physical layer connection between the server and the remote computing device, and wherein the first communication includes information identifying a first program executing on the remote computing device.

33. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a communication interface operable to couple to one or more wireless networks;

one or more processors;

memory storing program instructions executable by the one or more processors to;

establish a communication session with a mobile handset;

while the communication session is inactive, send a first communication request to the mobile handset via the communication interface;

wherein the sending of the first communication request causes the communication session to be reactivated, and wherein the first communication request is not sent by the wireless communication system in response to a previous communication request from the mobile handset.

34. The wireless communication system of claim 33, wherein the one or more processors are located throughout a plurality of distributed computer systems.

35. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the program instructions are executable to inactivate the communication session by disconnecting a physical layer connection between the wireless communication session and the mobile handset.

36. A mobile handset, comprising:

a wireless communication interface operable to communicate via one or more wireless networks;

a processor unit;

memory storing program instructions executable by the processor unit to;

establish a communication session with a remote entity via the wireless communication interface;

while the communication session is inactive, receive a first communication from the remote entity, wherein the first communication was not initiated by the remote entity in response to a previous communication from the mobile handset;

reactivate the communication session in response to receiving the first communication.

37. The mobile handset of claim 36, wherein the communication session is inactive while a wireless physical layer connection between the remote entity and the mobile handset is connected.

38. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

during a communication session that has previously been established with a remote entity and that is currently inactive, receiving a first communication initiated by the remote entity, wherein the first communication has not been initiated by the remote entity in response to a previous communication from the computing device;

in response to said receiving, reactivating the communication session with the remote entity.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the computing device is a mobile handset.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the first communication is a wireless communication, and wherein the communication session is a virtual session.

41. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication interface operable to couple the apparatus to a remote entity;

first means for executing program instructions;

memory storing program instructions executable by the first means to;

establish a virtual session with the remote entity;

while the virtual session is inactive, receive a wireless communication from the remote entity that is not responsive to a previous communication from the apparatus;

reactivate the virtual session in response to receiving the wireless communication.