Communication Channel Selection and Use

• US 20090022095A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellport Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cellport Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kennedy, Patrick J., Sakurai, Hiroshi, Berman, Mark Aaron, Spaur, Charles W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks

Abstract

Methods and systems for characterizing requests for individual items of information available from a target address as part of a request for content are provided. The characterization of requests for items of information is applied to select one of a plurality of communication channels for servicing the request. In addition, where different requests for items of information are assigned to different communication channels, those different communication channels can be used to obtain items of information from the target address simultaneously.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a first processing platform;

a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is capable of supporting communications over one or more communication channels;

a communication application running on the first processing platform, wherein the communication application operates to request selected content that includes a plurality of items of information from a service associated with a target address;

a request mapper application running on the first processing platform or a second processing platform,

wherein the request mapper operates to observe the plurality of selected items of information and to characterize each of the items of information included in the plurality of items of information, and

a link selection application running on the first processing platform, the second processing platform, or a third processing platform,

wherein the link selection application is informed of the characterization of each of the items of information by the request mapper and selects a first one of the communication channels for obtaining at least a first one of the plurality of selected items of information and notifies a network interface application to use the selected first one of the communication channels, and wherein the link selection application informs the request mapper to open a socket for that item of information.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the link selection application selects a second one of the communication channels for obtaining at least a second one of the plurality of selected items of information.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the first communication channel establishes a first link between the communication device and the target address, and wherein the second communication channel establishes a second link between the communication device and the target address.

4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the target address comprises an Internet Protocol (EP) address.

5. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the first and second links comprise different sockets established between the communication device and a target device associated with the target address, and wherein the different sockets exist simultaneously.

6. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the first and second items are received by the communication device at about the same time, such that at least a portion of the first item of information is being received by the communication device using the first communication channel at the same time at least a portion of the second item of information is being received by the communication device using the second communication channel.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein at least a first script included in the scripts observed by the request mapper includes an indication of priority, wherein the first script is related to the first item of information, and wherein the indication of priority is used by the link selection application in selecting the communication channel used for obtaining the first item of information.

8. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the first one of the communication channels comprises a wireless connection to a macro-cell base station, and wherein the second one of the communication channels comprises a wireless connection to a short-range base station.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication application comprises a browser application.

10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a multiple-mode wireless telephone.

11. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of communication interfaces.

12. A method for selecting a communication channel, comprising:

requesting content from a first target, wherein the requested content includes a plurality of items of information, wherein requesting content includes;

making a first request, wherein the first request is for a first item of information included in the plurality of items of information;

making a second request, wherein the second request is for a second item of information included in the plurality of items of information;

characterizing the first item of information as a first type of information;

characterizing the second item of information as a second type of information, wherein the first and second types are different;

selecting a first communication channel for use in obtaining the first item of information;

selecting the first communication channel or a second communication channel for use in obtaining the second item of information;

in response to assigning the first priority to the first request, initiating the first request;

in response to assigning the second priority to the second request, initiating the second request.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of available communication channels,

wherein the plurality of available communication channels includes the first and second communication channels,

wherein the first request is to the first target and identifies the first item of information,

wherein the first item of information is accessible through the first target,

wherein the first request is initiated over the first communication channel included in the plurality of available communication channels,

wherein the second request is to the first target and identifies the second item of information, and

wherein the second request is initiated over the second communication channel included in the plurality of available communication channels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first request is fulfilled over the first channel, and wherein the second request is fulfilled over the second communication channel.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein characterizing the first item of information as a first type of information includes identifying a type of content associated with the first item of information, and wherein characterizing the second item of information as a second priority type of information includes identifying a type of content associated with the second item of information, the method further comprising:

determining a status of a communication device associated with the first and second requests;

in response to a first status of the communication device being determined, proceeding with the first request and terminating the second request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first status of the communication device comprises a low battery status.

17. The method of claim 12, characterizing the first item of information as a first type of information includes assigning a first priority to the first item of information, wherein assigning a first priority to the first item of information includes identifying a priority identifier associated with a first script accessed in response to requesting content from a first target.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein characterizing the first item of information as a first type of information includes identifying a communication channel identifier associated with a first script accessed in response to requesting content from a first target.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein requesting content further includes:

requesting a page;

after creating a document object model description of the requested page, building a list of references to items of information included in the page, wherein the first request and the second request are obtained from the list of references.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein assigning a priority to the first request and assigning a priority to the second request includes comparing at least one of a content and an explicit priority indicator in information associated with at least two of the references in the list of references.

21. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication channels, wherein each of the plurality of communication channels is capable of supporting communications with a first target;

means for enabling communications between at least the first target and a user over the plurality of communication channels, including;

means for obtaining a collection of content from the first target;

means for generating a list of items included in the collection of content;

means for assigning a priority to at least two of the items included in the collection of content;

means for assigning individual ones of the means for providing a communication channel included in the plurality of means for providing a communication channel for use in obtaining a corresponding ones of the items included in the collection of content,

wherein a first one of the means for providing a communication channel included in the plurality of means for providing a communication channel is assigned to obtain a first item of the at least two of the items included in the collection of content,

wherein a second one of the means for providing a communication channel included in the plurality of means for providing a communication channel is assigned to obtain a second item of the at least two of the items included in the collection of content,

wherein the first item is assigned a higher priority than the second item, and

wherein the first means for providing a communication channel is determined to be capable of supplying requested items more quickly than the second channel.