Seamless Establishment and Maintenance of Network Connections for Mobile Applications

• US 20090028110A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anthropedia International Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Anthropedia International Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Hung-Yi, Chou, Ching-Hung
• Application Number:
  US12/181,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028110A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

This invention provides a seamless mobile connection system that can maintain connectivity as a cell phone'"'"'s Internet protocol changes due to changes in its user'"'"'s location. This system can operate with multiple applications on a cell phone, and achieves Internet connectivity through a 3G IP based network. This invention solves the seamless mobility problem where network connectivity is lost due to changes in network settings produced by changes in a user'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A method for establishing and maintaining a seamless mobility connection for mobile users, comprising the steps of:

sending by a first user a ping packet to a ping server;

if the first user'"'"'s external IP is received from the ping server, establishing by the first user a connection with a relay server, said relay server having an IP;

transmitting by the first user a command packet containing the first user'"'"'s external IP and the IP of said relay server to said relay server; and

storing by said relay server the first user'"'"'s external IP;

transmitting by a first user a first command packet to a second user through said relay server;

sending by the second user in response to said first command packet a first confirming command packet to the first user through said relay server;

recording by the first user, when the first user receives the first confirming command packet, that the relay server can be used to establish a one-way connection with the second user; and

directly transmitting by the first user a second command packet to the second user according to the second user'"'"'s external IP, without going through the relay server, thereby establishing a connection between the first user and the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording by the second user, when the second user receives a second confirming command packet from the first user, that the relay server can be used to establish a one-way connection with the first user; and

directly transmitting by the second user a third command packet to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s external IP, without going through the relay server, thereby establishing a connection between the first user and the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user directly transmits a punch packet to the second user in order to ensure the establishment of a path through a firewall.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user directly transmits a punch packet to the first user in order to ensure the establishment of a path through a firewall.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein if the second user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the first user directly transmitting a command packet H to the second user according to the second user'"'"'s internal IP and port.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein if the first user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the second user directly transmitting a command packet H to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s internal IP and port.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein if the first user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the second user directly transmitting a command packet H to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s internal IP and port.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein upon discovering that one of the user'"'"'s IP information has changed, repeating the steps of claim 1 and claim 2 (the handshaking process) in order to determine the connection type for the first user and the second user.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the first user and the second user establish a connection with each other through the relay server upon discovering that one of the user'"'"'s IP information has changed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user can be a mobile phone user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the user can be a computer user.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the user can be a computer user.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein upon discovering that one of the user'"'"'s IP information has changed, repeating the steps of claim 1 and claim 2 (the handshaking process) in order to determine the connection type for the first user and the second user.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first user and the second user establish a connection with each other through the relay server upon discovering that one of the user'"'"'s IP information has changed.

19. A method for establishing and maintaining a seamless mobility connection for mobile users, comprising the steps of:

sending by a first user a ping packet to a ping server;

if the first user'"'"'s external IP is received from the ping server, establishing by the first user a connection with a relay server, said relay server having an IP;

transmitting by the first user a command packet containing the first user'"'"'s external IP and the IP of said relay server to said relay server; and

storing by said relay server the first user'"'"'s external IP;

transmitting by a first user a first command packet to a second user through said relay server;

sending by the second user in response to said first command packet a first confirming command packet to the first user through said relay server;

recording by the first user, when the first user receives the first confirming command packet, that the relay server can be used to establish a one-way connection with the second user;

directly transmitting by the first user a second command packet to the second user according to the second user'"'"'s external IP, without going through the relay server, thereby establishing a connection between the first user and the second user;

recording by the second user, when the second user receives a second confirming command packet from the first user, that the relay server can be used to establish a one-way connection with the first user; and

directly transmitting by the second user a third command packet to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s external IP, without going through the relay server, thereby establishing a connection between the first user and the second user;

wherein the first user directly transmits a punch packet to the second user in order to ensure the establishment of a path through a firewall;

wherein the second user directly transmits a punch packet to the first user in order to ensure the establishment of a path through a firewall;

wherein if the second user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the first user directly transmitting a command packet H to the second user according to the second user'"'"'s internal IP and port;

wherein if the first user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the second user directly transmitting a command packet H to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s internal IP and port;

wherein upon discovering that one of the user'"'"'s IP information has changed, repeating the steps of claim 1 and claim 2 (the handshaking process) in order to determine the connection type for the first user and the second user;

wherein the first user and the second user establish a connection with each other through the relay server upon discovering that one of the user'"'"'s IP information has changed.

13. A method for establishing and maintaining a seamless mobility connection for mobile users, comprising the steps of:

sending by a first user a ping packet to a ping server;

if the first user'"'"'s external IP is received from the ping server, establishing by the first user a connection with a relay server, said relay server having an IP;

transmitting by the first user a command packet containing the first user'"'"'s external IP and the IP of said relay server to said relay server; and

storing by said relay server the first user'"'"'s external IP;

transmitting by a first user a first command packet to a second user through said relay server;

sending by the second user in response to said first command packet a first confirming command packet to the first user through said relay server;

recording by the first user, when the first user receives the first confirming command packet, that the relay server can be used to establish a one-way connection with the second user;

directly transmitting by the first user a second command packet to the second user according to the second user'"'"'s external IP, without going through the relay server, thereby establishing a connection between the first user and the second user;

recording by the second user, when the second user receives a second confirming command packet from the first user, that the relay server can be used to establish a one-way connection with the first user; and

directly transmitting by the second user a third command packet to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s external IP, without going through the relay server, thereby establishing a connection between the first user and the second user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first user directly transmits a punch packet to the second user in order to ensure the establishment of a path through a firewall, and wherein the second user directly transmits a punch packet to the first user in order to ensure the establishment of a path through a firewall.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein if the second user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the first user directly transmitting a command packet H to the second user according to the second user'"'"'s internal IP and port, and wherein if the first user'"'"'s network environment does not support Hairpin, the second user directly transmitting a command packet H to the first user according to the first user'"'"'s internal IP and port.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the user can be a mobile phone user, and wherein the user can be a computer user.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the user can be a mobile phone user, and wherein the user can be a computer user.