System with wake up server and wake up monitor for facilitating dial up connection between two application partners via internet

• US 6,138,160 A
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ryan, Michael J., Levy, Stephen Eric, Boies, Stephen Joy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/177,385
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/224, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A wake up server permits both parties (the receiver and the responder) to be connected to the Internet only when a request or response is to be delivered. The wake up server consists of two parts; a server, which contains the telephone numbers of all machines (application partners) that dial to connect to the Internet, and on each application partner, a process monitor that monitors the telephone line and detects when a ring occurs. When an application partner is unable to deliver a request or response to another application partner, a request is sent to the wake up server to activate the target application partner. The wake up server dials the telephone number of the requested application partner and waits for ringing to occur. The wake up server then disconnects (i.e., hangs up the telephone line). The wake up monitor detects the ring and immediately dials to connect to the Internet. When the original application partner tries to send the response or request again, the process will now be successful. Application partners stay connected until a specified time of inactivity or other application initiated event signaling that the connection is no longer required. The application partners then activate their respective wake up monitors, which disconnect the application partners from the Internet and wait again for a ring from the wake up server.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating dial up connections between two application partners through the Internet, the system comprising:

a wake up server connected to the Internet;

a database accessed by the wake up server and containing telephone numbers of all application partners; and

a wake up monitor on each application partner that monitors a telephone line and detects when a ring occurs;

when a first application partner is unable to deliver a request or response to a second application partner, a request is sent by the first application partner to the wake up server to activate the second application partner, the wake up server in response dials a telephone number of the second application partner and waits for ringing to occur before disconnecting, the wake up monitor for the second application partner detects the ring and dials to connect the second application partner to the Internet so that when the first application partner tries to send the response or request again to the second application partner, the process will now be successful.

2. The system recited in claim 1 wherein the request sent by the first application partner to the wake up server to activate the second application partner is sent via the Internet.

3. The system recited in claim 1 wherein the wake up server dials a direct dial telephone number of the second application partner.

4. The system recited in claim 1 wherein the request sent by the first application partner to the wake up server to activate the second application partner is sent via the Internet and the wake up server dials a direct dial telephone number of the second application partner.

5. The system recited in claim 1 wherein, once an application partner is connected to the Internet, the wake up monitor for an application partner monitors a time period of inactivity while the application partner is connected to the Internet.

6. The system recited in claim 5 wherein when the time period of inactivity is detected, the wake up monitor disconnects the application partner from the Internet.

7. The system recited in claim 5 wherein when the time period of inactivity is detected or other application initiated event signaling that the connection is no longer required, the wake up monitor disconnects the application partner from the Internet.

8. A method of facilitating dial up connections between two application partners through the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a wake up server to the Internet;

accessing by the wake up server a database containing telephone numbers of all application partners;

monitoring with a wake up monitor on each application partner a telephone line to detect when a ring occurs;

sending a request by a first application partner to the wake up server to activate a second application partner when the first application partner is unable to deliver a request or response to the second application partner;

dialing by the wake up server a telephone number of the second application partner and waits for ringing to occur before disconnecting; and

detecting by the wake up monitor for the second application partner the ring and dialing to connect the second application partner to the Internet so that when the first application partner tries to send the response or request again to the second application partner, the process will now be successful.

9. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the step of sending a request by the first application partner to the wake up server to activate the second application partner sends the request via the Internet.

10. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the step of dialing by the wake up server dials a direct dial telephone number of the second application partner.

11. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the step of sending a request by the first application partner to the wake up server to activate the second application partner sends the request via the Internet and the step of dialing by the wake up server dials a direct dial telephone number of the second application partner.

12. The method recited in claim 8 further comprising the step of monitoring a time period of inactivity while the application partner is connected to the Internet once an application partner is connected to the Internet.

13. The method recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of disconnecting the application partner from the Internet by the wake up monitor when the time period of inactivity is detected.

14. The method recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of disconnecting the application partner from the Internet by the wake up monitor when the time period of inactivity is detected or other application initiated event signaling that the connection is no longer required.