Method for providing seamless communication across bearers in a wireless communication system

• US 6,269,402 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Wu-Hon Francis, Lin, Jyh-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/119,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227-228, 709/201-203, 709/229, 709/247, 395/114, 370/431, 340/825.01
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A communication session is established between a client (102) and a server (104) over a first bearer network (106). A session identifier is produced (304), which is compressed (306). Messages or packets sent between the client and server during a first connection include the compressed session identifier and a first envelope identifier. At some time the first connection is terminated, and a second connection is initiated on a second bearer network. At the occurrence of the break, at both the client and server, a session transition control block is set up and includes the first envelope identifier. The session transition control block is used to map messages or packets received after the break to the correct session after resuming the session over a second connection with a second envelope identifier.

Claims

1. A method for providing seamless communication between a server and a client across bearers in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

sending from the client to the server a session connect request;

receiving at the server the session connect request;

generating a session identifier and a compressed session identifier at the server;

sending, to the client from the server, the compressed session identifier;

commencing to send messages between the server and the client over a first bearer network, each message containing the compressed session identifier and a first envelope identifier;

interrupting the commencing;

resuming the sending of messages over a second bearer network using a second envelope identifier;

creating a session transition control block having a key at both the server and the client to link the first envelope identifier to the second envelope identifier; and

receiving at least one message at either the client or the server after the interrupting, the at least one message having the first envelope identifier, the message matched to the session identifier using the session transition control block.

2. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of interrupting comprises sending a suspend request from the client to the server.

3. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of interrupting comprises sending a suspend request from the server to the client.

4. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of interrupting comprises sending a disconnect message from the first bearer to the server.

5. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of interrupting comprises sending a suspend request with redirection from the server to the client.

6. A method for seamless communication between a mobile station and a server in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

initiating a first connection over the wireless communication system between the mobile station and the server;

establishing a session by the server, including generating a session identifier and a compressed session identifier;

sending the session identifier and the compressed session identifier to the mobile station;

defining a first envelope identifier to identify a message sent between the mobile station and the server;

breaking the first connection;

upon receiving an indication that the first connection has been broken, starting a session transition control block at both the mobile station and the server using the compressed session identifier as a key;

establishing a second connection between the mobile station and the server under the session established during the first connection;

defining a second envelope identifier upon completing the step of establishing the second connection;

completing the session transition control blocks at both the mobile station and the server by mapping the first envelop identifier to the second envelope identifier; and

replacing the first envelope identifier of a lingering message with the second identifier.

7. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of breaking the first connection comprises sending a suspend request from the client to the server.

8. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of breaking the first connection comprises sending a suspend request from the server to the client.

9. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of breaking the first connection comprises sending a disconnect message from the first bearer to the server.

10. A method for providing seamless communication as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of breaking the first connection comprises sending a suspend request with redirection from the server to the client.

11. In a wireless communication system having a communication session established between a first peer and a second peer, a session identifier used to identify the communication session, a first envelope identifier used to mark messages sent between first and second peers over a first wireless connection between the first and second peers, a method for seamlessly continuing the communication session upon breaking the first connection, comprising the steps of:

starting, at both the first and second peer, a session transition control block having a key;

storing any messages received at the first and second peer marked with the first envelope identifier;

establishing a second connection between the first and second peer resulting in a second envelope identifier;

updating the session transition control block at the first and second peers; and

updating the stored message received at the first and second peer marked with the first envelope identifier with the second envelope identifier.