Apparatus, and associated method, for providing a client with messages

• US 6,708,206 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Thrane, Léon, Szondy, György
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/563,970
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/249, 709/217-219, 709/206, 709/207, 455/567, 455/31.1, 340/7.56, 340/825.2
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, provides OOB (out-of-band) and other asynchronous messages to a mobile client. OOB and other asynchronous messages formed of alerts, notifications, push messages, advertising, as well as many other types of messages, are able to be provided to the client. The OOB and other asynchronous messages are provided to the client by a gateway, such as a WAP gateway operable in a communication system pursuant to the WAP standard.

Claims

1. In a communication system having a client operable to communicate with an origin server by way of a communication path, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating communication of an asynchronous message upon the communication path to the client, said apparatus comprising:

a request detector coupled to receive a first client-generated request for content from the origin server;

a filter coupled to receive the requested content when it is communicated from the origin server, the filter operable to identify within the requested content links for use by the client in requesting additional content;

an out-of-band message source coupled to receive at least one out-of-band message relating to the additional content, the at least one out-of-band message selectably to be communicated to the client;

a selector coupled to said out-of-band message source for selecting whether to communicate to the client the at least one out-of-band message relating to the additional content; and

a push message generator operable responsive to detection by said request detector of a second client-generated request, the second client-generated request requesting the additional content, the push message generator for sending a push message relating to the requested additional content upon the communication path to the client, the push message forming the asynchronous message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication system comprises a proxy positioned in the communication path extending between the client and the origin server and wherein said request detector is positioned at the proxy.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the communication system further comprises a push-capable device coupled to the proxy and wherein said push message generator is positioned at the push-capable device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the proxy and the push-capable device form a single structural entity and wherein said request detector and said push message generator are co-located at the single structural entity.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the push message forming the asynchronous message generated by said push message generator is asynchronously provided by the push-capable device to the proxy.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein an indication of sending of the push message to the client by said push message generator is provided to the push-capable device to indicate communication of the push message forming the asynchronous message to the client.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the communication system comprises a radio part, including network infrastructure, wherein the client comprises a mobile station and wherein said request detector and said push message generator are coupled to the network infrastructure.

8. In a communication system having a network infrastructure and a mobile station, the mobile station operable to communicate with an origin server by way of a communication path, the communication system comprising a proxy positioned in the communication path and a push-capable device coupled to the proxy, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating communication of an asynchronous message upon the communication path to the mobile station, said apparatus comprising:

a request detector coupled to the network infrastructure and positioned at the proxy and coupled to receive a first request generated by the mobile station, the first request generated by the mobile station for a first server-initiated reply message; and

a push message generator coupled to the network infrastructure and positioned at the push-capable device operable responsive to detection by said request detector of the first request, said push message generator for substituting a push message for the first server-initiated reply message, and for sending the push message upon the communication path to the mobile station, the push message forming the asynchronous message;

wherein the push message forming the asynchronous message substituted by said push message generator is asynchronously provided by the push-capable device to the proxy, the push message substituted for the first server-initiated reply message when said request detector detects the first request generated by the mobile station; and

wherein the communication path extending between the mobile station and the origin server further comprises a radio gateway, the radio gateway comprising;

an out-of-band message source coupled to receive at least one out-of-band message, the at least one out-of-band message selectably to be communicated to the mobile station; and

a selector coupled to said out-of-band message source, said selector for selecting whether to communicate to the mobile station a selected out-of-band message to which said out-of-band message source is coupled to receive.