Method of communication

• US 6,757,734 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Columbitech AB (Sectra AB)
• Original Assignee: Columbitech AB (Sectra AB)
• Inventors: Persson, Mats Jörgen, Hovmark, Nils Torbjörn Alexander, Resenius, Lars Erik, Laven, Lars Erik Mauritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/722,009
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/224, 709/227, 709/230, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/00 Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of achieving communication via a network with the aid of a wireless application protocol (WAP) between a first application (A1) in a first computer unit (A) and a second application in a second computer unit, wherein said first application (A1) is a Windows® application. The first computer unit (A) includes a WinSock TCP base provider (2) operating beneath WinSock SPI (3), and a TCP/UDP/IP stack (4) operating beneath said WinSock TCP base provider (2). The first application (A1) includes a function for communicating by means of TCP/IP via the TCP/UDP/IP stack (4) and the WinSock TCP base provider (2). The first computer unit (A) also includes a module (5) and a WAP stack (6). The module (5) includes the function of forming an interface between said WAP stack (6) and the first application (A1).

Claims

1. A method of establishing via a network a communication by means of WAP protocols between a first application in a first computer unit and a second application in a second computer unit, wherein said first application is comprised of a Windows®

application, wherein said first computer unit includes a WinSock TCP base provider operating beneath WinSock SPI, and a TCP/UDP/IP stack operating beneath said WinSock TCP base provider, wherein said first application includes the function of communicating by means of TCP/IP via said TCP/UDP/IP stack and said WinSock TCP base provider, and wherein the method is characterised in that said first computer unit includes a module and a WAP stack; and

in that said module is allocated the function of forming an interface between said WAP stack and said first application.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said module operates between WinSock SPI and said WinSock TCP base provider.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that said first computer unit includes a WinSock UDP base provider operating beneath said WinSock SPI and parallel with said WinSock TCP base provider;

in that said TCP/UDP/IP stack also operates beneath said WinSock UDP base provider; and

in that said WAP stack operates between said module and said WinSock UDP base provider.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterised by establishing a connection between said first application and said second application via said TCP/UDP/IP stack, said WinSock UDP base provider, said WAP stack and said module.

5. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that said first computer unit includes a WinSock base provider for WAP operating beneath said module parallel with said WinSock TCP base provider;

and in that said WAP stack operates beneath said WinSock base provider for WAP, parallel with said TCP/UDP/IP stack.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterised by establishing a connection between said first application and said second application via said WAP stack, said WinSock base provider for WAP, and said module.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said module translates between a WAP protocol and one or more protocol belonging to one or more different first applications;

in that said module maps incoming or outgoing WAP requests or WAP sessions to TCP sockets; and

in that said module is transparent for applications that do not communicate in accordance with WAP.

8. A method according to claim 7, characterised in that when said first application operates according to HTTP, said module translates between WAP and HTTP in accordance with determined standardised specifications.

9. A method according to claim 8, characterised in that said first application operates according to SOAP.

10. A method according to claim 7, characterised in that when said first application operates in accordance with an e-mail protocol, such as POP3, IMAP4 or SMTP, said module performs mapping of each command and response on one or some fields in a WSP message.

11. A method according to claim 7, characterised in that when said first application uses authentication through a user name and password, said module respectively reads and writes the user name and password from and into a header field of the WSP message.

12. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said module can determine whether a socket shall communicate in accordance with WAP or in accordance with TCP/IP.

13. A method according to claim 12, characterised by establishing first sockets to one or more first ports in said second computer unit, establishing sockets to one or more second ports belonging to said second computer unit and being different from said first ports;

and causing said module to communicate according to WAP or according to TCP/IP on the basis of the port used.

14. A method according to claim 12, characterised by allocating to said first or said second computer unit a number of different IP addresses;

selecting one or more of said IP addresses to receive WAP requests or sessions; and

causing said module to communicate according to WAP or according to TCP/IP on the basis of the IP address used.

15. A method according to claim 12, characterised in that said first computer unit is connected to said network in certain cases via a first device that has a first bandwidth, such as via a GSM telephone, and, in other cases, is connected to said network via a second device having a second bandwidth, such as via a modem and a fixed telephone line, wherein said first bandwidth is lower than said second bandwidth;

in that said module reads the available bandwidth;

in that communication according to WAP is used when the available bandwidth is equal to or lower than said first bandwidth; and

in that communication according to TCP/IP is used when the available bandwidth is higher than said first bandwidth.

16. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said module performs a check which enables said module to ascertain to which first application an incoming WAP request or session belongs.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterised in that said check comprises the detection of a predetermined field in a header belonging to an incoming message.

18. A method according to claim 16, characterised by using said WAP stack on a number of ports, and by using said ports to carry out said check.

19. A method according to claim 16, characterised by addressing an application through an URI, and identifying the first application to which a given incoming request or session belongs by identifying a unique field of a URI belonging to said request or session, such as the protocol-identifying field, the host-identifying field, the port-identifying field, the path-identifying field and/or a parameter field.

20. A method according to claim 16, characterised in that said check consists in detecting a predetermined WSP method used by said request or session and being unique to the first application that uses said WSP method.

21. A method according to claim 16, characterised in that said first applications are identified by the TCP port or ports on which they listen.

22. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that when said first application uses TCP sockets, said module stores partial-responses from said first application until a complete response is obtained and then sends this complete response to said second application.

23. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said module is a WinSock Layered Service Provider.

24. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said second computer unit is a computer unit that is adapted for WAP communication, such as a WAP telephone or a computer unit connected to said network via a wireless telephone.

25. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said second application is comprised of a WAP gateway or a WAP server.

26. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said second computer unit is comprised of a computer unit that has the same properties as said first computer unit;

in that said second application is comprised of a Windows®

application; and

in that said first computer unit communicates with said second computer unit by means of WAP.

27. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said network is the global network Internet.

28. A computer program product, characterised in that said product includes a computer program code which, when executed by a computer unit, performs the functions possessed by a module, a WAP stack and, when appropriate, a WinSock base provider for WAP, in accordance with claim 1.

29. A computer readable medium, characterised in that said medium has stored thereon a computer program code which, when executed by a computer unit, performs the functions possessed by a module, a WAP stack, and, when appropriate, a WinSock base provider for WAP, in accordance with claim 1.