Using an expert proxy server as an agent for wireless devices

• US 6,895,425 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fishman, Neil S., Seinfeld, Marc, Kadyk, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/684,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709/246, 709/229, 715/513, 707/513
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

An expert proxy server is described that is coupled to a number of wireless devices through a wireless network, and to a number of server computer systems through an external network such as, for example, the Internet. The expert proxy server acts as an agent for a wireless device by providing a service for the wireless device. Specifically, the expert proxy server determines that a service is to be provided to the wireless device. Next, the expert proxy server identifies an application that provides the service and then communicates with the identified application that provides the service. The expert proxy server compiles the results of the communication with the application and then transmits the compilation to the wireless device over the wireless network. Thus, the relatively smaller bandwidth of the wireless network is preserved by transmitting a minimal amount of information over the wireless network while leaving more extensive communications to occur over higher bandwidth external networks. Also, since the extensive processing occurs at the expert proxy server rather than at the wireless device, the application on the wireless device may be simplified and smaller as compared to the supporting applications on the expert proxy server thereby preserving the limited memory and processing capability of the wireless device.

Claims

1. In a network that includes an expert proxy server computer system that is coupled to a plurality of wireless devices through a limited bandwidth wireless network, wherein the expert proxy server is coupled through a network to a plurality of server computer systems, the expert proxy server either directly or in conjunction with the plurality of server computer systems offering a plurality of applications that provide a service, a method of the expert proxy server acting as an agent for a wireless device so as to preserve the limited bandwidth of the wireless network and so as to preserve the limited memory and processing capacity of the wireless device, the method comprising the following:

a specific act of the expert proxy server computer system determining that a service is to be provided to a wireless device, wherein said determining is other than determining whether data is stored in a local cache, the service corresponding to a generic application stored on the wireless device;

a specific act of the expert proxy server computer system identifying an application that provides the service, the application being stored remotely from both the wireless device and the expert proxy server and providing the service through specific implementations of tasks that the generic application stored on the wireless device is not capable of implementing;

a specific act of the expert proxy server computer system communicating with the identified application that provides the service, such that with only a simple request for service, the wireless device is spared having to make any further response to the expert proxy server for the service over the limited bandwidth wireless network;

a specific act of the expert proxy server computer system compiling the results of the communication with the application;

subsequent to compiling the results, translating or transcoding the communication into a generic format that can be recognized by the wireless device and that can be interpreted by the generic application; and

a specific act of the expert proxy server computer system transmitting the formatted compilation to the wireless device over the limited bandwidth wireless network.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the specific act of the expert proxy server determining that a service is to be provided to a wireless device comprises the following:

a specific act of the expert proxy server receiving a request from the wireless device to provide the service.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the specific act of the expert proxy server computer system communicating with the identified application that provides the service comprises the following:

a specific act of the export proxy server communicating with one of the plurality of server computer systems over an external network that hosts the identified application.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the specific act of the expert proxy server computer system communicating with the identified application that provides the service comprises the following:

a specific act of the expert proxy server submitting a plurality of separate communications to the application; and

a specific act of the expert proxy server receiving a response to at least some of the plurality of communications.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the service includes an instant messaging service.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the service includes a storage service, and wherein the wireless device only maintains identifiers for information stored on the expert proxy server that are provided by the expert proxy server, and wireless device, and wherein the wireless device can obtain the stored information from the expert proxy server by providing one or more identifiers to the expert proxy server corresponding to the stored information.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the service includes a customized page service, and wherein the expert proxy server compiles customized information including calendar appointments and contact information pertaining to a customized page and then translates the compiled customized information into a format recognized by the wireless device, the expert proxy server compiling the customized information in response to a simple request by the generic application for the customized page.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the service includes a reservations service, wherein the expert proxy server identifies a plurality of applications that can provide reservations services to satisfy a simple request for a reservation made by the generic application of the wireless device, and wherein the expert proxy server gathers results from the plurality of different applications and sends the results to the wireless device.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the service includes a bidding service, wherein the expert proxy server determines the service should be provided to the wireless device in response to a specific request from the client to be informed when a particular product is made available for sale at a particular price, and wherein the expert proxy communicates with a number of auction Web pages in response to the request, and wherein the expert proxy notifies the wireless device when the product is available at the particular price on one of the auction Web pages, as determined by monitoring the auction Web pages.

10. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method recited in claim 1.

11. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing the specific act of determining that a service is to be provided to a wireless device comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

a specific act of receiving a request from the wireless device to provide the service.

12. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing the specific act of causing the expert proxy server computer system to communicate with the application that provides the service comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

a specific act of the expert proxy server communicating with one of the plurality of server computer systems over an external network that hosts the identified application.

13. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing the specific act of causing the expert proxy server computer system to communicate with the application that provides the service comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

a specific act of causing the expert proxy server to submit a plurality of separate communications to the application; and

a specific act of receiving a response to at least some of the plurality of communications.

14. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the service includes an instant messaging service.

15. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the service includes a storage service.

16. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the service includes a customized page service.

17. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the service includes a reservations service.

18. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the service includes a bidding service.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the expert proxy server communicates with the identified application and at least one over a relatively high bandwidth network as compared to the bandwidth of the wireless network.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the expert proxy server determines that the service should be provided to the wireless device without receiving a request for the service from the wireless device.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the expert proxy server determines that the service should be provided to the wireless device in response to a request from a third party.