System and method for re-directing requests from browsers for communication over non-IP based networks

• US 7,003,571 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Zombek, James M., Edwards, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/698,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 709225-230, 709201-203, 709217-219, 709237-238, 709/250, 370229-237, 370351-356, 370464-467
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1635 Cumulative acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message applying to all previous messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• 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 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• 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 69/164 : Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• 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 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 : involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

A method and system for deploying content to client applications is provided. Inbound messages are accepted from a client application running on a client device via a proxy IP/port. The inbound messages are packaged into an internal message format with an HTTP redirector. The packaged message is forwarded to a back-end server via a message router. A response is received form from a web server. The response is packaged into the internal message format with the back-end server. The response is then forwarded to the HTTP redirector via a message router. The response can then be transferred to the client application running on the client device, via the proxy IP/port.

Claims

1. A method of deploying content to mobile client applications, comprising:

accepting inbound messages from a mobile client application running on a mobile client device via a proxy IP/port;

packaging said inbound messages into an internal message format with an HTTP redirector, wherein said HTTP redirector, provided at said mobile client device, accesses a library of mobile services in order to obtain information about a wireless protocol supported by said mobile client device;

forwarding said packaged message from said mobile client device to a back-end server over a non-IP protocol network, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

receiving a response from a web server;

packaging said response from said web server into said internal message format with said back-end server;

forwarding said response to said HTTP redirector; and

transferring said response to said mobile client application running on said mobile client device via the proxy IP/port.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said library of mobile services are stored at said mobile client device.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said HTTP redirector acts as a client side proxy.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said HTTP redirector provides compression of said inbound packaged message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said HTTP redirector provides decompression of said response.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said HTTP redirector unpacks said packaged response.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said request is an HTTP request.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said redirector acts as a client side proxy.

7. A method of deploying content to mobile client applications, comprising:

accepting inbound messages from a mobile client application running on a mobile client device via a proxy IP/port;

accessing a HTTP redirector acting as a mobile client-side proxy;

packaging said inbound messages into an internal message format with said HTTP redirector;

forwarding said packaged message to a back-end server via a message router over a non-IP protocol network, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

receiving a response from a Web server over said non-IP protocol network;

packaging said response into said internal message format by said back-end server; and

forwarding said packaged response to said HTTP redirector via a message router and a protocol gateway.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

unpacking said packaged response by said HTTP redirector; and

transferring said unpacked response to said mobile client application running on said client device via said proxy IP/port.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said HTTP redirector, provided at said mobile client device, accesses a library of mobile services in order to obtain information about a non-IP wireless protocol supported by said mobile client device.

10. A wireless device for communicating with a server via a non-IP protocol wireless network, comprising:

a browser generating a request;

a proxy IP/port; and

a redirector receiving said request via said proxy IP/port and packaging said request with a protocol used by said non-IP protocol wireless network, wherein said director accesses a library of mobile services in order to obtain information about said protocol used by said non-IP protocol wireless network, said protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header.

13. A method of communicating HTTP requests over a non-IP protocol wireless network using a non-IP protocol, comprising:

sending an HTTP request from a web browser on a wireless device;

intercepting said HTTP request with a redirector;

packaging said HTTP request into a message format used by said non-IP protocol wireless network with said redirector wherein said redirector, provided at said client device, accesses a library of mobile services in order to obtain information about a wireless protocol supported by said wireless device;

sending said packaged request over the wireless network to a proxy server; and

fulfilling said request from said proxy servers wherein said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

unpacking said request and sending said request to an appropriate web server with said proxy server.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

sending an HTTP request from a proxy server to an appropriate web server;

receiving a response to said request;

packaging said response into a message format used by said wireless network;

sending said packaged response to a redirector;

unpacking said packaged response with said redirector; and

providing said response to a web browser.

16. A computer useable information storage medium storing computer readable program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

accepting inbound messages from a mobile client application running on a mobile client device;

packaging said inbound messages into an internal message format with a redirector wherein said redirector, provided at said mobile client device, accesses a library of mobile services in order to obtain information about a non-IP wireless protocol supported by said mobile client device, said non-IP wireless protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

forwarding said packaged message to a back-end server;

receiving a response from a web server;

packaging said response into said internal message format with said back-end server;

forwarding said response to said redirector; and

transferring said response to said mobile client application running on said mobile client device.

17. The computer useable information storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

said redirector communicates with said mobile client application via a proxy IP/port.

18. A messaging system, comprising:

a mobile client device comprising a web browser and a redirector communicating with said web browser, said redirector packaging messages from said web browser into a fundamental non-IP network protocol, said non-IP network protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

a Web server;

a plurality of wireless networks adapted to communicate messages between said mobile client device and said Web server, and support one or more non-IP wireless network protocols;

a protocol gateway encapsulating said fundamental non-IP network protocol, said fundamental non-IP network protocol underlining each of said one or more wireless network protocols; and

a communicator to communicate messages between said web browser and said Web server over said non-IP wireless network protocol through said protocol gateway independent of a selected wireless network protocol.

19. The messaging system according to claim 18, wherein:

said Web server is an HTTP proxy server adapted to receive a plurality of HTTP requests from said mobile client device, send each said request over said Internet to said server and transmit a response corresponding thereto from said server to said mobile client device.

20. The messaging system according to claim 19, wherein:

said HTTP proxy server comprises a creator to create a TCP/IP socket connection and a manager to manage said TCP/IP socket connection.

21. The messaging system according to claim 18, wherein:

said HTTP proxy server is adapted to support one or more HTTP protocols.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein:

said redirector at said mobile client device accesses a library of mobile services in order to obtain information about said network protocol supported by said mobile client device.

23. A method of receiving content at a mobile client application, comprising:

receiving HTTP content at said mobile client application over a non-IP protocol network;

redirecting said HTTP content in said non-IP protocol to a content packager, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

packing said HTTP content for presentation at said mobile client application; and

presenting said HTTP content said mobile client application.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said step of redirecting further comprises:

acting as a client side proxy.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein said step of redirecting further comprises:

decompressing of said HTTP content.

26. A method of deploying HTTP content to an Internet server, comprising:

deploying HTTP content to said Internet server;

redirecting said HTTP content to a non-IP protocol in a content packager, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

packing said HTTP content for presentation to a non-IP network; and

presenting said HTTP content to said non-IP network.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said step of redirecting further comprises:

acting as a client side proxy.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said step of redirecting further comprises:

compressing of said HTTP content.

29. Apparatus for deploying HTTP content to an Internet server, comprising:

a deployer to deploy HTTP content to said Internet server;

a redirector to redirect said HTTP content to a non-IP protocol in a content packager, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

a packager to package said HTTP content for presentation to a non-IP network; and

a presenter to present said HTTP content to said non-IP network.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:

said redirector further acts as a client side proxy.

31. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:

said redirector compresses said HTTP content.

32. Apparatus for deploying HTTP content to an Internet server, comprising:

means for deploying HTTP content to said Internet server;

means for redirecting said HTTP content to a non-IP protocol in a content packager, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

means for packing said HTTP content for presentation to a non-IP network; and

means for presenting said HTTP content to said non-IP network.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said means for redirecting further comprises:

means for acting as a client side proxy.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein said means for redirecting further comprises:

means for compressing of said HTTP content.

35. Apparatus for receiving content at a mobile client application, comprising:

a receiver to receive HTTP content at said mobile client application over a non-IP protocol network;

a redirector to redirect said HTTP content in said non-IP protocol to a content packager, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

a packager to package said HTTP content for presentation at said mobile client application; and

a presenter to present said HTTP content said mobile client application.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein:

said redirector further acts as a client side proxy.

37. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein:

said redirector decompresses said HTTP content.

38. Apparatus for receiving content at a mobile client application, comprising:

means for receiving HTTP content at said mobile client application over a non-IP protocol network;

means for redirecting said HTTP content in said non-IP protocol to a content packager, said non-IP protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication with a maximum six byte header;

means for packing said HTTP content for presentation at said mobile client application; and

means for presenting said HTTP content said mobile client application.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising:

means for acting as a client side proxy.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising:

means for decompressing of said HTTP content.