Method and apparatus for controlling network connections based on destination locations

• US 7,010,603 B2
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Martin, Jr., Bruce K., King, Peter F., Boyle, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US09/135,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/222, 709/227, 709/236
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Techniques for controlling a network connection in accordance with connection information associated with a destination location on a network are disclosed. Controlling of the network connection in accordance with connection information associated with the destination location can be achieved in a variety of ways. One way is in the selection of a network transport (e.g., bearer selection). Another way is in the configuration of parameters associated with the connection (i.e., connection parameters). In either case, the connection information includes information with which the selection of the network transport and/or connection parameters can be made. The controlling of the network connection impacts quality of service provided to a requestor that is requesting use of the connection.

Claims

1. A method for providing a network connection between a network browser and a network, the network browser operating on a client machine, said method comprising:

(a) selecting a particular network address to access a server machine coupled to the network, the server machine being identified by the particular network address;

(b) subsequently providing a network connection between the network browser and the server machine in accordance with connection information associated with the particular network address; and

(c) accessing the server machine located at the particular network address using the network connection,

wherein the connection information is retrieved by accessing a configuration table that resides in the client machine, and locating the connection information stored in the configuration table indexed by at least a part of the particular network address, and

wherein the connection information stored in the configuration table is received at the client device over the network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said providing (b) of the network connection includes establishing the network connection.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said providing (b) of the network connection includes configuring the network connection.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the client machine is a mobile device, and wherein at least a portion of the network connection is over a wireless network.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said providing (b) of the network connection operates to select one of a plurality of available bearer networks over which the network connection is to be made, wherein the selection of the one of the plurality of available bearer networks is based on the connection information associated with the particular network address.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the client machine is a mobile device, the available bearer networks are associated with wireless networks, and at least a portion of the network connection is from the selected one of the available bearer networks.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said providing (b) of the network connection operates to set at least one configuration parameter of a protocol stack associated with the network connection, wherein the at least one configuration parameter is associated with the particular network address.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said providing (b) of the network connection comprises:

obtaining connection information associated with the particular network address; and

providing the network connection in accordance with the connection information associated with the particular network address.

9. A computer readable medium including computer program code for retrieving a resource from a remote server on a network, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving a destination identity for a resource to be obtained from a remote server on a network;

computer program code for obtaining connection information associated with the destination identity, said computer code for obtaining the connection information includes at least computer code for accessing a configuration table, and computer code for locating the connection information in the configuration table based on the destination identity;

computer program code for providing a network connection to the network in accordance with the obtained connection information that is associated with the destination identity; and

computer program code for retrieving, over the network connection, the resource from the remote server on the network at a location identified by the destination identity,

wherein the configuration table is provided at a client machine, and wherein the connection information stored in the configuration table is downloaded to the configuration table over the network.

10. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the connection information is obtained for each resource being requested from the network by a destination identity.

11. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for processing the retrieved resource.

12. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the connection information includes at least information on one of (i) available network transports and (ii) connection parameters.

13. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the network is one of the Internet, a private network and a wireless network;

the resource is a page in a markup language, and the destination identity is a Universal Resource Locator.

14. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the destination identity is one of a string derived from a domain name, a Universal Resource Locator, a network address, an alphanumeric text string and a phone number.

15. A mobile device capable of connecting to a network of computers through a wireless link, said mobile device comprising:

a display screen that displays graphics and text;

an application that requests and receives information from the network of computers;

a configuration table containing connection information stored indexed by network addresses associated with the network of computers; and

a connection controller that receives a request to access a resource from one of the computers of the network of computers using a network resource locator, retrieve connection information associated with the network resource locator from said configuration table, establish or adjust a network connection to the network of computers in accordance with the retrieved connection information from said configuration table, and thereafter retrieve the resource from the one of the computers of the network of computers via the network connection,

wherein the connection information stored in the configuration table is downloaded to said configuration table over at least the wireless link.

16. A mobile device as recited in claim 15, wherein said connection controller further displays the retrieved resource on said display screen.

17. A mobile device as recited in claim 16, wherein said connection controller controls a quality of service of the network connection using the retrieved connection information.

18. A mobile device as recited in claim 17, wherein said application is a browser application that permits a user to retrieve resources from the computers on the network of computers.