Methods and apparatus for continuous connectivity between mobile device and network using dynamic connection spreading

• US 7,447,226 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bivens, John Alan, Davis, John Sidney II, Dent, Gelonia L., Sow, Daby Mousse
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mills; Donald L
• Application Number:
  US10/699,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20050094666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/315, 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/352, 370/353, 370/390, 370/411, 370/465, 370/473, 370/428, 370/429, 370/474, 455/432.1, 455436-444
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

The invention provides methods and apparatus for establishing a connection between a mobile client and an external computer network such that the client computer network connection provides the illusion of seamless connectivity. In one aspect of the invention data is processed in a wireless communication network and is received from a access point at a gateway to an external computer network. Access points are disposed in the vicinity of the path of the mobile client. In another aspect of the invention data is processed in a wireless communication network and is received at an onboard proxy from an access point. The data is then transmitted to a mobile client.

Claims

1. A method for processing a message in a wireless communication network comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one portion of the message at a computing device from at least one of a plurality of access points when the at least one access point is in range of a mobile client in the wireless communication network, the computing device comprising a gateway to an external computer network;

merging received portions of the message when two or more portions of the message are received at the gateway; and

transmitting a reassembled message, generated from said merged received portions, from the gateway to the external computer network;

wherein the step of merging received portions of the message comprises the steps of;

receiving fewer than all of the portions of the message at the gateway;

waiting a specified time interval for receipt of one or more additional portions of the message at the gateway;

if said one or more additional portions are received at the gateway in the specified interval, merging said one or more additional portions of the message with the previously received portions of the message;

if said one or more additional portions are not received at the gateway in the specified interval, said gateway performing at least one of transmitting an error message to a sending socket and requesting said one or more additional portions from one or more other gateways;

determining when a given additional portion of the message received at the gateway during the specified time interval is a last portion of the message; and

reassembling the portions of the message at the gateway after the last portion of the message has been received;

wherein an Internet Protocol (IP) address is established for the mobile client through at least one onboard proxy associated with the mobile client; and

wherein one or more of the portions of the message are received at one or more of said access points from the mobile client through said at least one onboard proxy.