Handheld computer system that attempts to establish an alternative network link upon failing to establish a requested network link

• US 7,506,064 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kruger, Mark, Peacock, Gavin, Robertson, Ryan, Maes, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/847,720
• Time in Patent Office: 2,877 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.21, 455/433, 455/432, 455/443, 705/21, 709/201, 709/250, 709227-229, 709/239, 709/251, 709/238, 709/230, 370/328, 370352-356
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A computer system that attempts to establish an alternative network link upon failing to establish a requested network link is described. The computer system may encounter conditions where access to numerous networks, in particular wireless networks, is not available. Rather than only providing an error message to the user upon a failed attempt to establish the requested network link, the computer system determines whether the user has designated an alternative network link in case the requested network link cannot be established, whereas the alternative network link is selected from the plurality of network links that the computer system is configured to support. If an alternative network link has been designated, the computer system attempts to establish the alternative network link. Hence, the user experience is made smooth and uneventful when the requested network link cannot be established.

Claims

1. A method of establishing one of a plurality of network links of a plurality of protocols and diverse types of connection on an electronic system, comprising the steps of:

a) associating one or more alternative network link designations with one or more of said network links based upon a priority order assigned by the user of said electronic system and residing on said electronic system;

b) requesting a first network link of said plurality of network links;

c) attempting to initiate said first network link;

d) determining whether a particular alternative network link designation is associated with said first network link; and

e) if said step c) fails to establish said first network link and if said particular alternative network link designation is associated with said first network link, attempting to initiate, by said electronic system, a particular network link of said plurality of network links based on said particular alternative network link designation.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

f) determining whether a second alternative network link designation is associated with said particular network link; and

g) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link and if said second alternative network link designation is associated with said particular network link, initiating a second network link of said plurality of network links based on said second alternative network link designation.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

f) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link, attempting to initiate, by said computer system, said first network link.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

f) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link, initiating a second network link of said plurality of network links based on said alternative network link designation.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

indicating to a user whether said first network link was established; and

enabling said user to discontinue establishment of said particular network link.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step b) includes:

sending a network open request to a shared library of said computer system.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer system comprises a personal digital assistant.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said request for said first network link is based on said priority order.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored therein for performing a method of establishing one of a plurality of network links of a plurality of protocols and diverse types of connection on an electronic system, comprising the steps of:

a) associating one or more alternative network link designations with one or more of said network links based upon a priority order assigned by the user of said electronic system and stored on the electronic system;

b) requesting a first network link of said plurality of network links;

c) attempting to initiate said first network link;

d) determining whether a particular alternative network link designation is associated with said first network link; and

e) if said step c) fails to establish said first network link and if said particular alternative network link designation is associated with said first network link, attempting to initiate, by said computer system, a particular network link of said plurality of network links based on said particular alternative network link designation.

10. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

f) determining whether a second alternative network link designation is associated with said particular network link; and

g) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link and if said second alternative network link designation is associated with said particular network link, initiating a second network link of said plurality of network links based on said second alternative network link designation.

11. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

f) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link, attempting to initiate said first network link.

12. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

f) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link, initiating a second network link of said plurality of network links based on said alternative network link designation.

13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

indicating to a user whether said first network link was established; and

enabling said user to discontinue establishment of said particular network link.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said step b) includes:

sending a network open request to a shared library of said computer system.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said computer system comprises a personal digital assistant.

16. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said request for said first network link is based on said priority order.

19. An electronic system as recited in claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

f) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link, attempting to initiate, by said computer system, said first network link.

17. An electronic system comprising:

a data bus;

a processor coupled to said data bus; and

a memory device coupled to said data bus and having computer-executable instructions stored therein for performing a method of establishing one of a plurality of network links of a plurality of protocols and diverse types of connection on said electronic system, comprising the steps of;

a) associating one or more alternative network link designations with one or more of said network links based upon a priority order assigned by the user of said electronic system and stored on the memory device;

b) requesting a first network link of said plurality of network links;

c) attempting to initiate said first network link;

d) determining whether a particular alternative network link designation is associated with said first network link; and

e) if said step c) fails to establish said first network link and if said particular alternative network link designation is associated with said first network link, attempting to initiate, by said computer system, a particular network link of said plurality of network links based on said particular alternative network link designation.

18. An electronic system as recited in claim 17, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

f) determining whether a second alternative network link designation is associated with said particular network link; and

g) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link and if said second alternative network link designation is associated with said particular network link, initiating a second network link of said plurality of network links based on said second alternative network link designation.

20. An electronic system as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

f) if said step e) fails to establish said particular network link, initiating a second network link of said plurality of network links based on said alternative network link designation.

21. An electronic system as recited in claim 17, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

indicating to a user whether said first network link was established; and

enabling said user to discontinue establishment of said particular network link.

22. An electronic system as recited in claim 17, wherein said step

b) includes:

sending a network open request to a shared library of said computer system.

23. An electronic system as recited in claim 17, wherein said computer system comprises a personal digital assistant.

24. The electronic system as recited in claim 17, wherein said request for said first network link is based on said priority order.

25. An electronic system comprising;

a data bus;

a memory device coupled to said data bus; and

a processor coupled to said data bus, wherein the processor is configured to attempt to initiate a first network link of a plurality of network links of a plurality of protocols and diverse types of connection in response to a request for said first network link based upon a priority order assigned by the user of said electronic system and stored on the computer system, and wherein if said first network link is not established and if a user has previously designated an alternative network link for said first network link, said processor is further configured to attempt to initiate said alternative network link.

26. An electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein if said alternative network link is not established, a second alternative network link previously designated by said user is initiated, based on said priority.

27. An electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein if said alternative network link is not established, said first network link is initiated.

28. An electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein whether said first network link was established is indicated to said user, and wherein said user is enabled to discontinue establishment of said alternative network link.

29. An electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein said request is sent to a shared library of said computer system.

30. An electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein said computer system comprises a personal digital assistant.

31. The electronic system as recited in claim 25, wherein said request for said first network link is based on said priority order.