Apparatus and method for serving data

• US 7,554,958 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lau, James Sheung
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Application Number:
  US10/017,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20020075843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,755 Days
• Field of Search: 370/349, 370/395, 370/52, 370/351, 370/352, 370/401, 370/403, 370/465, 370/389, 709/203, 709/218, 709/216, 709/228, 709/229, 709/234, 709/235, 709/245, 709/219, 707/203, 713/170, 713/182, 710/10
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus for serving data employs a web server and a communications interface operable to enable the web server to send and receive messages on a wireless digital packet network, to act as a wireless web server. A method of serving data involves receiving a data request message from a wireless digital packet network, requesting data from a wireless web server in response to the data request message and transmitting on the wireless digital packet network a response message including data produced by the wireless web server in response to the data request message. A method of requesting data from a server involves transmitting a message on a wireless digital packet network for use by a wireless web server operable to receive messages from the wireless digital packet network. Transmitting the message may involve producing a wireless digital packet network message containing a Transmission and Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) message. The method may further involve receiving, from the wireless digital packet network, a message produced by the wireless web server.

Claims

1. A portable wireless web server for serving data, the wireless web server comprising:

a) a web server component comprising at least one storage location for storing instructions and data and processor means for generating TCP/IP internet messages; and

b) a wireless communications interface comprising a packet handling unit for assembling TCP/IP internet messages received from the processor means into data packets according to a Cellular Digital Packet Data networking protocol, said wireless communications interface being operable to convey said data packets to and from the wireless web server using a wireless digital packet network.

2. The wireless web server of claim 1 wherein said communications interface is operable to transmit and receive said data packets on the cellular digital packet network.

3. The wireless web server of claim 1 wherein said communications interface is operable to transmit said data packets according to the TCP/IP protocol to said web server component.

4. The wireless web server of claim 1 wherein said communications interface comprises a wireless transceiver for transmitting and receiving said data packets on said wireless digital packet network.

5. The wireless web server component of claim 1 wherein said web server is operable to receive and store data to be served.

6. The wireless web server of claim 1 further including an input interface operable to receive a signal from a sensor and produce a data representation of said signal, for storage as data to be served by said wireless web server.

7. A method of serving data from a portable wireless web server having a web server component comprising a processor means for generating TCP/IP internet messages, at least one storage location for storing instructions and data and a wireless communications interface comprising a packet handling unit for assembling TCP/IP internet messages into data packets according to a Cellular Digital Packet Data networking protocol, said wireless communications interface being operable to convey data packets to and from the web server using a wireless digital packet network, the method comprising:

a) receiving at said wireless web server a data request message from a wireless digital packet network;

b) assembling TCP/IP internet messages into data packets component in response to said data request message; and

c) transmitting on said wireless digital packet network a response message including data packets produced by said wireless web server in response to said data request message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising extracting a Transmission and Control Protocol (TCP/IP) message from said wireless digital packet network message.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting said TCP/IP message to said wireless web server.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising inserting a Transmission and Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) message from said wireless web server into a wireless digital packet network protocol data packet for transmission on said wireless digital packet network.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the wireless web server receives signals from at least one sensor and wherein said packet handling unit assembles data packets in response to receipt of said signals.