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

• US 7,689,696 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• 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 N
• Application Number:
  US11/327,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-219, 709237-238, 709/250, 709227-230, 370464-467
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

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 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;

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 said 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.

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, wherein said HTTP redirector, provided at said mobile client device, accesses a library of mobile services to obtain information about a wireless protocol supported by said mobile client device;

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;

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 wireless protocol used by said non-IP protocol wireless network, wherein said redirector accesses a library of mobile services to obtain information about said wireless protocol supported by said wireless device, said protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein:

said request is an HTTP request.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein:

said redirector acts as a client side proxy.

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 to obtain information about a wireless protocol supported by said wireless device;

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

fulfilling said request from said proxy server;

wherein said non-IP protocol is adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication.

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 messaging system, comprising:

a mobile client device comprising a web browser and a redirector communicating with said web browser, said redirector packaging a message said web browser into a fundamental non-IP network protocol and from accessing a library of mobile services to obtain information about a wireless protocol supported by said mobile client device, said non-IP network protocol being adapted to support at least one of message segmentation, message segmentation reassembly, message retries and message duplication;

a Web server;

a plurality of wireless networks adapted to communicate messages between said mobile client device and said Web server and to 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.

17. The messaging system according to claim 16, 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.

18. The messaging system according to claim 17, wherein:

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

19. The messaging system according to claim 16, 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.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein:

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

21. 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;

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

presenting said HTTP content to said mobile client application.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step of redirecting further comprises:

acting as a client side proxy.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step of redirecting further comprises:

decompressing of said HTTP content.

24. 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;

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

presenting said HTTP content to said non-IP network.

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

acting as a client side proxy.

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

compressing of said HTTP content.

27. 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;

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.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein:

said redirector further acts as a client side proxy.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein:

said redirector compresses said HTTP content.

30. 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;

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.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said means for redirecting further comprises:

means for acting as a client side proxy.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said means for redirecting further comprises:

means for compression of said HTTP content.

33. 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;

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

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

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein:

said redirector further acts as a client side proxy.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein:

said redirector decompresses said HTTP content.

36. 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;

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

means for presenting said HTTP content to said mobile client application.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising:

means for acting as a client side proxy.

38. The apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising:

means for decompressing of said HTTP content.