Opportunistic data transfer over heterogeneous wireless networks

• US 7,769,887 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Keshav, Srinivasan, Seth, Aaditeshwar, Bhattacharyya, Supratik
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu; Xiang
• Application Number:
  US11/277,241
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods are discussed for providing multiple network interfaces to devices to communicate with each other using various policies, for using a proxy to maintain a connection with a legacy system such that a data connection to the legacy system may be continued when an end device connects with the proxy, and for maintaining application states when devices become disconnected such that their activities may be resumed when reconnected.

Claims

1. A computer system having a processor and a memory, the computer system operable to execute a method for selecting a communication path across different access networks, comprising:

detecting two or more access networks by a client with two or more network interfaces wherein a first member of the two or more network interfaces and a first member of the two or more access networks have a communication technology that is different from a second member of the two or more network interfaces and a second member of the two or more access networks;

implementing an application-specific routing policy that determines the communication technology to employ wherein a selection of a particular network interface is made when the communication technology is determined;

based on at least one of the application-specific routing policy, selecting the communication path between the client and a host, wherein the host includes two or more second network interfaces connected to the two or more access networks;

maintaining the communication path between the client and the host; and

providing a simultaneous communication over several communications paths using different communication technologies in each path between the client and the host wherein providing the simultaneous communication comprises providing data striping.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising re-establishing the communication path between the client and the host from a failure condition or an interrupt.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication technology is selected from the group including GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, 1xRTT, EV-DO, satellite access, 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth®

, and Zigbee™

.

4. A system for selecting a communication path across different access networks, comprising:

a client with a first set of network interfaces communicating with a host with a second set of network interfaces;

the client operable to select one or more members of the first set of network interfaces to communicate across one or more access networks to one or more members of the second set of network interfaces at the host, to select a communication path to the host using a member of the first set of network interfaces, a member of the one or more access networks, and a member of the second set of network interfaces working simultaneously together and to implement an application-specific routing policy that determines a communication technology to employ wherein a selection of a particular network interface is made when the communication technology is determined;

the first set of network interfaces, the one or more access networks, and the second set of network interfaces operable respectively using at least one of the communication technology that is similar or the communication technology that is different; and

the client and the host operable to maintain two or more communications paths to provide a simultaneous communication over the two or more communications paths using different communication technologies in each path wherein the simultaneous communication includes data striping.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising the client operable to re-establish the communication path from a failure condition or an interrupt.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein communication technology is selected from the group including GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, 1xRTT, EV-DO, satellite access, 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth®

, and Zigbee™

.

7. A computer system having a processor and a memory, the computer system operable to execute a method for maintaining a communication connection between an endpoint device and one or more computing devices when the endpoint device disconnects and reconnects to establish the communication connection, comprising:

implementing a proxy between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices wherein the proxy is connected to first network interfaces of the endpoint device, the proxy is connected to one or more second network interfaces of the one or more computing devices, and a communication occurs between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices through the proxy wherein the proxy is a physical hardware device;

with the proxy, facilitating the communication connection between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices, maintaining a first portion of the communication connection between the proxy and the endpoint device, maintaining a second portion of the communication connection between the proxy and the one or more computing devices, shielding a set of communications details between the endpoint device and the proxy from the one or more computing devices, and receiving a disconnection and a reconnection from the endpoint device at the first portion of the communication connection without losing the second portion of the communication connection;

forwarding by the proxy a set of data transferred between the one or more computing devices and the endpoint device wherein the set of data is stored by the proxy;

implementing an application-specific routing policy between the endpoint device and the proxy to select two or more members of the first network interfaces of the endpoint device to connect to the proxy for the communication connection wherein the application-specific routing policy provides how the two or more members are selected; and

providing a simultaneous communication between the two or more members of the first network interfaces of the endpoint device and the proxy wherein providing the simultaneous communication comprises providing data striping.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising implementing a second proxy to perform one or more functions of the proxy, reconnecting the endpoint device in a proximity to the second proxy after the disconnection from the proxy, and facilitating the communication connection by the second proxy between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising preserving a communication state for the communication connection between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices when the disconnection of the endpoint device occurs, and transferring the communication state to a second endpoint device to perform the communication connection between the second endpoint device and the one or more computing devices when a connection of the second endpoint device occurs.

10. A system for maintaining a communication connection between an endpoint device and one or more computing devices when the endpoint device disconnects and reconnects to establish the communication connection, comprising:

a transfer of information between the endpoint device with first network connections, a proxy, and the one or more computing devices with one or more second network connections wherein the proxy is a physical hardware device;

the one or more computing devices operable to run one or more applications to interact with the endpoint device;

the proxy, located between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices, operable to facilitate the transfer of information between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices wherein a communication occurs between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices through the proxy, to maintain a first portion of the communication connection between the proxy and the endpoint device, to maintain a second portion of the communication connection between the proxy and the one or more computing devices, to shield a set of communications details between the endpoint device and the proxy from the one or more computing devices, to allow a disconnection and a reconnection by the endpoint device at the first portion of the communication connection without losing the second portion of the communication connection, and to store and forward a set of information transferred between the one or more computing devices and the endpoint device;

an application-specific routing policy implemented between the endpoint device and the proxy to select two or more members of the first network connections of the endpoint device to connect to the proxy for the communication connection wherein the application-specific routing policy provides how the two or more members are selected; and

two or more access networks operable to provide a simultaneous communication between the endpoint device and the proxy wherein providing the simultaneous communication comprises providing data striping.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second proxy operable to perform one or more functions of the proxy, the endpoint device operable to reconnect in a proximity to the second proxy after the disconnection from the proxy, and the second proxy operable to facilitate the communication connection between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a communication state preserved for the communication connection between the endpoint device and the one or more computing devices when the disconnection of the endpoint device occurs, and the communication state transferred to a second endpoint device to perform the communication connection between the second endpoint device and the one or more computing devices when a connection of the second endpoint device occurs.