Method for establishing network connections between stationary terminals and remote devices through mobile devices

• US 7,817,606 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Daniel J. Lin
• Inventors: LIN, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/288,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20060083208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 455/554.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/466, 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A technique is provided for a seamless and transparent handoff from a user'"'"'s mobile device to the user'"'"'s stationary terminal of a network address of a remote device for the purpose of establishing a direct communication channel between the stationary terminal and a remote device, where the remote device first contacted the user'"'"'s mobile device to initiate communications with the user.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a data communications session between a stationary terminal and an initiating remote mobile device, the method comprising:

establishing a communication link through a short-range wireless technology between the stationary terminal and a proximate mobile device wherein the proximate mobile device operates within a cellular wireless network system;

opening a listening port on the proximate mobile device to receive communications through a page-mode messaging service;

receiving, at the listening port and through the page-mode messaging service, an invitation message from the initiating remote mobile device, wherein the invitation message is transmitted upon request by a user of the initiating remote mobile device to invite the proximate mobile device to establish a data communications session with the initiating remote mobile device and comprises a network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device; and

transmitting the network address and listening port received by the proximate mobile device to the stationary terminal though the short-range wireless technology, whereupon the stationary terminal receives the network address and listening port, transmits a response to the network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device, and establishes a virtual connection with the initiating remote mobile device for data communications.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the short-range wireless technology is Bluetooth, the page-mode messaging service is SMS, the cellular wireless network system supports TCP/IP based communications, the network address is an IP address, the listening port is a TCP port, and the virtual connection is a TCP connection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data communications is for IM purposes.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile device proximate a stationary terminal, causes the processor to establish a data communications session between the stationary terminal and an initiating remote mobile device, by performing all the steps of claim 1.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the short-range wireless technology is Bluetooth, the page-mode messaging service is SMS, the cellular wireless network system supports TCP/IP based communications, the network address is an IP address, the listening port is a TCP port, and the virtual connection is a TCP/IP connection.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the data communications is for IM purposes.

4. A method for establishing a data communications session between a stationary terminal and an initiating remote mobile device, the method comprising:

establishing a communication link through a short-range wireless technology between the stationary terminal and a proximate mobile device wherein the proximate mobile device operates within a cellular wireless network system;

receiving from the proximate mobile device a network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device through the short-range wireless technology, wherein the network address and listening port is received by the proximate mobile device from the initiating remote mobile device in an invitation message transmitted by the initiating remote mobile device to the proximate mobile device upon request by a user of the initiating remote mobile device to invite the proximate mobile device to establish a data communications session with the initiating remote mobile device;

transmitting a request to the network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device to establish a virtual connection with the initiating remote mobile device; and

establishing a virtual connection with the initiating remote mobile device for data communications.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the short-range wireless technology is Bluetooth, the cellular wireless network system supports TCP/IP based communications, the network address is an IP address, the listening port is a TCP port, and the virtual connection is a TCP/IP connection.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data communications is for IM purposes.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a stationary terminal, causes the processor to establish a data communications session between the stationary terminal and an initiating remote mobile device, by performing all the steps of claim 4.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the short-range wireless technology is Bluetooth, the cellular wireless network system supports TCP/IP based communications, the network address is an IP address, the listening port is a TCP port, and the virtual connection is a TCP/IP connection.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the data communications is for IM purposes.

13. A mobile device enabled to handoff network address information for the initiation of a data communications session between a stationary terminal and an initiating remote mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

programming means to support establishing a communication link through a short-range wireless technology between the stationary terminal and the mobile device when the mobile device is within sufficient proximity of the stationary terminal;

programming means to support opening a listening port to receive communications through a page-mode messaging service;

programming means to support receiving, at the listening port and through the page-mode messaging service, an invitation message from the initiating remote mobile device, wherein such invitation message is transmitted upon request by a user of the initiating remote mobile device to invite the proximate mobile device to establish a data communications session with the initiating remote mobile device and comprises a network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device; and

programming means to support transmitting the network address and listening port received by the proximate mobile device to the stationary terminal though the short-range wireless technology, whereupon the stationary terminal receives the network address and listening port, transmits a response to the network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device, and establishes a virtual connection with the initiating remote mobile device for data communications.

14. The mobile device of claim 13 wherein the short-range wireless technology is Bluetooth, the page-mode messaging service is SMS, the cellular wireless network system supports TCP/IP based communications, the network address is an IP address, the listening port is a TCP port, and the virtual connection is a TCP/IP connection.

15. The mobile device of claim 13 wherein the data communications is for IM purposes.

16. A stationary terminal enabled to receive network address information from a proximate mobile device in order to establish a data communications session with an initiating remote mobile device, the stationary terminal comprising:

programming means to support establishing a communication link through a short-range wireless technology between the stationary terminal and the proximate mobile device wherein the proximate mobile device operates within a cellular wireless network system;

programming means to support receiving from the proximate mobile device a network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device through the short-range wireless technology, wherein the network address and listening port is received by the proximate mobile device from the initiating remote mobile device in an invitation message transmitted by the initiating remote mobile device to the proximate mobile device upon request by a user of the initiating remote mobile device to invite the proximate mobile device to establish a data communications session with the initiating remote mobile device;

programming means to support transmitting a request to the network address and listening port related to the initiating remote mobile device to establish a virtual connection with the initiating remote mobile device; and

programming means to establishing a virtual connection with the initiating remote mobile device for data communications.

17. The stationary terminal of claim 16 wherein the short range wireless technology is Bluetooth, the cellular wireless network system supports TCP/IP based communications, the network address is an IP address, the listening port is a TCP port, and the virtual connection is a TCP/IP connection.

18. The stationary terminal of claim 16 wherein the data communications is for IM purposes.