Server-side wireless communications link support for mobile handheld devices

• US 8,009,619 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phunware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phunware, Inc.
• Inventors: Clavel, Philippe, Waters, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scheibel; Robert C
• Application Number:
  US11/977,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• 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

A server-based method for implementing a communications link. The method includes receiving via a communications network a request for a communications link from a client communications component executing on a handheld device and establishing a wireless communications link with the handheld device by using a server communications interface executing on the server. An optimized protocol is automatically implemented between the client communications component and the server based on the wireless communications link type and the handheld device type, wherein the optimized protocol is implemented while maintaining a standardized application programming interface for the server communications interface, and wherein the communications link is established via the communications component functioning with a device API component to configure hardware of the handheld device.

Claims

1. A server-based method for, comprising:

receiving, at a server and via a communications network, a request for a communications link from a client communications component executing on a handheld device;

establishing the communications link with the handheld device using a server communications interface executing on the server;

automatically implementing, at a first time, a first protocol between the client communications component and the server based on a type of the communications link and a type of the handheld device, the first protocol being implemented while maintaining a standardized application programming interface (API) for the server communications interface, the communications link being established via the client communications component functioning with a device API component to configure hardware of the handheld device; and

automatically implementing, at a second time after the first time, a second protocol, different from the first protocol, between the client communications component and the server based on a quality of the communications link at the second time, the first protocol and the second protocol being different ones of a socket full-duplex connection protocol, a socket half duplex connection protocol, an HTTP tunneling protocol, and an HTTP polling protocol.

2. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein the device API component is a J2ME component.

3. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein the device API component is a BREW component.

4. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein the device API component is a Symbian component.

5. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is configured to maintain a communications latency of less than one second.

6. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein the client communications component includes a hardware abstraction component for translating between the client communications component and device specific hardware functions of the handheld device.

7. The server-based method of claim 6, wherein the hardware abstraction component is configured to enable the client communications component to implement a stable communications API on multiple different handheld device types.

8. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of application servers are configured to communicate with the handheld device via the server communications interface.

14. The server-based method of claim 1, wherein the quality of the communications link at the second time is less than a quality of the communications link at the first time.

9. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor readable code that, when executed by the processor, is configured to cause the processor to;

receive, via a communications network, a request for a communications link from a client communications component executing on a handheld device;

establish a wireless communications link with the handheld device by using a server communications interface;

automatically select, as an optimized protocol, a socket full-duplex connection protocol if a quality of the wireless communications link is above or equal to a threshold, or one of a socket half duplex connection protocol, an HTTP tunneling protocol, and an HTTP polling protocol if the quality of the wireless communications link is below the threshold; and

automatically implement the optimized protocol between the client communications component and the server communications interface, the optimized protocol being implemented while maintaining a standardized application programming interface (API) for the server communications interface, the communications link being established via the client communications component functioning with a device API component to configure hardware of the handheld device.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the device API component is one of a J2ME component, a BREW component, and a Symbian component.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein a plurality of application servers are configured to communicate with the handheld device via the server communications interface.

12. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive, via a communications network, a request for a communications link from a client communications component executing on a handheld device;

establish a wireless communications link with the handheld device using a server communications interface;

automatically select, as an optimized protocol, a socket full-duplex connection protocol if a quality of the wireless communications link is above or equal to a threshold, or one of a socket half duplex connection protocol, an HTTP tunneling protocol, and an HTTP polling protocol if the quality of the wireless communications link is below the threshold; and

automatically implement the optimized protocol between the client communications component and the server communications interface, the optimized protocol being implemented while maintaining a standardized application programming interface (API) for the server communications interface, the communications link being established via the client communications component functioning with a device API component to configure hardware of the handheld device.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a plurality of application servers are configured to communicate with the handheld device via the server communications interface.

15. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the optimized protocol is a first optimized protocol, the code representing instructions to cause the processor to automatically implement the first optimized protocol being executed at a first time, the quality of the wireless communications link being the quality of the wireless communications link at the first time, the non-transitory processor-readable medium further comprising code to:

automatically implement, at a second time after the first time, a second optimized protocol between the client communications component and the server communications interface based on a quality of the wireless communications link at the second time.