System, device, and method for maintaining communication sessions in a communication system

• US 8,078,730 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Bidco LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: Travostino, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/748,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20020081971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,008 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709223-224, 709227-228, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A communication session is maintained through a disruption by saving state information related to the communication session upon detecting the disruption and subsequently using the saved state information to re-establish the communication session. The communication session may be associated with an access point device in a wireless communication system, and the communication session may be re-established through the same or a different access point device in the wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating communication between a wireless terminal device and a first wireless access point, the method comprising:

determining that communication session connectivity between the terminal device and the first wireless access point has or will be disrupted;

saving first state information relating to the communication session connectivity between the terminal device and the wireless access point in a back end device, the back end device being distinct from and capable of communication with multiple access point devices, the back end device operable to contemporaneously save state information relating to multiple communication sessions associated with multiple wireless access point devices;

communicating the first saved state information from the back end device back to the first wireless access point; and

utilizing the first saved state information, by the first wireless access point, to facilitate communication between the terminal device and the first wireless access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the communication session has or will be disrupted comprises:

determining that the communication session has failed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the communication session has failed comprises:

monitoring for a predetermined signal; and

failing to receive the predetermined signal for a predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the communication session has or will be disrupted comprises:

determining that disrupting the communication session is necessary or desirable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein saving the state information relating to the communication session comprises:

saving the state information for up to a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is associated with a first access point device and wherein re-establishing the communication session using the saved state information comprises reestablishing the communication through the first access point device.

7. The method of claim 1, including preventing failure of a communication session using the saved state information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a Bluetooth communication session.

9. A device for facilitating communication between a wireless terminal device and a first wireless access point, the device being distinct from and capable of communication with the first access point and comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code executed to implement;

session monitoring logic which determines that communication session connectivity between the terminal device and the first wireless access point has or will be disrupted;

state maintenance logic operably coupled to save first state information relating to connectivity between the terminal device and the first wireless access point, the state maintenance logic contemporaneously saving state information relating to multiple communication sessions associated with multiple wireless access point devices; and

communication logic which communicates the first saved state information to the first wireless access point;

whereby the first wireless access point can utilize the saved state information to facilitate communication between the terminal device and the first wireless access point.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the session monitoring logic is operably coupled to determine that the communication session has failed.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the session monitoring logic is operably coupled to monitor for a predetermined signal and determine that the communication session has failed upon failing to receive the predetermined signal for a predetermined amount of time.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the session monitoring logic is operably coupled to determine that disruption of the communication session is necessary or desirable.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the state maintenance logic is operably coupled to save the state information for up to a predetermined amount of time.

14. The device of claim 9, including session re-establishment logic operably coupled to re-establish a communication session through the access point device using the saved state information.

15. The device of claim 9, including session logic operably coupled to use the saved state information to prevent failure of a communication session.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the communication session comprises a Bluetooth communication session.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is a back end device that implements upper protocol layers of a wireless communication protocol.

18. The computer program of claim 9, wherein the communication session comprises a Bluetooth communication session.

19. A computer program for facilitating communication between a wireless terminal device and a first wireless access point, the computer program being executed at least in-part by a back end device which is distinct from and capable of communication with the first access point and stored on a non-transitory computer storage medium, said computer program being executed by a computing device and comprising:

session monitoring logic programmed to determine that communication session connectivity between the terminal device and the first wireless access point has or will be disrupted;

state maintenance logic programmed to save state information relating to the communication session connectivity between the terminal device and the first wireless access point, the state maintenance logic operable to contemporaneously save state information relating to multiple communication sessions associated with multiple wireless access point devices; and

communication logic programmed to communicate the saved state information to the first wireless access point;

whereby the first wireless access point can utilize the saved state information to facilitate communication between the terminal device and the first wireless access point.

20. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the session monitoring logic is programmed to determine that the communication session has failed.

21. The computer program of claim 20, wherein the session monitoring logic is programmed to monitor for a predetermined signal and determine that the communication session has failed upon failing to receive the predetermined signal for a predetermined amount of time.

22. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the session monitoring logic is programmed to determine whether disruption of the communication session is necessary or desirable.

23. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the state maintenance logic is programmed to save the state information for up to a predetermined amount of time.

24. The computer program of claim 19, including session reestablishment logic that re-establishes the communication session through the access point device using the saved state information.

25. The computer program of claim 19, including session logic that prevents failure of a communication session through the access point device using the saved state information.

26. The computer program of claim 19, further comprising:

protocol logic for implementing upper protocol layers of a wireless communication protocol.

27. A communication system that facilitates communication between a wireless terminal device and a first wireless access point comprising:

a number of wireless access point devices, including the first wireless access point, that each implement a first protocol layer of a wireless communication protocol; and

a back end device that implements a second protocol layer of the wireless communication protocol on behalf of the number of access point devices, wherein the back end device is distinct from the access point devices and operably coupled to save state information relating to connectivity of a communication session between the terminal device and the first wireless access point upon determining that the communication session connectivity has or will be disrupted and subsequently to communicate the saved state information back to the first access point, the back end device operable to contemporaneously save state information relating to multiple communication sessions associated with multiple wireless access point devices;

whereby the first wireless access point can utilize the saved state information to facilitate communication between the terminal device and the first wireless access point.

28. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the communication session is associated with an access point device, and wherein the back end device is operably coupled to re-establish the communication session through the access point device.

29. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the communication session is associated with an access point device, and wherein the back end device is operably coupled to re-establish the communication session through a different access point device.

30. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the back end device is operably coupled to associate the saved state information with the different access point device.

31. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

32. The communication system of claim 31, wherein the first protocol layer is a lower protocol layer of the Bluetooth wireless communication protocol, and wherein the second protocol layer comprises an upper protocol layer of the Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

33. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the communication session is associated with a terminal equipment device that communicates with the back end device through an access point device, and wherein the back end device is operably coupled to determine that the communication session is disrupted upon failing to receive a predetermined signal from the terminal equipment device for a predetermined amount of time.

34. A method for facilitating communication between a terminal device and a first access point device, where the terminal device accesses a communication network through one of a plurality of wireless access point devices that implement a first protocol layer of a wireless communication protocol and a back end device that implements a second protocol layer of the wireless communication protocol the method comprising:

saving state information for the terminal device by the back end device which is distinct from and capable of communication with the first access point device, the state information relating to connectivity of a communication session between the terminal device and the first wireless access point, the back end device operable to contemporaneously save state information relating to multiple communication sessions associated with multiple wireless access point devices;

terminating communication with the terminal device over the first access point device;

communicating the saved state information from the back end device to the first wireless access point; and

utilizing the saved state information, by the first wireless access point, to facilitate communication between the terminal device and the first wireless access point.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first access point device is congested, and including re-establishing communication with the terminal device using the saved state information in response to congestion at the first access point device.

36. The method of claim 34, including re-establishing communication with the terminal device using the saved state information for load balancing purposes to split network traffic between the first access point device and a second access point device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are in different service provider systems.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein re-establishing communication with the terminal device over the second access point device using the saved state information is done for cost purposes to move the terminal device to a less expensive access point device.