Handheld computer system that attempts to establish an alternative network link upon failing to establish a requested network link

• US 8,185,659 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Inventors: Kruger, Mark, Peacock, Gavin, Maes, Stephane, Robertson, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US12/987,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709227-229, 709/230, 709238-251
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A computer system that attempts to establish an alternative network link upon failing to establish a requested network link is described. The computer system may encounter conditions where access to numerous networks, in particular wireless networks, is not available. Rather than only providing an error message to the user upon a failed attempt to establish the requested network link, the computer system determines whether the user has designated an alternative network link in case the requested network link cannot be established, whereas the alternative network link is selected from the plurality of network links that the computer system is configured to support. If an alternative network link has been designated, the computer system attempts to establish the alternative network link. Hence, the user experience is made smooth and uneventful when the requested network link cannot be established.

Claims

1. A method for providing a plurality of prioritized network links supported by an electronic system, the method comprising the steps of:

a) configuring, by an electronic system processor, a plurality of prioritized network links for the electronic system to utilize;

b) attempting a first network connection, by the processor of the electronic system, using a first network link having an initial priority; and

c) upon failure to establish the first network connection using the first network link, attempting to initiate a second network connection, by the processor of the electronic system, using a second network link having a lower priority than the first network link.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of prioritized network links is to a private telephony system.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of prioritized network links is to a private data network.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of prioritized network links are wireless networks.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the first network link.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the first network link while a network connection is established with another of the plurality of prioritized network links.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of switching to the first network link if a network connection using the first network link can be established.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of monitoring a higher prioritized network link while a network connection is established with a lower prioritized network link;

and

switching to the higher prioritized network link if a network connection using the higher prioritized network link can be established.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring a connection status of the plurality of prioritized network links;

and

switching to any higher prioritized network link than the established network link if a network connection using any higher prioritized network link can be established.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at the electronic system a priority of the plurality of prioritized network links.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first network is a cellular network.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor designates the last successful connection as a new first network.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of upon failure to establish the second network connection, continuing to attempt initiating network connections according to priority until the plurality of prioritized network links are exhausted or a network connection is established.

14. An electronic system comprising:

a processor;

at least one communication interface coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the processor configured to perform the steps of;

configuring a plurality of prioritized network links for at least one communication interface to utilize;

attempting to establish over the at least one communication interface a first network connection using a first network link having an initial priority;

upon failure to establish the first network connection using the first network link, attempting to initiate a second network connection over the at least one communication interface using a second network link having a lower priority than the first network link.