Wireless internet product system

• US 8,392,561 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University), Arrayent, Inc. (Prodea Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arrayent, Inc. (Prodea Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dyer, Shane E., McIntire, Dustin H., Jiang, Zheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/489,154
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/229, 455/466, 345/736, 725/105
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2589 over a relay server, e.g. traversal using relay for network address translation [TURN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Low resource internet devices such as consumer electronics products connect to web service by means of a proxy method where the connected device does not need to maintain the expensive and fragile web service interface itself, but rather uses simple low level protocols to communicate through a gateway that executes software to translate a low level proprietary wireless protocol to a proprietary low level internet protocol that can pass through a firewall to proxy servers that translate the low level protocols thus presenting an interface that makes the internet device appear to have a full web service interface to enable communication between the internet devices and the web server.

Claims

1. In a network providing an internet coupled to a web application server with an internet address using a web service protocol, a proxy server coupled to said web application server, and a firewall coupled to said proxy server, a network communication system comprising:

a one or more electronic devices coupled to said firewall, wherein each of said one or more electronic devices is further comprising a processor, a storage, and a communication circuit;

a unique identifier stored in each of said one or more electronic devices, said unique identifier corresponding to said one or more electronic devices;

a first program executable by at least one of said one or more electronic devices, is configured to cause said electronic device to transfer their said unique identifier through said firewall, said transfer using an internet message system (IMS) protocol, and wherein said IMS protocol comprises an IMS packet, and said IMS packet comprises an IMS packet length and said unique identifier, wherein said IMS packet length is shorter than a web service protocol packet length having corresponding information content; and

,

a second program executable by said proxy server further comprising a routing program and a translating program, wherein said transfer of said unique identifier by said first program is between said one or more electronic devices and said proxy server, wherein said routing program based on said unique identifier routes said IMS packet to one or more of said electronic devices or to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol and routes said IMS packet through said translating program, and said translating program translates said IMS protocol to and from said web service protocol, wherein the internet address using the web service protocol communicates information, content, or commands to one of the one or more electronic devices.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises:

a gateway comprising a processor, a memory, and a low power wireless circuit; and

,

a one or more internet products each further comprising a processor, a memory, and a low power wireless circuit, wherein said gateway is coupled to said firewall, and said gateway is coupled to said one or more internet products through a compact radio protocol (CRP) to communicate through respective of said low power wireless circuits, wherein said CRP comprises a CRP packet, wherein said CRP packet comprises a plurality of CRP fields and a CRP packet length that is shorter than said IMS packet length having corresponding information content, wherein said IMS packet comprises a plurality of IMS fields and said CRP packet has fewer of said plurality of CRP fields than said plurality of IMS fields having corresponding information content, wherein said CRP comprises said unique identifier and said unique identifier corresponds to said one or more internet products, wherein said first program executable by said gateway translates said CRP to and from said IMS protocol, and wherein said routing program routes said IMS packet to said one or more internet products or to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol, wherein the internet address using the web service protocol communicates information, content, or commands to one of the one or more internet products.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said gateway stores an IMS packet sent to one of said one or more internet products or said gateway stores a CRP packet translation of said IMS packet sent to one of said one or more internet products, wherein one of said one or more internet products periodically wakes up from a low power sleep mode and sends a CRP packet to said gateway, whereupon said gateway sends to one of said one or more internet products said CRP packet translation of said IMS packet sent to one of said one or more internet products previously stored, wherein one of said one or more internet products enters a low power mode between said periodic sending thereby reducing power consumption in one of said one or more internet products.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said low power wireless circuit comprises a received signal strength circuit wherein said received signal strength circuit is configured to determine a predetermined reduced signal strength condition which initiates a resynchronization scan to said gateway.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic device comprises:

a dongle comprising a low power wireless circuit for coupling to a personal computer coupled to said firewall; and

,

a one or more internet products each further comprising a processor, a memory, and a low power wireless circuit, wherein said dongle is coupled to said one or more internet products through a compact radio protocol (CRP) to communicate through respective of said low power wireless circuits, wherein said CRP comprises a CRP packet, said CRP packet comprises a plurality of CRP fields and a CRP packet length that is shorter than said IMS packet length having corresponding information content, wherein said IMS packet comprises a plurality of IMS fields and said CRP packet has fewer of said plurality of CRP fields than said plurality of IMS fields having corresponding information content, wherein said CRP comprises said unique identifier and said unique identifier corresponds to said one or more internet products, wherein said first program executable by said personal computer translates said CRP to and from said IMS protocol, and wherein said routing program routes said IMS packet to one of said one or more internet products or to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol, wherein the internet address using the web service protocol communicates information, content, or commands to one of the one or more internet products.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said personal computer stores an IMS packet sent to one of said one or more internet products or said personal computer stores a CRP packet translation of said IMS packet sent to one of said one or more internet products, wherein one of said one or more internet products periodically wakes up from a low power sleep mode and sends a CRP packet to said personal computer, whereupon said personal computer sends to one of said one or more internet products said CRP packet translation of said IMS packet sent to one of said one or more internet products previously stored, wherein one of said one or more internet products enters a low power mode between said periodic sending thereby reducing power consumption in one of said one or more internet products.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said firewall comprises a table entry, wherein said table entry permits said second program to cause the proxy server to transfer said IMS packet through said firewall to one of said one or more electronic devices, said table entry having a timeout time which blocks said transfer, wherein said first program or said second program determine an approximation of said timeout of said table entry based upon a succession of said IMS packets sent to said firewall from one of said one or more electronic devices or from said proxy server with varying times between said IMS packets sent and based upon recording when said IMS packet fails to transfer through said firewall successfully, wherein said approximation of said timeout time is stored in one of said one or more electronic devices and used to send said IMS packet periodically to said firewall based on said approximation of said timeout time, wherein said timeout of said table entry is prevented, thereby permitting a communication routed from said second program to one of said one or more electronic devices with reduced communication system overhead.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said system comprises an application state or key value pair message associated with one of said one or more electronic devices, wherein said second program stores said application state or key value pair message.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said IMS packet length comprises fewer than five hundred bytes.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an IMS server coupled to said firewall; and

a translation server having a first connection coupled to said IMS server and a second connection coupled to said web application server,

wherein said routing program is executable by said IMS server, and said translating program is executable by said translation server.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises a thermostat further comprising encoded instructions that cause the thermostat to store a control setting sent by said internet address using said web service protocol, sending a data to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol, and respond to said internet address using said web service protocol.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises an animatronic toy comprising a motor causing motion or character gesturing in said animatronic toy and a control circuit actuating said motor, and said control circuit being responsive to said internet address using said web service protocol.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said animatronic toy further comprises a sensor responsive to motion or environment of said animatronic toy, said animatronic toy configures to send a data from said sensor to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol or to another one of said one or more electronic devices and said another one of said one or more electronic devices being responsive to said animatronic toy.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises a toy comprising an ability to make a sound or play a sound file, wherein said ability being responsive to said internet address using said web service protocol.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said toy further comprises a sensor responsive to motion or environment of said toy, said toy is configured to send a data from said sensor to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol or to another one of said one or more electronic devices and said another one of said one or more electronic devices being responsive to said toy.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said toy is configured to make a sound or play a sound file and receive said sound or said sound file from said internet address using said web service protocol, wherein said ability being responsive to said internet address using said web service protocol.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises a medical sensor, wherein said medical sensor is configured to send a data to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises a touch screen display drawing pad, wherein said touch screen display drawing pad is configured to send a data to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol or to another touch screen display drawing pad.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises a sensor, wherein said sensor is configured to send a data to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said one or more electronic devices comprises a toy comprising a sensor, wherein said sensor is configured to send a data to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol.

21. In a network providing an internet coupled to a web application server with an internet address using a web service protocol, a proxy server coupled to said web application server, a firewall with network address translation coupled to said proxy server, a network communication system comprising:

a one or more internet products each further comprising a microcontroller, a memory, and a low power wireless circuit;

a unique identifier stored in each of said one or more internet products, said unique identifier corresponding to said one or more internet products;

a gateway comprising a microcontroller, a memory, and a low power wireless circuit, wherein said gateway is coupled by a local area network (LAN) connection to said firewall with network address translation and wherein said gateway is coupled to said one or more internet products through a compact radio protocol (CRP) to communicate through respective of said low power wireless circuits, wherein said CRP comprises a CRP packet, wherein said CRP packet comprises a plurality of CRP fields and a CRP packet length, wherein one of said plurality of CRP fields comprises a CRP address field comprising said unique identifier;

a first program executable by said gateway translates said CRP to and from an internet message system (IMS) protocol and, is configured to cause said electronic device to transfer their said unique identifier through said firewall with network address translation, said transfer using said IMS protocol that is permitted to pass through said firewall with network address translation, and wherein said IMS protocol comprises an IMS packet, and said IMS packet comprises an IMS packet length, a plurality of IMS fields, an internet protocol (IP) header, wherein said CRP packet length is shorter than said IMS packet length having corresponding information content and said CRP packet has fewer of said plurality of CRP fields than said plurality of IMS fields having corresponding information content, wherein said IMS packet length is shorter than a web service protocol packet length having corresponding information content;

a routing program executable by said proxy server, wherein said transfer of said unique identifier by said first program is between one of said one or more internet products and said routing program; and

,

a translating program executable by said proxy server, wherein said translating program translates said IMS protocol to and from said web service protocol, wherein said routing program based on said unique identifier routes said IMS packet to said gateway which translates said IMS packet to said CRP packet and passes said CRP packet to one or more of said internet products, or routes said IMS packet to a destination indicated by said internet address using said web service protocol and routes said IMS packet through said translating program, wherein the internet address using the web service protocol communicates information, content, or commands to one or more of the internet products.