Method and apparatus for persistent connections to a device through the use of multiple physical network connections and connection hand-offs between multiple bands, modes and networks

• US 8,667,115 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CoCo Communications, Corp.
• Original Assignee: CoCo Communications, Corp.
• Inventors: Tucker, Mark L., Bruestle, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Application Number:
  US13/471,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20120224468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/227, 709/206, 370/225, 370/217, 370/395
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• 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

Embodiments communicate messages between mobile devices and destination devices. An exemplary embodiment includes a first border server operable to establish a first communication connection to the mobile device over a first network operating under a first protocol, a second border server operable to establish a second communication connection to the mobile device over a second network operating under a second protocol, and a transport management server communicatively coupled to the first border server and the second border server, and operable to establish a third communication connection to the destination device over a third network operating under a third protocol. The first protocol is configured to communicate a first encapsulated portion of the message. The second protocol is configured to communicate a second encapsulated portion of the message. The third protocol is configured to communicate the first encapsulated portion of the message and the second encapsulated portion of the message.

Claims

1. A device for communicating a message between a mobile device and a destination device comprising:

a server that is operable to;

communicatively couple to a first border server that has established a first communication connection to the mobile device over a first network operating under a first protocol, wherein the first protocol is configured to communicate a first portion of the message as a first encapsulated portion;

communicatively couple to a second border server that has established a second communication connection to the mobile device over a second network operating under a second protocol, wherein the second protocol is configured to communicate a second portion of the message as a second encapsulated portion; and

establish a third communication connection to the destination device over a third network operating under a third protocol, wherein the third protocol is configured to communicate the first portion of the message and the second portion of the message,

wherein the second network is different from the first network,

wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol, and

wherein the first communication connection and the second communication connection are concurrently established.

2. The device of claim 1, where in response to a failure of the first communication connection, the first encapsulated portion of the message is communicated over the second communication connection under the second protocol.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said first communication connection fails when a capacity of said first communication connection decreases below a threshold, and wherein a capacity of a plurality of first encapsulated portions transmitted over said failed first connection is above the threshold.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first encapsulated portion of the message and the second encapsulated portion of the message are concurrently communicated from the mobile device to the destination device via the server.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a (WiFi) protocol.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) protocol.

8. A method of communicating a message between a mobile device and a destination device, wherein the message comprises a first portion and a second portion, the method comprising:

communicating, at a server, the first portion of the message, wherein the first portion of the message has been communicated between the mobile device and a first border server over a first communication connection established on a first network that operates under a first protocol that is configured to encapsulate the first portion of the message into a first encapsulated portion;

communicating, at the server, the second portion of the message, wherein the second portion of the message has been communicated between the mobile device and a second border server over a second communication connection established on a second network that operates under a second protocol that is configured to encapsulate the second portion of the message into a second encapsulated portion; and

communicating, at the server, the first portion and the second portion of the message with the destination device over a third network, wherein the third network is configured to operate under a third protocol,

wherein the second network is different from the first network,

wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol, and

wherein the first communication connection and the second communication connection are concurrently established.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the third network is different from the first network and is different from the second network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the third protocol is different from the first protocol and is different from the second protocol.

11. The method of claim 8, where in response to a failure of the first communication connection, the first encapsulated portion of the message is communicated over the second communication connection under the second protocol.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said first communication connection fails when a capacity of said first communication connection decreases below a threshold, and wherein a capacity of a plurality of first encapsulated portions transmitted over said failed first connection is above the threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first protocol is a (WiFi) protocol.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first protocol is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the first protocol is a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) protocol.

16. A method of communicating a message from a mobile device to a destination device, wherein the message comprises a first portion and a second portion, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, the first portion of the message, wherein the first portion of the message has been communicated from the mobile device to a first border server over a first communication connection established on a first network that operates under a first protocol that is configured to encapsulate the first portion of the message into a first encapsulated portion; and

receiving, at the server, the second portion of the message, wherein the second portion of the message has been communicated from the mobile device to a second border server over a second communication connection established on a second network that operates under a second protocol that is configured to encapsulate the second portion of the message into a second encapsulated portion,

wherein the second network is different from the first network,

wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol, and

wherein the first communication connection and the second communication connection are concurrently established.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating, from the server, the first portion and the second portion of the message to the destination device over a third network, wherein the third network is configured to operate under a third protocol.