Enhanced HTTP messaging for devices

• US 8,775,509 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Dirstine, Adam D., Popp, Christopher Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/561,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/204, 709/238, 709/224, 709/227, 709/219, 709/225, 709/202, 709/232, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Disclosed in some examples is a method for communications between a client and a server using a stateless messaging protocol by transmitting from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol; receiving from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the client, the indication including message retrieval information; sending a third message from the client to the server including the message retrieval information; and receiving a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

Claims

1. A method for communications between a client and a server using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

transmitting from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

receiving from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the client, the indication including message retrieval information;

sending a third message from the client to the server including the message retrieval information; and

receiving a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message retrieval information comprises one of:

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is not a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a message from higher level application layers of the client to higher level application layers of the server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the response message includes a status code indicating that the first message was received by the server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

10. A device for communications with a server using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

a stateless messaging protocol client configured to;

transmit from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

receive from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the device, the indication including message retrieval information;

a mailbox module configured to;

parse the indication of the presence of a second message, and instruct the stateless messaging protocol client to send a third message to the server including the message retrieval information; and

wherein the stateless messaging protocol client is further configured to send the third message responsive to instructions from the mailbox module and to receive a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the message retrieval information comprises one of:

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the first message is a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the first message is not a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the first message is a message from higher level application layers of the client to higher level application layers of the server.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the response message includes a status code indicating that the first message was received by the server.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

19. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the operations of:

transmitting from a client to a server a first message using a stateless messaging protocol;

receiving from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the client, the indication including message retrieval information;

sending a third message from the client to the server including the message retrieval information; and

receiving a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the message retrieval information comprises one of:

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first message is a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first message is not a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first message is a message from higher level application layers of the client to higher level application layers of the server.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the response message includes a status code indicating that the first message was received by the server.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

27. A method for communications between a client and a server using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

transmitting from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

receiving from the server a response message, the response message including the contents of a second message intended for the client and from a higher layer application on the server, wherein the second message is not a response to the first message.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

31. A device for communications with a client using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

a stateless messaging protocol client configured to;

receive from a client to the server, a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

send a response message to the client in response to receiving the first message;

a mailbox module configured to;

receive a second message intended for the client from an upper layer application;

store the message in a mailbox specific to the client; and

wherein the stateless messaging protocol client is further configured to;

send an indication of the presence of the second message and message retrieval information in the reply message;

receive a third message including the message retrieval information; and

responsive to determining that the message retrieval information identifies the second message, responding with the second message.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client, wherein the mailbox module deletes the plurality of messages.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).