Wireless device caching data proxy

• US 8,787,880 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US11/763,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,595 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/432.1, 455/434, 455436-444, 370/324, 370/350, 370/503, 370/395.21, 370/390, 370/276, 370/277, 370/278, 370/282, 709/248, 709/217, 709/212
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A wireless device is provided to act as a caching data proxy for a first device, which may or may not be wireless. In particular, a cellular telephone is associated as a caching data proxy for a wireless portable computing device. The cellular telephone caches data as a proxy for the portable computing device when the portable computing device is either out of network coverage, powered down, or the like.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data over a wireless computing network, comprising:

obtaining, by a server, a data communication destined for a first wireless device;

determining whether the first wireless device is connected to the server via a first wireless computing network independently of a second wireless device, wherein the second wireless device is associated with the first wireless device;

if it is determined the first wireless device is not connected to the server via the first wireless computing network, determining whether the second wireless device is connected to the server via a second wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second wireless device is connected to the server via the second wireless computing network, transmitting the data communication to the second wireless device for delivery to the first wireless device,

wherein when the determination is made that the second wireless device is not connected to the server via the second wireless computing network and that the first wireless device is not connected to the server via the first wireless computing network, then periodically checking both whether the second wireless device is connected to the server via the second wireless computing network and whether the first wireless device is connected to the server via the first wireless computing network independently of the second wireless device;

selecting, by the server, whether to send the data communication to the first wireless device over the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network, via the second wireless device, if it is determined that the first wireless device is connected to the server via the first wireless computing network independently of the second wireless device, and via the second wireless computing network via the second wireless device,

wherein selecting the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network is based on traffic over the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network; and

transmitting the data communication via the second wireless computing network via the second wireless device when a determination is made that that the traffic over the second wireless computing network is lower than the first wireless computing network, else transmitting the data communication via the first wireless computing network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining further comprises receiving the data communication from a third party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the data communication to the second wireless device is for immediate download to the first wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting to the second wireless device is for storing the data communication only until the data communication is downloaded to the first wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are the same.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are different.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication comprises electronic mail.

8. The method claim 1, wherein the data communication is selected from a group of data consisting of:

video, audio, audio/video, text or images.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising holding the data communication until at least one of the first wireless device and the second wireless device are connected to the server via at least one of the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network is further based on a strength of a network signal.

11. A method for communicating data communication over a wireless computing network, comprising:

generating, by a first wireless device, a data communication originating from the first wireless device;

determining, by the first wireless device, whether the first wireless device is connected to a server via a first wireless computing network independently of a second wireless device associated with the first wireless device;

if it is determined the first wireless device is not connected to the server via the first wireless computing network independently of the second wireless device, determining, by the first wireless device, whether the second wireless device is connected to the server via a second wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second wireless device is connected to the server via the second wireless computing network, transmitting the data communication from the first wireless device to the second wireless device for transmitting to the server;

selecting whether to send the data communication from the first wireless device over the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network if it is determined that the first wireless device is connected to the server via the first wireless computing network independently of the second wireless device or via the second wireless computing network via the second wireless device,

wherein selecting the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network is based on traffic over the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network;

transmitting the data communication via the first wireless computing network when a determination is made that the first wireless device is connected to the server via the first wireless computing network independently of the second wireless device; and

transmitting an update message to the second wireless device to inhibit the second wireless device from transmitting the data communication to the server via the second wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein on turning off the first wireless device, it is determined whether at least one data communication exists for transmission that has not been transmitted and transferring the at least one data communication to the second wireless device to be transmitted over the second wireless computing network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are different.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data communication includes requesting return of processed data.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data communication comprises electronic mail.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data communication is selected from a group of data consisting of:

video, audio, audio/video text, or images.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the data communication over the second wireless computing network when a determination is made that the traffic over the second wireless computing network is lower than the first wireless computing network, else transmitting the data communication via the first wireless computing network.

18. A method for communicating data over a wireless computing network, comprising:

receiving, at a second device, generated data originating from a first device in response to the first device detecting that traffic over a second wireless computing network associated with the second device is lower than traffic over a first wireless computing network, the second device being a wireless device associated with the first device;

determining whether the second device is connected to the second wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second device is connected to the second wireless computing network, transmitting the data;

if it is determined the second device is not connected to the second wireless computing network, storing the data and repeating the determining whether the second device is connected to the second wireless computing network until the data is transmitted;

determining whether an update message is received from the first device; and

inhibiting the second device from transmitting the data communication to the server via the second wireless network when a determination is made that an update message is received.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting the data to a server via the second wireless computing network.