Electronic message exchange over multiple wireless communication networks with a single device

• US 8,798,637 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Zhao, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US13/590,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20120315946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.2, 455/428, 4554321-453, 4554561-457, 370328-334
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• 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

Electronic messages such as pages are exchanged between a user device and a message service using one of multiple wireless communication networks. The wireless communication networks may include mobile and/or fixed wireless networks. The user device registers with the message service through at least one of the wireless communications networks. The user device may register through multiple wireless communication devices when available. The user device sends messages through the wireless network through which registration has been established and may apply rules to choose when registration has occurred via multiple wireless networks.

Claims

1. A presence server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a mobile wireless network and a fixed wireless network, a registration request from a mobile device;

storing the registration request and an identifier of the mobile device in a registration table associated with the wireless network;

transmitting a registration confirmation to the mobile device via the wireless network and the fixed wireless network to indicate successful registrations;

periodically transmitting to the mobile device a request for a heartbeat signal;

receiving the heartbeat signal from the mobile device, wherein the heartbeat signal is received via transmission over each of the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network associated with the successful registrations and wherein the heartbeat signal comprises a first measured performance criteria between the mobile device and the mobile wireless network and a second measured performance criteria between the mobile device and the fixed wireless network, wherein the first measured performance criteria comprises an available bandwidth associated with the mobile wireless network and the second measured performance criteria comprises an available bandwidth associated with the fixed wireless network, the available bandwidth associated with the mobile wireless network and the available bandwidth associated with the fixed wireless network determined by the mobile device based on a time to upload a previous heartbeat.

2. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise listening for additional registration messages from the mobile device.

3. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a mobile identification number.

4. The presence server of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining a separate registration table for each mobile identification number.

5. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the identifier is an internet protocol address.

6. The presence server of claim 5, wherein the internet protocol address is received from an access point coupling the mobile device to the fixed wireless network.

7. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining that a registered connection with the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network is active upon receiving the heartbeat signal within a determined period.

8. The presence server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise determining that a registered connection with the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network is inactive upon not receiving the heartbeat signal within a determined period.

9. The presence server of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise removing the registration request from the registration table.

10. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining an optimal wireless network from the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network to use for message delivery based upon the first measured performance criteria and the second measure performance criteria.

11. The presence server of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a determination of the optimal wireless network to the mobile device.

12. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from a message delivery server, a determination of an optimal wireless network from the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network to use for message delivery, the determination being made based upon the first measured performance criteria and the second measured performance criteria.

13. The presence server of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the determination of the optimal wireless network to the mobile device.

14. The presence server of claim 1, wherein the first measured performance criteria further comprise a signal strength of the mobile wireless network.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server comprising a processor, a registration request from a mobile device via a mobile wireless network and a fixed wireless network;

transmitting, by the processor, a registration confirmation to the mobile device via the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network;

periodically transmitting, by the processor, a request for a heartbeat signal to the mobile device;

receiving, by the processor, the heartbeat signal from the mobile device, wherein the heartbeat signal being transmitted over each of the mobile wireless network and the fixed wireless network associated with the successful registration and wherein the heartbeat signal comprises a first measured performance criteria between the mobile device and the mobile wireless network and a second measured performance criteria between the mobile device and the fixed wireless network, wherein the first performance criteria comprises an available bandwidth associated with the mobile wireless network and the second measured performance criteria comprises an available bandwidth associated with the fixed wireless network, the available bandwidth associated with the mobile wireless network and the available bandwidth associated with the fixed wireless network determined by the mobile device based on a time to upload a previous heartbeat; and

determining, by the processor, an optimal wireless network to use for message delivery based upon the measured performance criteria.

16. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

periodically transmitting to a mobile device a request for heartbeat signal via a mobile wireless network and a fixed wireless network associated with a successful registration;

receiving the heartbeat signal from the mobile device, the heartbeat signal comprising a first measured performance criteria between the mobile device and the mobile wireless network and a second measured performance criteria between the mobile device and the fixed wireless network associated with the successful registration,

wherein the first measured performance criteria comprise an available bandwidth associated with the mobile wireless network and the second measured performance criteria comprise an available bandwidth associated with the fixed wireless network, the available bandwidth associated with the mobile wireless network and the available bandwidth associated with the fixed wireless network determined by the mobile device based on a time to upload a previous heartbeat;

receiving, from a message delivery server, a determination of an optimal wireless network to use for message delivery, the determination being made based upon the measured performance criteria; and

transmitting the determination of the optimal wireless network to the mobile device.