Method and system for aggregating communications

• US 8,924,486 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semtech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Daskalopoulos, Vasilios Vasilios, Vos, Gustav Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, LAN DAI T
• Application Number:
  US12/370,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

The present invention provides for method, system, and apparatus for facilitating communication between a first set of networked devices, such as client devices, and a second networked device, such as a server. A query message is transmitted from a representative device of the first set of networked devices, to the second networked device. The representative device may be selected in several ways. A response message may be transmitted from the second networked device, the message comprising an indication of devices from the first set of networked devices for which communications are pending. The response message is processed and devices identified in the response message are notified.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating communication between a first set of two or more networked devices and a second networked device, the system comprising:

a representative device configured to transmit a query message via a network to the second networked device, the representative device being an electronic wireless communication device belonging to the first set of two or more networked devices, wherein the query message is transmitted on behalf of plural members of the first set of two or more networked devices, and wherein the query message facilitates providing communication paths from the second networked device to the plural members;

wherein the second networked device is configured, in response to the query message, to transmit a response message addressed to the representative device, the response message comprising an indication of a subset of the plural members for which one or more communications are pending;

wherein an electronic device of the system is configured to process the response message to identify one or more of the networked devices belonging to the subset and send a notification to each identified networked device belonging to the subset;

wherein a specific identified networked device of the first set of two or more networked devices is configured, upon receiving the notification, to transmit a message retrieval request to the second networked device; and

wherein, upon receiving the message retrieval request, the second networked device is configured to transmit a corresponding pending message to the specific identified networked device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is an intermediate device communicatively coupled to the first set of two or more networked devices, wherein the intermediate device is configured to intercept the response message or receive the response message forwarded from the representative device to the intermediate device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is the representative device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the query message explicitly defines a further subset of the first set of networked devices, wherein said subset of the first set of two or more networked devices for which one or more communications are pending is restricted to be within said further subset.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the query message defines a maximum number of indications of messages pending for other members of the first set of two or more networked devices for inclusion in the response message, and wherein the response message is restricted to include less than or equal to said maximum number of indications.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by one or more computers to carry out operations for facilitating communication between a first set of two or more networked devices and a second networked device, the operations comprising:

a) transmitting a query message from a representative device to the second networked device, the representative device belonging to the first set of two or more networked devices, wherein the query message is transmitted on behalf of plural members of the first set of two or more networked devices, and wherein the query message facilitates providing communication paths from the second networked device to the plural members; and

b) in response to the query message, transmitting a response message from the second networked device, the response message addressed to the representative device, the response message comprising an indication of a subset of the plural members for which one or more communications are pending;

c) processing the response message to identify one or more of the networked devices belonging to the subset; and

d) sending a notification to each identified networked device belonging to the subset;

e) upon receiving the notification by a specific identified networked device, transmitting a message retrieval request from the specific identified networked device to the second networked device; and

f) upon receiving the message retrieval request at the second networked device, transmitting a corresponding pending message from the second networked device to the specific identified networked device.

7. A method for facilitating communication between a first set of two or more networked devices and a second networked device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a query message from a representative device to the second networked device, the representative device belonging to the first set of two or more networked devices, wherein the query message is transmitted on behalf of plural members of the first set of two or more networked devices, and wherein the query message facilitates providing communication paths from the second networked device to the plural members;

b) in response to the query message, transmitting a response message from the second networked device, the response message addressed to the representative device, the response message comprising an indication of a subset of the plural members for which one or more communications are pending;

c) processing the response message to identify one or more of the networked devices belonging to the subset;

d) sending a notification to each identified networked device belonging to the subset;

e) upon receiving the notification by a specific identified networked device, transmitting a message retrieval request from the specific identified networked device to the second networked device; and

f) upon receiving the message retrieval request at the second networked device, transmitting a corresponding pending message from the second networked device to the specific identified networked device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

selecting the representative device from the first set of two or more networked devices, wherein selecting is performed based on predetermined criteria.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the response message is received and processed at the representative device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the representative device sends the notification to each networked device in the subset of the first set of two or more networked devices.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the query message explicitly defines a further subset of the first set of networked devices, wherein said subset of the first set of two or more networked devices for which one or more communications are pending is restricted to be within said further subset.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the query message defines a maximum number of indications of messages pending for other members of the first set of two or more networked devices for inclusion in the response message, and wherein the response message is restricted to include less than or equal to said maximum number of indications.