Network communication

• US 20020133598A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Strahm, Frederick William, Saint-Hilaire, Ylian
• Application Number:
  US09/811,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133598A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Mobile devices are networked to servers using connections. The connections are monitored to select one or more connections as the active connection. Information from applications is aggregated and transmitted across the active connection in order to network the mobile devices to the servers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a device, opening a first connection to a server;

establishing an information exchange protocol for communicating on the first connection;

at a device, opening a second connection to the server;

selecting an active connection from connections including the second connection; and

communicating information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating information configured for the information exchange protocol using the first connection as the active connection prior to selecting the second connection as the active connection.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the second connection is opened prior to establishing the information exchange protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.

5. The method of claim 1 in which two or more of the connections are selected as the active connection.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the second connection includes a wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 1 or 6 further comprising

onitoring the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity;

and

reselecting the active connection to optimize the parameter.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the information is communicated in packets that include aggregated information for more than one application.

9. The method of claim 1, 4, or 6 in which the information includes a command that is effected by a module on the server.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the information comprises an aggregation of information from applications, the extent of aggregation for each application being dependent on an indicator of priority for information exchange associated with each application.

11. The method of claim 9 in which the command causes the server to contact a remote system, receive a reply from the remote system, and effect a response without transmitting the reply to the device.

13. The method of claim 12 in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.

14. The method of claim 12 in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different applications on the device.

15. The method of claim 12 in which the information includes a command for a module.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising effecting the command.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the module effects the command by contacting a remote server, receiving a reply from the remote server and effecting a response without transmitting the reply to the device.

18. The method of claim 12, 13, or 17 in which the information is an aggregation of information for applications, the extent of aggregation for each application being dependent on an indicator of priority for information exchange associated with each application.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the processor is further configured to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity;

and

reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different local applications.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the information includes commands that are effected by a module on the server.

24. The article of claim 23 in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.

25. The article of claim 23 in which the instructions further cause the machine to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity;

and

reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.

26. The article of claim 23 in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different local applications.

27. The article of claim 23 in which the information includes commands that are effected by a module on the server.

29. The system of claim 28 in which at least one of the communication links includes a wireless communication link.

30. The system of claim 28 or 29 in which the device is further configured to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity;

and

reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.

12. A method comprising:

at a server, accepting connections from a device for communicating information configured by an information exchange protocol;

detecting or selecting one or more of the connections of as an active connection; and

communicating information configured by the information exchange protocol using the active connection.

19. An apparatus comprising a processor and software configured to cause the processor to:

open a first connection to a server;

establish an information exchange protocol;

open a second connection to a server;

select an active connection from connections including the second connection; and

communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.

23. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a machine to:

open a first connection to a server;

establish an information exchange protocol;

open a second connection to a server;

select an active connection from the connections; and

communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.

28. A system comprising:

a device, a server, and communication links, in which the device is configured to;

open a first connection to the server using one of the communication links;

establish an information exchange protocol;

open a second connection to the server using another of the communication links;

select an active connection from connections including the second connection;

communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.