Connection architecture for a mobile network

• US 20030157947A1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Raj, Binu, Boynton, Lee R., Duncan, Fred J., Burke, Scott M., Benitez, Juan, Gustafson, Brian D., Fiatal, Trevor A., Alvarado, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 : managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A real-time communication architecture establishes a continuous connection between an enterprise network and a communication management system. The connection is continuously held open allowing mobile devices real-time access to enterprise email systems. The real-time communication architecture can support an entire enterprise email system or individual email users. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data between a mobile device and a local network, comprising:

initiating a primary connection from the local network to a management system;

establishing a mobile connection from the mobile device to the management system;

sending transactions between the mobile device and the local network over the primary connection and the mobile connection;

maintaining the primary connection between the local network and the management system after the mobile connection is terminated; and

establishing a new mobile connection between the mobile device and the management system and sending transactions between the mobile device and the local network over the new mobile connection and the previously established primary connection.

2. A method according to claim 1 including using a TCP/IP connection for the primary connection.

3. A method according to claim 1 including automatically establishing the primary connection whenever a personal client in the local network is in operation and maintaining the primary connection independently of any mobile connections established or terminated by the mobile device.

4. A method according to claim 1 including:

sending a file query, email query, or other data query from the mobile device to the local network over the mobile connection and the primary connection;

generating a file list or response at the local network according to the query;

sending the file list or response back to the mobile device over the primary connection and the mobile connection; and

displaying the file list or response on the mobile device.

5. A method according to claim 4 including:

selecting a file name, email, or other data item from the file list or response displayed on the mobile device;

attaching a file or data identifier to an email message identifying the selected file or data item;

sending the email message from the mobile device to the local network; and

attaching a file or other data item associated with the file or data identifier to the email and sending out the email over an IP network.

6. A method according to claim 1 including:

storing a version of data in the local network on the mobile device;

sending a synchronization request from the mobile device to the local network over the mobile connection and the primary connection requesting a latest version of the data; and

sending a latest version of the data back to the mobile device over the primary connection and the mobile connection according to the synchronization request.

7. A method according to claim 6 including:

terminating the mobile connection between the mobile device and the management system;

monitoring the local network for new data associated with a mobile device user;

sending a synchronization trigger over the primary connection from the local network to the management system when the new data is detected;

forwarding the synchronization trigger from the management system to the mobile device; and

automatically reestablishing the mobile connection between the mobile device and the management system when the synchronization trigger is received by the mobile device; and

sending a synchronization request from the mobile device over the reestablished mobile connection and the primary connection to the local network.

8. A method according to claim 7 including using a Short Message Service (SMS) for forwarding the synchronization trigger to the mobile device.

9. A method according to claim 7 including using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Push or other equivalent notification protocol for forwarding the synchronization trigger to the mobile device.

10. A method according to claim 1 including:

storing filters in the local network that identify specific messages;

sending a message identifier to the management system when the local network receives one of the identified messages;

using a Short Message Service or other notification protocol to relay the message identifier to the mobile device.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the filters identifies messages with high priority.

12. A method according to claim 1 including:

sending a first query transaction from the mobile device to the local network for a file list;

sending a first partial file list to the mobile device;

storing the first partial file list in the mobile device;

sending a second query transaction from the mobile device to the local network requesting a different portion of the file list;

sending a second partial file list to the mobile device; and

replacing the first partial file list in the mobile device with the second partial file list.

13. A method according to claim 1 including:

identifying an amount of charge in a mobile device battery; and

automatically synchronizing the mobile device with the local network at different time intervals according to the amount of charge in the battery.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a computer operating a local client that conducts transactions with a mobile device through a management server, the local client establishing a connection with the management server for conducting the transactions and maintaining the connection independently of connectivity status between the mobile device and the management server.

15. A computer system according to claim 14 wherein the personal client receives a view transaction from the mobile device over the connection, the personal client accessing a user directory and sending a list of data items contained in the user directory back over the connection to the mobile device responsive to the view transaction.

16. A computer system according to claim 14 wherein the personal client receives a send transaction from the mobile device over the connection, the personal client accessing the local network and creating a new message according to the send transaction.

17. A computer system according to claim 14 wherein the personal client receives an update transaction from the mobile device over the connection, the personal client accessing a user directory and modifying the identified data item according to the update transaction.

18. A computer system according to claim 14 wherein the personal client sends a first list to the mobile device identifying a first portion of the user directory to the mobile device and sends a second list to the mobile device identifying a second portion of the user directory when another view transaction is received from the mobile device.

19. A computer system according to claim 18 wherein the user directory contains, user document files, user emails, subdirectories, or other data items.

20. A computer system according to claim 15 wherein the personal client receives an email transaction from the mobile device containing an email message and identifying at least one of the data items from the list previously sent to the mobile device, the personal client attaching the identified data item from the user directory to the email message and transmitting the email message to an email address contained in the email message.

21. The computer system according to claim 14 wherein the personal client contains filters that identify events, the personal client monitoring one or more user directories for the identified events and sending a trigger to the mobile device when the events are detected in the user directories, the trigger causing the mobile device to establish a mobile connection with the management server and initiate a synchronization transaction with the personal client.

22. The computer system according to claim 14 including an email server coupled to the computer through a network connection, the email server containing user directories accessed by the local client according to the transactions received from the mobile device.

23. A computer system according to claim 22 wherein the local client operates on a desktop computer, the email server, a separate server, or an embedded computing node.

24. A management system, comprising:

a management server that communicates over a primary connection initiated from a local client in an enterprise network and communicates over a mobile connection initiated from a mobile device over a mobile network, the management server routing transactions between the mobile device and the local client over the mobile and primary connections and maintaining the primary connection independently of the connectivity status of the mobile connection with the mobile device.

25. A management system according to claim 24 including a user database containing user configuration information for a user in the enterprise network, the management server receiving an authentication token or other identifier from the local client and establishing the primary connection when the authentication token or other identifier is verified with the user configuration information.

26. A management system according to claim 25 wherein the management server receives an authentication token or other identifier from the mobile device and establishes the mobile connection with the mobile device when the authentication token or other identifier is verified with the user configuration information.

27. A management system according to claim 24 wherein the management server receives a data list from the local client and sends out portions of the data list to the mobile device according to type of platform used by the mobile device and according to query requests received from the mobile device.

28. A management system according to claim 24 wherein the management server receives a trigger from the local client and uses a Short Message Service to notify the mobile device of the trigger.

29. A management system according to claim 24 including receiving a high priority message from the local client and sending the priority message to the mobile device using a Short Message Service (SMS) or other notification protocol.

30. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor configured to exchange file access transactions with a local client through a mobile network and an Internet Protocol (IP) connection, the IP connection remaining open when the processor is not actively connected to the mobile network.

31. A mobile device according to claim 30 including memory for storing data received from the local client, the processor sending a synchronization transaction to the local client that enables the local client to send updates to the stored data.

32. A mobile device according to claim 31 wherein the processor automatically connects to the mobile network and sends the synchronization transaction when a Short Message Service message is received.

33. A mobile device according to claim 31 including a battery, the processor sending out the synchronization transaction at different time intervals according to an amount of charge remaining in the battery.

34. A mobile device according to claim 30 wherein the processor receives a first file list from the local client identifying a portion of local files, the processor sending a transaction causing the local client to second a second file list identifying another portion of the local files.

35. A mobile device according to claim 34 wherein the processor automatically stores the first file list in memory and then replaces the first file list in memory with the second file list.