Federated multiprotocol communication

• US 20050195842A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eric M. Dowling
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric Morgan
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• 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

Methods, apparatus, and business techniques are disclosed for use in distributed communication systems comprising a plurality of communication protocols. In one embodiment a first air interface is used to initiate communication between a wireless client and a remote server at least partially using a first wireless access point. The server sends the wireless client a stub of a distributed object. The stub is used to instantiate an object class. The object class defines an interface that the remote client can use to communicate with the remote server using an upper layer interface. The distributed object stub also provides an implementation of a software radio configuration for a set of lower protocol layers in a second air interface. The wireless client can thereby communicate with a second wireless access point using said second air interface protocol. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are disclosed that focus on toll-tag and electronic-commerce related highway systems, distributed federated wireless access systems, and wide area wireless system capacity augmentation.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. For use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, wherein a mobile unit communicates via a packet switched data network at a transport layer or above with a remote server system, a method comprising:

receiving at the remote server system a first indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of the wireless local area network;

maintaining a record indicative of an identity of one or more software modules currently resident in the mobile unit;

sending from the remote server system one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit and that need to be loaded into the mobile unit in order to implement a communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network; and

sending from the remote server system a second indication to switch from a first connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to a second connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the packet switched data network is the Internet.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the Internet is a member of the group consisting of the ubiquitous global Internet, a corporate intranet, an intranet, a virtual private network, and a virtual private network that is embedded within another network.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein a wireless local area network air interface protocol lower software located in a protocol stack in the mobile unit includes at least one of the one or more executable software modules sent from the remote server system so the mobile unit can thereby perform a switching operation, at least in part, by switching at least one portion of a lower layer of the protocol stack from a cellular network air interface protocol software to the wireless local area network air interface protocol software, and a client side application program resident in the mobile unit interacts with the protocol stack at an interface point above the lower layer of the protocol stack, so that the switching is transparent to the client side application program.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the remote server system manages the switching so that it is performed in a seamless manner, to thereby maintain continuity of a single voice telephony call across the first connection, using a circuit switched cellular telephony protocol, and the second connection, using a voice-over-Internet telephony protocol.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the remote server system manages the switching so that it is performed in a seamless manner to thereby maintain continuity of a single voice telephony call across the first connection, using a packet switched telephony protocol, and the second connection, using a voice-over-Internet telephony protocol.

27. For use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, wherein a mobile unit communicates via a packet switched data network at a transport layer or above with a remote server system, and the remote server system is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with roaming between different types of networks, a method comprising:

receiving at the remote server system a first indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of the wireless local area network;

receiving at the remote server system information indicative of an identity of one or more software modules currently resident in the mobile unit and determining therefrom that one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit need to be loaded into the mobile unit in order to implement a communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network, to thereby render the mobile unit at least more fully compatible with the wireless local area network;

sending from the remote server system the one or more executable software modules; and

sending from the remote server system a second indication to switch from a first connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to a second connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the packet switched data network is the Internet.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the Internet is a member of the group consisting of the ubiquitous global Internet, a corporate intranet, an intranet, a virtual private network, and a virtual private network that is embedded within another network.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the first indication that the mobile unit is in the coverage area of the local area network includes an identification of a set of GPS coordinates indicative of the current location of the mobile unit.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the second indication that the mobile unit is in the coverage area of the local area network includes an indication that the mobile unit and the wireless local area network have made radio contact.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the remote server system manages the switching so that it is performed in a seamless manner, to thereby maintain continuity of a single voice telephony call across the first connection, using a circuit switched cellular telephony protocol, and the second connection, using a voice-over-Internet telephony protocol.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the remote server system manages the switching so that it is performed in a seamless manner, to thereby maintain continuity of a single voice telephony call across the first connection, using a packet switched telephony protocol, and the second connection, using a voice-over-Internet telephony protocol.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the cellular network and the wireless local area network are operated by different service providers.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the remote server system manages revenue sharing between the different service providers.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein a wireless local area network air interface protocol lower software located in a protocol stack in the mobile unit includes at least one of the one or more executable software modules sent from the remote server system so the mobile unit can thereby perform a switching operation, at least in part, by switching at least one portion of a lower layer of the protocol stack from a cellular network air interface protocol software to the wireless local area network air interface protocol software, and a client side application program resident in the mobile unit interacts with the protocol stack at an interface point above the lower layer of the protocol stack, so that the switching is transparent to the client side application program.

37. For use in a system comprising a mobile unit, a cellular network, a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, and a remote server system, wherein the remote server system is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with roaming between different types of networks, and for use when the remote server system determines that the mobile unit is not fully compatible with the wireless local area network, a method comprising:

the remote server system receiving a first indication that the mobile unit has roamed into a coverage area of the wireless local area network via a packet switched data network, at a transport layer or above, from at least one of the mobile unit, the cellular network, and the wireless local area network; and

sending from the remote server system one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit and that need to be loaded into the mobile unit in order to implement a communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network so that the mobile unit can receive the one or more executable software modules and use them to reconfigure its software and thereby complete the roam operation to the wireless local area network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the packet switched data network is the Internet.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the Internet is a member of the group consisting of the ubiquitous global Internet, a corporate intranet, an intranet, a virtual private network, and a virtual private network that is embedded within another network.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

sending from the remote server system a second indication to switch from a first connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to a second connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the packet switched data network is the Internet.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the Internet is a member of the group consisting of the ubiquitous global Internet, a corporate intranet, an intranet, a virtual private network, and a virtual private network that is embedded within another network.

41. For use in a system comprising a mobile unit, a cellular network, a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, and a remote server system, wherein the remote server system is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with roaming between different types of networks, a method comprising:

the remote server system receiving an indication that the mobile unit has roamed into a coverage area of the wireless local area network via a packet switched data network, at a transport layer or above, from at least one of the mobile unit, the cellular network, and the wireless local area network;

accessing a database including a resource description of software resources resident in the mobile unit, to identify executable software resources that are not already resident in the mobile unit to be used by the mobile unit while communicating with the wireless local area network; and

sending from the remote server system the executable software resources in order to implement a communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network so that the mobile unit can use the executable software resources to reconfigure its software and thereby complete the roam operation to the wireless local area network.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the resource description is coded using in a language based upon a resource description framework (RDF).