Method and apparatus for providing mobile and other intermittent connectivity in a computing environment

• US 20070038759A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Holdings, Inc. (NetMotion Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Olson, Erik, Sturniolo, Emil, Savarese, Joseph, Menn, Anatoly, Hanson, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/00 Network data management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 : Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 : Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A seamless solution transparently addresses the characteristics of nomadic systems, and enables existing network applications to run reliably in mobile environments. A Mobility Management Server coupled to the mobile network maintains the state of each of any number of Mobile End Systems and handles the complex session management required to maintain persistent connections to the network and to other peer processes. If a Mobile End System becomes unreachable, suspends, or changes network address (e.g., due to roaming from one network interconnect to another), the Mobility Management Server maintains the connection to the associated peer task—allowing the Mobile End System to maintain a continuous connection even though it may temporarily lose contact with its network medium. An interface-based listener uses network point of attachment information supplied by a network interface to determine roaming conditions and to efficiently reestablish connection upon roaming. The Mobility Management Server can distribute lists to Mobile End Systems specifying how to contact it over disjoint networks.

Claims

1. A mobile computing network including at least one mobile computing device coupled to the network via a network point of attachment, including a policy-management arrangement that applies policy management rules based on various metrics including mobile computing device location.

2. A network as in claim 1 further comprising a distributed processing arrangement that distributes processing of attributes of the rules at the mobile computing device and/or the mobility management server.

3. A network as in claim 1 further comprising a priority arrangement that prioritizes the rules by position in the entry in such table and/or explicit notation by an ordinal ensuring the expected behavior.

4. A network as in claim 1 further comprising a datastore for the rule attributes that is locally or centrally administered via central management services

5. A network as in claim 1 further comprising an arrangement that modifies behavior of a particular application(s) based on a number of metrics including cost of service, network point of attachment, and trust relationship.

6. A network as in claim 1 wherein the effect of the behavior modification is to allow, deny or delay a request based on attributes of the rules.

7. A network as in claim 1 further comprising an arrangement that invokes a rule or set of rules to modify the application(s) processes even if the application is already started.

8. A network as in claim 1 further comprising point of presence information (location) that is further used to govern application behavior or provide relevant information to the mobile computing device.

9. A network as in claim 1 further comprising an arrangement that uses rate of motion along with distance measurements to alter behavior of applications and/or the communication path.

10. A network as in claim 1 further comprising an arrangement that extracts topological information as result of the location information.