Method and System for Communicating Message Notifications to Mobile Devices

• US 20080263170A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchronica PLC (Myriad Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Synchronica PLC (Myriad Group AG)
• Inventors: Caron, Alain, Regnier, Jean, Thorkelsson, Haraldur, Legault, Sylvain, Hunkeler, Teresa, Trepanier, Felix-Etienne
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

There is disclosed a system and method for choosing between different Communication Initiation Request (CIR) channels in a mobile communications system when there are multiple CIR channels amongst which to choose. Additionally, there is disclosed a system and method for exploiting a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection usage pattern that is characterized by periods of inactivity.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a CIR message from a server to a mobile client, the client supporting a plurality of CIR channels, the method comprising:

a CIR message transmission step during which a first of the plurality of CIR channels is selected, and an attempt is made to transmit the CIR message via said first selected CIR channel,

wherein if the CIR message cannot be transmitted by said first selected CIR channel, the channel selecting and transmission attempting are repeated using a second one of the plurality of CIR channels.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a client-server negotiation step during which notice is received from the client of the plurality of CIR channels supported by the client.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said notice receiving step further includes receiving notice from the client of an order in which said plurality of CIR channels are to be selected.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein if the CIR message cannot be transmitted by said second selected CIR channel, the channel selecting and transmission attempting are sequentially repeated for the remaining plurality of CIR channels until whichever of the following occurs first:

successful transmission of the CIR message, channel transmission attempts have been made for all said plurality of CIR channels.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of CIR channels are selected from the group consisting of a TCP CIR channel, UDP CIR channel, HTTP CIR channel, SMS CIR channel, WAP push over SMS as bearer CIR channel, and WAP push over UDP/IP as CIR bearer channel.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of CIR channels includes a TCP CIR channel and wherein the TCP CIR channel is a preferred selected CIR channel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first selected CIR channel is first in an order list, and said second selected CIR channel is second in said order list.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said order list specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis the client.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the client runs on a mobile end system having at least one computer readable medium, said order list stored on a computer readable medium of said mobile end system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said order list specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis said server.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said order list is stored on a computer readable medium remote from a mobile end system upon which the client runs.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein a weighting algorithm is applied to generate said order list, said weighting algorithm taking into account both a client order list that specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis the client, and a server order list that specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis said server.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving notice from the client of the plurality of CIR channels supported by the client, the notice-receiving step carried out during a login procedure between said server and the client.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first selected CIR channel is a TCP CIR channel and said second selected CIR channel is an SMS CIR channel.

15. An article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable medium storing computer code for carrying out the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. In a mobile communications system, a ground end system upon which a server runs, the server in communication with at least one mobile client that supports a plurality of CIR channels, the server comprising:

computer code for generating a CIR message;

computer code for selecting a first of the plurality of CIR channels;

computer code for attempting to transmit the CIR message via said first selected CIR channel; and

computer code for repeating execution of said selecting code and said transmission attempt code, but for a second one of the plurality of CIR channels, said repeated execution code employed if said CIR message cannot be transmitted by said first selected CIR channel.

17. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 further comprising computer code for carrying out client-server negotiation during which notice is received from the client of the plurality of CIR channels supported by the client.

18. The ground end system as claimed in claim 17 wherein said computer code for carrying out client-server negotiation includes computer code for providing the client with a CIR poll URL.

19. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 wherein when said repeating execution code is employed, said selecting code and said transmission attempt code are repeatedly executed so that remaining channels of the plurality of CIR channels are sequentially selected, and repeated execution continuing until whichever of the following occurs first:

successful transmission of the CIR message, channel transmission attempts have been made for all said plurality of CIR channels.

20. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said server is adapted to receive notice from the client of an order in which said plurality of CIR channels are to be selected.

21. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the plurality of CIR channels are selected from the group consisting of a TCP CIR channel, UDP CIR channel, HTTP CIR channel, SMS CIR channel, WAP push over SMS as bearer CIR channel, and WAP push over UDP/IP as CIR bearer channel.

22. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the plurality of CIR channels includes a TCP CIR channel and wherein said server identifies the TCP CIR channel as a preferred CIR channel for selection.

23. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first selected CIR channel is first in an order list stored on a computer readable medium of the ground end system, and said second selected CIR channel is second in said order list.

24. The ground end system as claimed in claim 23 further comprising computer code for dynamically changing said order list upon detection that a prerequisite for use of one of said plurality of CIR channels is lacking.

25. The ground end system as claimed in claim 23 wherein said order list specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis the server.

26. The ground end system as claimed in claim 23 further comprising computer code for applying a weighting algorithm to generate another order list, said weighting algorithm taking into account a client order list, adapted to be received at said server, that specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis the client, and also taking into account said order list stored on said sever that specifies most preferred to least preferred CIR channels vis-à

-vis said server.

27. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first selected CIR channel is a TCP CIR channel and said second selected CIR channel is an SMS CIR channel.

28. The ground end system as claimed in claim 16 further comprising computer code for detecting a condition to trigger generation of said CIR message.

29. The ground end system as claimed in claim 28 wherein said server further comprises computer code for establishing a data channel for the exchange of Client-Server Protocol primitives between the client and the server, said condition comprising a selected one of the following:

said data channel having not been established, halting of event communication in said data channel.

30. A method for establishing and maintaining a TCP connection for the transmission of messages between a server and client, the method comprising the steps of:

providing, in the server, a conventional server of TCP connections (CCS) and a slow server of TCP connections (SCS);

receiving a connection request at the server, from the client;

establishing a TCP connection between the client and said CCS; and

transferring said established connection to said SCS in the server, wherein said SCS receives the messages.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising the step of storing, within said server, first and second lists of TCP connections, said first list listing those TCP connections handled by said SCS, said second list listing those TCP connections handled by said CCS.

32. The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein said established connection is a CIR TCP/IP connection.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32 further comprising the step of obtaining, prior to the receiving step, an order list from the client of supported CIR channels, said order list indicating that a TCP CIR channel is a supported and preferred CIR channel.

34. The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein said establishment step comprises assigning a port address to the client and transmitting said port address to the client and said transferring step comprises providing said port address to said SCS.

35. The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the messages include PING messages transmitted from client to server and further wherein when said SCS receives a PING message within a predetermined time period, transfer connection to CCS and said CCS responds by transmitting an OK message to the client.

36. The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the messages include CIR messages transmitted from said server to the client.

37. The method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising the step of receiving, after the establishing step, a HELO message from the client, said HELO message having a parameter identifying a session ID.

38. The method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising the step of identifying, after the establishing step, that the client has closed said established connection because an application running on the client has been closed.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38 further comprising the step of transmitting, after the identifying step, a CIR message over a selected one of a Standalone SMS CIR channel, and a WAP push over SMS CIR.

40. The method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising the step of retransferring, after the step of transferring said established connection to said SCS, said established connection back to said CCS in the server, in response to identifying that a message needs to be transferred to the client.

41. The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the transferring step occurs only after expiration of a predetermined inactivity period.

42. An article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable medium storing computer code that can be utilized to satisfy the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 30 to 41.

43. In a mobile communications system, a ground end system upon which a server runs, the server in communication with at least one mobile client, the server comprising:

a conventional server of TCP connections (CCS);

a slow server of TCP connections (SCS);

computer code for receiving and processing a connection request from the mobile client at the server;

computer code for establishing a TCP connection between the mobile client and said CCS; and

computer code for reassigning said established connection from said CCS to said SCS, said SCS for receiving messages from the mobile client when said SCS is handling said established connection.

44. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 further comprising computer code for storing, within said server, first and second lists of TCP connections, said first list listing those TCP connections handled by said SCS, said second list listing those TCP connections handled by said CCS.

45. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 wherein said established connection is a CIR TCP/IP connection.

46. The ground end system as claimed in claim 45 further comprising computer code for obtaining an order list from the client of supported CIR channels.

47. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 wherein said establishing code includes computer code for assigning a port address to the client and computer code for transmitting said port address to the client, and said reassigning code includes computer code for providing said port address to said SCS.

48. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 wherein the messages include PING messages transmitted from client to server and further wherein when said SCS receives a PING message within a predetermined time period, said SCS responds by transmitting an OK message to the client.

49. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 wherein said messages include CIR messages transmitted from said server to the client.

50. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 further comprising computer code for processing a HELO message from the client, said HELO message having a parameter identifying a session ID.

51. The ground end system as claimed in claim 43 further comprising computer code for identifying that the client has closed said established connection because an application running on the client has been closed.

52. The ground end system as claimed in claim 51 further comprising computer code for transmitting a CIR message over a selected one of a Standalone SMS CIR channel, and a WAP push over SMS CIR, and wherein said CIR message is transmitted if said identifying code identifies that the client has closed said established connection.

53. A method for establishing and maintaining a TCP connection for the transmission of messages between a server and client, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a conventional connection server and a slow connection server in the server;

receiving a connection request at the server, from the client;

establishing a connection between the client and said conventional connection server;

on expiration of a predetermined inactivity period, reassigning said established connection to said slow connection server;

on reception of a message transferred from the client;

if said established connection has been assigned to said slow connection server, first reassigning said established connection back to said conventional connection server; and

receiving said message at said conventional connection server from the client; and

on reception of a message for transfer to the client;

if said established connection has been assigned to said slow connection server, first reassigning said established connection back to said conventional connection server; and

transmitting the message from said conventional connection server to the client.