Virtual connection of a remote unit to a server

• US 6,574,239 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aido Mobility LLC (Endpoint IP LLC), Communication Interface Technologies LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: East Texas Technology Partners, LP
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric Morgan, Anastasi, Mark Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US09/167,698
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/389, 370/468, 370/469, 709/203, 709/206, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method is provided for reconnecting a telephone modem with a reduced delay by reducing a time associated with retraining. A wireline communication connection is initialized by a telephone modem to train a set of parameters. The parameters are stored in a memory structure. The connection is used for communication, and is then terminated. At a later time, the connection is reestablished by accessing the parameters from memory and using them to reconnect the modem with a reduced set-up delay. Another method involves coupling to a first physical layer and establishing a session with a server, and then decoupling from the first physical layer while maintaining the session. Later, the session is resumed using a second physical layer. At least one of the physical layers involves a local interface unit that includes a landline connection to a WAN.

Claims

1. For use in controlling a virtual session, a method comprising:

establishing a virtual session with a remote entity, the virtual session being instantiated to support an application layer program;

placing the virtual session in an inactive state;

receiving an incoming call;

reading a set of caller identification information from said call;

checking the set of caller identification information to see if it identifies the application layer program; and

if the step of checking results in a match, activating the virtual session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual session is also established to support a second application program, the step of checking involves determining whether any of the application program or the second application are identified by the set of caller identification information, and if the step of checking results in a match, additionally selecting which of the application programs to launch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a second virtual session is also established to support a second application program, the step of checking involves determining whether any of the application program or the second application are identified by the set of caller identification information, and if the step of checking results in a match, additionally checking which of virtual sessions to activate and which the application programs to launch, and in the step of activating, activating the identified virtual session and application.

4. For use in controlling a virtual session, a method comprising:

establishing a virtual session with a remote entity, the virtual session being instantiated to support at least one application layer program;

placing the virtual session in an inactive state;

receiving a ring signal via a communication path;

reading a set of information that follows the ring signal;

checking the set of information to see if it identifies the application layer program; and

if the step of checking results in a match, activating the virtual session and coupling the at least one application to the remote entity thereby.

5. For use in controlling a virtual session, a method comprising:

establishing a virtual session with a remote entity, the virtual session being instantiated to support at least one application layer program;

placing the virtual session in an inactive state;

receiving an incoming communication request;

reading a set of information associated with said incoming communication request;

checking the set of information to see if it identifies the application layer program; and

if the step of checking results in a match, activating the virtual session and coupling the at least one application to the remote entity thereby.

6. For use in controlling a virtual session on a server, a method comprising:

establishing a virtual session with a remote unit, the virtual session being instantiated to support at least one application layer program;

placing the virtual session in an inactive state;

dialing a telephone number corresponding to said remote unit to cause a ring signal followed by a set of application-program identifying caller identification data to be delivered to said remote unit; and

placing the virtual session back into the active state and transferring data between the application and the remote unit via the virtual session in response to said step of dialing.

7. For use in controlling a virtual session on a server, a method comprising:

establishing a virtual session with a remote unit, the virtual session being instantiated to support at least one application layer program;

placing the virtual session in an inactive state;

sending a signal indicative of an incoming communication request and an application-program identifying packet to said remote unit, said application-program identifying packet identifying an application program that needs to resume a virtual session and communicate with said remote unit; and

placing the virtual session back into the active state and transferring data between the application and the remote unit via the virtual session in response to said step of sending.

8. A method of pausing a modem connection and reconnecting a telephone modem to a far end modem with a reduced delay by reducing a time associated with line rate re-negotiation, the method comprising:

initializing a first communication connection with the far end modem over a wireline telephone communication channel using the telephone modem, the initializing being performed at least partially by performing a line rate negotiation sequence with the far end modem to derive a first set of modem parameters to be used to support communications over the wireline telephone communication channel;

storing the set of modem parameters in a memory;

communicating at a negotiated data rate via the first communication connection with the far end modem using at least one of the first set of modem parameters;

receiving a first indication associated with a request to temporarily suspend modem communications;

in response to the first indication, terminating the first communication connection;

receiving a second indication associated with a request to resume modem communications;

in response to the second indication, accessing from the memory a plurality of the first set of modem parameters and using the accessed modem parameters as modem starting parameters in a line rate re-negotiation sequence, and initializing a second communication connection to the far end modem over the wireline telephone communication channel using the telephone modem, the initializing of the second communication connection being performed at least partially by performing the line rate re-negotiation sequence to derive a re-negotiated set of modem parameters to be used to support communications over the second communication connection of the wireline telephone communication channel; and

communicating at a re-negotiated data rate via the second communication connection using at least one of the re-negotiated set of modem parameters;

wherein the accessed modem starting parameters are used to accelerate the derivation of the re-negotiated set of modem parameters with respect to the time required to derive the first set of modem parameters, and whereby a setup delay time associated with the initialization of the second communication connection is shorter than a setup delay time associated with the initialization of the first communication connection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.34 modem standard.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.90 modem standard.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the memory includes a table structure.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the modem parameters comprise adjustable echo cancellation coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through the wireline telephone communication channel.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the modem parameters comprise adjustable equalizer coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through the wireline telephone communication channel.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the modem parameters comprise adjustable signal constellation configuration parameters that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through the wireline telephone communication channel.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein:

a communication session is established in conjunction with the first communication connection;

the communication session is placed in an inactive state substantially in conjunction wit the termination of the first communication connection; and

,

the communication session is placed back into an active state substantially in conjunction with the initialization of the second communication connection.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication session supports a peer-to-peer Internet connection software layer above the physical layer, and the Internet session is between a client software layer co-located with the telephone modem and a server software layer co-located with the far end modem.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a user input to a graphical user interface of a computer program.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a user input to a work flow as presented by a graphical user interface of a computer program.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the second indication is generated in response to a user action.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the second indication is generated in response to a user input to a graphical user interface of a computer program.

21. The method of claim 8, wherein the second indication is generated in response to a user input to a work flow as presented by a graphical user interface of a computer program.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein first indication is generated in response to a first user action and the second indication is generated in response to a second user action.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first user action is associated with a call waiting signal and the second user action is associated with the user hanging up a voice telephone call.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first indication is generated in response to first user action indicating a desire to pause communication in order to free up the wireline telephone communication channel to be used for a voice telephone call, and the second indication is generated in response to a second user action indicative of the desire to resume modem communication with the far end modem.

25. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing a communication session between a first software layer coupled to the telephone modem and a second software layer coupled to the far end modem, wherein the communication session assumes an active state and supports communication between the first and second software layers via the first communication connection;

placing the communication session into an inactive state substantially in conjunction with the first indication; and

placing the communication session back into the active state substantially in conjunction with the initializing of the second communication connection, and using the communication session to support communication between the first and second software layers via the second communication connection.

26. The method of claim 25, herein the communication session involves an authentication parameter.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the communication session corresponds to a communication services logon session that involves an authentication parameter; and

,

the first software layer corresponds to client-side software and the second software layer corresponds to server-side software.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the communication session is placed into the inactive state in response to a first user action indicating a desire to pause communication in order to free up the wireline telephone communication channel to be used for a voice call.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the communication session is placed back into the active state in response to a second user action indicating a desire to resume the communication session with the software layer coupled to the far end modem.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the authentication parameter is associated with an Internet-related protocol above the physical layer to support client-server communications using the Internet.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the communication session is at least partially transacted in accordance with an Internet-related protocol above the physical layer in order to support client-server communications using the Internet.

32. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing an application session between a first application software layer coupled to the telephone modem and a second application software layer coupled to the far end modem, wherein the application session assumes an active state and supports communication between the first and second application software layers via the first communication connection;

placing the application session into an inactive state substantially in conjunction with the terminating; and

placing the application session back into the active state substantially in conjunction with the initializing the second communication connection, and using the application session to support communication between the first and second application software layers via the second communication connection.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the application session involves an authentication parameter.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the application session involves an authentication parameter corresponding to an application logon session conducted between a client and server across the Internet.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the communication session is placed into the inactive state in response to a user action indicating a desire to pause communication in order to free up the wireline telephone communication channel to be used for a voice call.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the communication session is placed back into the active state in response to a user action indicating a desire resume the communication session wit the software layer coupled to the far end modem.

37. The method of claim 8, wherein the telephone modem is an analog client modem and the far end modem is a digital ISP modem.

38. The method of claim 8, wherein the telephone modem is an analog client modem and the far end modem is a digital ISP modem, and both modems support the V.90 communication protocol.

39. The method of claim 8, wherein the far end modem is an analog client modem and the telephone modem is a digital ISP modem, and both modems support the V.90 communication protocol

40. The method of claim 8, wherein the re-negotiated data rate can be re-negotiated to be the same as the negotiated data rate.

41. A device, comprising;

a telephone modem that supports at least one of PCM pulse amplitude data transmission and reception, and includes a coupling for connecting to a telephone line;

a memory;

a computer-readable storage medium;

a software instantiated on the computer-readable storage medium, the software including;

a first function that causes a first communication connection with a far end modem to be initialized over a wireline telephone communication channel using the telephone modem, the initializing being performed at least partially by performing a line rate negotiation sequence with the far end modem to derive a first set of modem parameters to be used to support communications over the wireline telephone communication channel;

a second function that causes the set of modem parameters to be stored in the memory;

a third function that causes communication to proceed at a negotiated data rate via the first communication connection with the far end modem using at least one of the first set of modem parameters;

a fourth function, responsive to a first indication associated with a request to temporarily suspend modem communications, to causes the first communication connection to be terminated;

a fifth function, responsive to a second indication associated with a request to resume modem communications, to causes a plurality of the first set of modem parameters to be accessed from memory, the accessed modem parameters to be used as modem starting parameters in a line rate re-negotiation sequence, and a second communication connection to be initialized to the far end modem over the wireline telephone communication channel using the telephone modem, wherein the initializing of the second communication connection is performed at least partially by performing the line rate re-negotiation sequence to derive a re-negotiated set of modem parameters to be used to support communications over the second communication connection of the wireline telephone communication channel, wherein the plurality of the stored modem starting parameters are used to accelerate the derivation of the re-negotiated set of modem parameters with respect to the time required to derive the first set of modem parameters, and whereby a setup delay time associated with the initialization of the second communication connection is shorter than a setup delay time associated with the initialization of the first communication connection; and

a sixth function that causes communication to resume at a re-negotiated data rate via the second communication connection using at least one of the re-negotiated set of modem parameters.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.34 modem standard.

43. The device of claim 41, wherein the line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.90 modem standard.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein the memory includes a table structure.

45. The device of claim 41, wherein the modem parameters comprise adjustable echo cancellation coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through the wireline telephone communication channel.

46. The device of claim 41, wherein the modem parameters comprise adjustable equalizer coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through the wireline telephone communication channel.

47. The device of claim 41, wherein the modem parameters comprise adjustable signal constellation configuration parameters that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through the wireline telephone communication channel.

48. The device of claim 41, wherein:

a communication session is established in conjunction with the first communication connection;

the communication session is placed in an inactive state substantially in conjunction with the termination of the first communication connection; and

,

the communication session is placed back into an active state substantially in conjunction with the initialization of the second communication connection.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the communication session supports a peer-to-peer Internet connection software layer above the physical layer, and the Internet session is between a client software layer co-located with the telephone modem and a server software layer co-located with the far end modem.

50. The device of claim 41, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a user action.

51. The device of claim 41, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a user input to a graphical user interface of a computer program.

52. The device of claim 41, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a user input to a work flow as presented by a graphical user interface of a computer program.

53. The device of claim 41, wherein the second indication is generated in response to a user action.

54. The device of claim 41, wherein the second indication is generated in response to a user input to a interface of a computer program.

55. The device of claim 41, wherein the second indication is generated in response to a user input to a work flow as presented by a graphical user interface of a computer program.

56. The device of claim 41, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a first user action and the second indication is generated in response to a second user action.

57. The device of claim 56, wherein the first user action is associated with a call waiting signal and the second user action is associated with the user hanging up a voice telephone call.

58. The device of claim 56, wherein the first indication is generated in response to a first user action indicating a desire to pause communication in order to free up the wireline telephone communication channel to be used for a voice telephone call, and the second indication is generated in response to a second user action indicating a desire to resume modem communication with the far end modem.

59. The device of claim 41, further comprising:

a seventh function that causes a communication session to be established between a first software layer coupled to the telephone modem and a second software layer coupled to the far end modem, wherein the communication session assumes an active state and supports communication between the first and second software layers via the first communication connection;

a eighth function that causes the communication session to be placed into an inactive state substantially in conjunction wit the terminating; and

a ninth function that causes the communication session to be placed back into the active state substantially in conjunction with the initializing of the second communication connection, and using the communication session to support communication between the first and second software layers via the second communication connection.

60. The device of claim 59, wherein the communication session involves an authentication parameter.

61. The device of claim 59, wherein the communication session corresponds to a communication services logon session that involves an authentication parameter, the first software layer corresponds to client-side software and the second software layer corresponds to server-side software.

62. The device of claim 59, wherein the communication session is placed into the inactive state in response to a first user action indicating a desire to pause communication in order to free up the wireline telephone communication channel to be used for a voice call.

63. The device of claim 62, wherein the communication session is placed back into the active state in response to a second user action indicating a desire to resume the communication session with the software layer coupled to the far end modem.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the authentication parameter is associated with an Internet-related protocol above the physical layer to support client-server communications using the Internet.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the communication session is at least partially transacted in accordance with an Internet-related protocol above the physical layer in order to support client-server communications using the Internet.

66. The device of claim 41, further comprising:

an seventh function that causes an application session to be established between a first application software layer coupled to the telephone modem and a second application software layer coupled to the far end modem, wherein the application session assumes an active state and supports communication between the first and second application software layers via the first communication connection;

a eighth function that causes the application session to be placed into an inactive state substantially in conjunction with the terminating; and

a ninth function that causes the application session to be placed back into the active state substantially in conjunction with the initializing the second communication connection, and using the application session to support communication between the first and second application software lay is via the second communication connection.

67. The device of claim 66, wherein the application session involves an authentication parameter.

68. The device of claim 66, wherein the application session involves an authentication parameter corresponding to an application logon session conducted between a client and server across the Internet.

69. The device of claim 66, wherein the application session is placed into the inactive state in response to a user action indicating a desire to pause communication in order to free up the wireline telephone communication channel to be used for a voice call.

70. The device of claim 66, wherein the application session is placed back into the active state in response to a user action indicating a desire resume the communication session with the software layer coupled to the far end modem.

71. The device of claim 66, wherein the memory comprises the computer-readable storage medium.

72. The device of claim 41, wherein the memory comprises nonvolatile memory.

73. The method of claim 41, wherein the telephone modem is an analog client modem and the far end modem is a digital ISP modem, and both modems support the V.90 communication protocol.

74. The method of claim 41, wherein the far end modem is an analog client modem and the telephone modem is a digital ISP modem, and both modems support the V.90 communication protocol.

75. The method of claim 41, wherein the re-negotiated data rate can be re-negotiated to be the same as the negotiated data rate.