Method and apparatus for supporting on-demand connectivity for network applications

• US 7,031,441 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1996
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Richardson, John W., Edwards, James W., Andersen, David B., Boss, Dale, Hazzard, Kevin, Chouinard, David, Kogan, Dan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/777,543
• Time in Patent Office: 3,396 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/353, 370/380, 370/389, 370/392, 370/396, 370/401, 370/404, 370/427, 370/435, 370/450, 370/465, 370/485, 379/88.17, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/100.15, 379/100.16, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 379/218.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supporting on-demand connectivity for network applications is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention discloses a method and apparatus for remotely triggering a connection from a first device to a network. Additionally, a method and apparatus for coordinating application connections is also disclosed. The method comprises the steps of establishing application connections on-demand and managing the application connections.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a first device to a first service provider of a network, wherein connecting the first device includes logging the first device into the first service provider;

transmitting a trigger request by the first device to a trigger service if a second device is disconnected from the network;

generating a trigger event by the trigger service in response to the trigger request;

transmitting the trigger event to the second device;

connecting the second device to a second service provider of the network in response to the trigger event, wherein connecting the second device includes logging the second device into the second service provider; and

establishing a communication channel between the first device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are personal computers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein establishing the communication channel comprises initiating an Internet connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the Internet connection enables a telephone connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service provider and the second service provider are Internet service providers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the second device is connected to the network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the second device is connected to the network is performed by sending a resolution request to an address resolution service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, upon receiving the resolution request, the address resolution service provides a response including whether the second device is connected to the network and, if connected, the network address of the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising listening for a trigger event from the trigger service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger service is connected to the network.

12. A system comprising:

a caller system including a first communicator and caller processing instructions, the first communicator being connected to a computer network, the caller processing instructions including instructions for causing the communicator to generate a trigger request when a called party is not connected to the computer network and instructions for causing the caller system to log into a first network service provider;

a trigger service to receive a trigger request and to generate and transmit a trigger event in response to the trigger request; and

a called party system, the called party system including;

a second communicator for receiving the trigger event from the trigger service,

called party processing instructions, the called party processing instructions including instructions for listening for trigger events when the called party is disconnected from the computer network, and

instructions for causing the called party system to connect with the computer network in response to receipt of the trigger event, wherein the instructions include instructions for causing the called party system to log into a second network service provider.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the called party processing instructions include processing instructions for causing the called party system to establish an Internet connection.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the trigger service is connected to the computer network.

14. The system of 12, wherein the second service provider comprises a user-specified Internet service provider.

17. A method comprising:

a step for connecting a first device to a first service provider of a network, wherein connecting the first device includes logging the first device into the first service provider;

a step for transmitting a trigger request to a trigger service when a second device is disconnected from the network;

a step for generating a trigger event by the trigger service in response to the trigger request;

a step for transmitting the trigger event from the trigger service to the second device;

a step for connecting the second device to a second service provider of the network in response to the trigger event, wherein connecting the second device includes logging the second device into the second service provider; and

a step for establishing a communication channel between the first device and the second device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the network is the Internet.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first device and the second device are computers.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step for listening for a trigger event from the trigger service.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the trigger service is connected to the network.

22. A system comprising:

a means for connecting a first device to a first service provider of a network, wherein the means for connecting the first device includes means for logging the first device into the first service provider;

a means for transmitting a trigger request to a trigger service when the second device is disconnected from the network;

a means for generating a trigger event by the trigger service in response to the trigger request;

a means for transmitting the trigger event from the trigger service to the second device;

a means for connecting the second device to a second service provider of the network in response to the trigger event, wherein the means for connecting the second device includes means for logging the second device into the second service provider; and

a means for establishing a communication channel between the first device and the second device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the network is the Internet.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the first device and the second device are computers.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a means for listening for a trigger event from the trigger service.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the trigger service is connected to the network.

27. A method comprising:

connecting a first device to a network by logging the first device into a first network service provider;

determining whether a second device is connected to the network;

if the second device is disconnected from the network, transmitting a trigger request to a trigger service;

generating a trigger event in response to the trigger request;

transmitting the trigger event from the trigger service to the second device;

detecting the trigger event;

connecting the second device to the network in response to the trigger event by logging the second device into a second network service provider; and

establishing a communication channel between the first device and the second device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first device and the second device are personal computers.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the network is the Internet.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a trigger request is communicated to the trigger service over the Internet.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein detecting the trigger event is performed by a trigger listener that listens for incoming trigger events.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the trigger event is generated over a wireless communication medium.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the trigger event is generated over a switched circuit line.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether the second device is connected to the network is performed by providing a resolve request to an address resolution service.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, in response to a resolve request, the address resolution service provides data that includes whether the second device is connected to the network and, if connected, the network address of the second device.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the address resolution service and the trigger service are linked.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein, if in response to the resolve request the address resolution service determines that the second device is not connected to the network, the address resolution service invokes the trigger service.

38. The method of claim 27, further comprising listening for a trigger event from the trigger service.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein the trigger service is connected to the network.