Federated multiprotocol communication
First Claim
1. A method for use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network, each being coupled to a packet switched data network, wherein a mobile unit communicates via the packet switched data network at a transport layer or above with a remote server system which is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with the mobile unit roaming between different types of networks, and for use when the remote server determines that the mobile unit lacks at least one communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network, the method comprising:
- sending to the remote server system an indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of a wireless access point of the wireless local area network;
receiving from the remote server system one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit and which when loaded into the mobile unit operatively enable the mobile unit to implement the at least one communication protocol feature used by the wireless access point;
receiving from the remote server system an 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 via the wireless access point;
switching from the first connection to the second connection, in response to the indication, as part of the roam operation;
establishing an application layer communication interaction between a first peer application program resident in the mobile unit and a second peer application layer program resident in a remote application server that is coupled to the packet switched data network, at least partially via the first connection, using a packet switched data transmission protocol;
executing the first peer application program as a client side application program that communicates with the second peer application layer program via the application layer communication interaction;
performing at least a first client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program prior to the switching by interacting with a protocol stack in the mobile unit;
performing at least a second client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program after the switching by interacting with the protocol stack; and
implementing the switching, 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 a wireless local area network air interface protocol software;
wherein the client side application program interacts with the protocol stack at an interface point above the at least one portion of the lower layer of the protocol stack affected by the switching, so that the switching is transparent to the client side application program.
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Accused Products
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.
230 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network, each being coupled to a packet switched data network, wherein a mobile unit communicates via the packet switched data network at a transport layer or above with a remote server system which is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with the mobile unit roaming between different types of networks, and for use when the remote server determines that the mobile unit lacks at least one communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network, the method comprising:
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sending to the remote server system an indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of a wireless access point of the wireless local area network; receiving from the remote server system one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit and which when loaded into the mobile unit operatively enable the mobile unit to implement the at least one communication protocol feature used by the wireless access point; receiving from the remote server system an 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 via the wireless access point; switching from the first connection to the second connection, in response to the indication, as part of the roam operation; establishing an application layer communication interaction between a first peer application program resident in the mobile unit and a second peer application layer program resident in a remote application server that is coupled to the packet switched data network, at least partially via the first connection, using a packet switched data transmission protocol; executing the first peer application program as a client side application program that communicates with the second peer application layer program via the application layer communication interaction; performing at least a first client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program prior to the switching by interacting with a protocol stack in the mobile unit; performing at least a second client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program after the switching by interacting with the protocol stack; and implementing the switching, 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 a wireless local area network air interface protocol software; wherein the client side application program interacts with the protocol stack at an interface point above the at least one portion of the lower layer of the protocol stack affected by the switching, so that the switching is transparent to the client side application program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for use in a system comprising at least a cellular network and a wireless local area network coupled to a packet switched data network , wherein a mobile unit communicates via the packet switched data network at a transport layer or above with a remote server system which is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with the mobile unit roaming between different types of networks, and for use when the mobile unit lacks at least one communication protocol feature used by the wireless local area network, the method comprising:
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sending to the remote server system an indication that the mobile unit is in a coverage area of a wireless access point of the wireless local area network; receiving from the remote server system one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit and which when loaded into the mobile unit operatively enable the mobile unit to implement the communication protocol feature used by the wireless access point; and switching 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 via the wireless access point, as part of the roam operation; establishing an application layer communication interaction between a first peer application program resident in the mobile unit and a second peer application layer program resident in a remote application server that is coupled to the packet switched data network , at least partially via the first connection, using a packet switched data transmission protocol; executing the first peer application program as a client side application program that communicates with the second peer application layer program via the application layer communication interaction; performing at least a first client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program prior to the switching using a protocol stack in the mobile unit; performing at least a second client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program after the switching using the protocol stack; and implementing the switching, 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 a wireless local area network air interface protocol software; wherein the client side application program interacts with the protocol stack at an interface point above the at least one portion of the lower layer of the protocol stack affected by the switching, so that the switching is transparent to the client side application program. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for use in a system comprising a mobile unit, a cellular network, a wireless local area network coupled to a packet switched data network , and a remote server system, wherein the remote server system receives an indication that the mobile unit is within a coverage area of the wireless local area network via the 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, the remote server system is configured to facilitate a roam operation at least in part by managing compatibility issues associated with the mobile unit roaming between different types of networks, and for use when the mobile unit lacks at least a software feature to be used while communicating with the wireless local area network, the method comprising:
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receiving from the remote server system one or more executable software modules that are not already present in the mobile unit in order to operatively enable the mobile unit to implement the software feature; switching from a first connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network to a second connection between the mobile unit and a wireless access point of the wireless local area network, as part of the roam operation; establishing an application layer communication interaction between a first peer application program resident in the mobile unit and a second peer application layer program resident in a remote application server that is coupled to the packet switched data network , at least partially via the first connection, using a packet switched data transmission protocol; executing the first peer application program as a client side application program that communicates with the second peer application layer program via the application layer communication interaction; performing at least a first client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program prior to the switching using a protocol stack in the mobile unit; performing at least a second client-server interaction with the second peer application layer program after the switching using the protocol stack; and implementing the switching, 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 a wireless local area network air interface protocol software; wherein the client side application program interacts with the protocol stack at an interface point above the at least one portion of the lower layer of the protocol stack affected by the switching, so that the switching is transparent to the client side application program. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification