System and method for establishing and maintaining a connection between devices

• US 8,543,708 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Hukkanen, Vesa Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US13/585,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/249, 709/250, 370/331, 370352-356, 370/392, 455/428, 455/433, 455/436, 455/440
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A system and method to establish and maintain a connection between devices, which in one example embodiment of a method, may comprise receiving a request to establish a connection between a first communication device and a second communication device. A determination is made as to whether the second communication device is reachable via a data network. Based on the determination that the second communication device is reachable over the data network, a connection between the first communication device and the second communication device is established via the data network. Based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network, a connection between the first communication device and the second communication device is established via a telecommunications network. Additional systems and methods are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to establish a connection between a first communication device and a second communication device;

making a determination, using one more processors, whether the second communication device is reachable via a data network;

based on the determination that the second communication device is reachable over the data network, establishing the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via the data network; and

based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network, establishing the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via a telecommunications network that is distinct from the data network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network comprises a network for transporting packets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication network used to establish the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network comprises a mobile network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication network used to establish the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network comprises a public switched telephone network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of the connection comprises transmitting a network address of a first terminal that is communicatively coupled to the first communication device to a second terminal that is communicatively coupled to the second communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting occurs prior to forwarding a call from the first terminal to the second terminal to enable the first terminal and the second terminal to establish a network connection therebetween using the transmitted network address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a quality of the connection via the data network;

determining that the quality of the connection is low; and

switching the connection via the data network to the connection via the telecommunications network based on the quality being low.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a quality of the connection via the data network;

determining that the quality of the connection is low; and

switching the connection via the data network to another connection via a second data network based on the quality being low.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the connection via the data network to transmit high capacity data; and

establishing the connection via the telecommunication network to transmit low capacity data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising drawing conclusions about relative locations of the first communication device and the second communication device for making a handover during the connection.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when implemented by one or more processors, causes a machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to establish a connection between a first communication device and a second communication device;

making a determination, using the one more processors, whether the second communication device is reachable via a data network;

based on the determination that the second communication device is reachable over the data network, establishing the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via the data network; and

based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network, establishing the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via a telecommunications network that is distinct from the data network.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the data network comprises a network for transporting packets.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the telecommunication network used to establish the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network comprises a selection from a group consisting of a mobile network and a public switched telephone network.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the establishing of the connection comprises transmitting a network address of a first terminal that is communicatively coupled to the first communication device to a second terminal that is communicatively coupled to the second communication device.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the transmitting occurs prior to forwarding a call from the first terminal to the second terminal to enable the first terminal and the second terminal to establish a network connection therebetween using the transmitted network address.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a quality of the connection via the data network;

determining that the quality of the connection is low; and

switching the connection via the data network to the connection via the telecommunications network based on the quality being low.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a quality of the connection via the data network;

determining that the quality of the connection is low; and

switching the connection via the data network to another connection via a second data network based on the quality being low.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

using the connection via the data network to transmit high capacity data; and

establishing the connection via the telecommunication network to transmit low capacity data.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise drawing conclusions about relative locations of the first communication device and the second communication device for making a handover during the connection.

20. A system comprising:

a server coupled to a first communication device and having at least one processor, the server to;

receive a request to establish a connection between the first communication device and a second communication device;

make a determination, using the at least one processor, whether the second communication device is reachable via a data network;

based on the determination that the second communication device is reachable over the data network, establish the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via the data network; and

based on the determination that the second communication device is not reachable over the data network, establish the connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via a telecommunications network that is distinct from the data network.