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US 6,633,761 B1Granted
Enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment
AssigneeReefEdge, Inc.
InventorsSandeep Kishan Singhal, Ajei Sarat Gopal, Inder Sarat Gopal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods, systems, and computer program instructions for enabling a variety of devices, particularly low-power hand-held devices, to travel seamlessly through a networking environment such as that encountered within a building by establishing connectivity to a plurality of network access points. The illusion of seamless network connectivity is provided by having these access points coordinate with a core server to perform user authentication, device address assignment, and handoff services.
Claims36
A method of enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking, environment, comprising the steps of:
- providing one or more portable client devices, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment;
- providing a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application server can be accessed;
- providing a Handoff Core Server to manage the HMPs;
- dynamically making a selected one of the HMPs operational, further comprising the steps of:
- obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the selected HMP;
- discovery by the selected HMP, an identity of the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- initiating, by the selected HMP, an HMP presence protocol exchange with the Handoff Core Server, further comprising the step of sending a registration request to the Handoff Core Server to register the selected HMP with the Handoff Core Server;
- obtaining a registration response from the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- if the registration response is successful, periodically refreshing the selected HMP's registration with the Handoff Core Server.
8 more elements
A method of enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment comprising the steps of:
- providing one or more portable client devices, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment;
- providing a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed;
- providing a Handoff Core Server to the manage the HMPs, wherein the Handoff Core Server maintains a record of a current location of each client device;
- receiving at least one of (1) traffic generated by a particular client device and (2) traffic destined for a particular client device at the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- filtering the received traffic, by the Handoff Core Server, according to one or more of:
- (1) a destination of the traffic (2) a current location of the particular client device;
- and (3) an identity of a user of the particular client device.
5 more elements
A method of enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment comprising the steps of:
- providing one or more portable client device each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment;
- providing a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed;
- providing a Handoff Core Server to manage the HMPs;
- detecting, by a particular HMP, an establishment of a new communication channel with a selected client device;
- issuing a channel establishment notification to the Handoff Core Server, responsive to the detecting step;
- and
- updating, by the Handoff Core Server, an Active User Location (AUL) Registry, responsive to receiving the channel establishment notification.
4 more elements
A system for enabling seamless user mobility in a wireless networking environment, comprising:
- one or more portable user devices, each equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the wireless networking environment;
- one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers;
- a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each equipped with a wireless link for communication with the user devices and a link to a networking environment wherein the application programs and application servers reside;
- a Handoff Core Server (HCS) to manage the HMPs;
- means for dynamically registering each HMP with the HCS as the HMP becomes operational, wherein an installation and configuration of the operational HMP requires no incremental intervention by a human;
- means for making a selected user device known to a first HMP when the selected user device comes into communication range with the first HMP;
- means for handing the selected user device off from the fix HMP to a second HMP when the selected user device leaves the communication range of the first HMP and enters communication range of the second HMP;
- and
- means for maintaining, during and after the handing off, any on-going session that may be operating between the selected user device and one or more of the application programs.
6 more elements
Computer program instructions embodied on one or more computer readable media, the computer program instructions being adapted for causing a computer system to generate executable code for a computer program, the computer program enabling seamless user mobility in a wireless networking environment, the computer program instructions comprising:
- computer program instructions for dynamically registering a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs) with a Handoff Core Server (HCS) as the HMP becomes operational, wherein each HMP is equipped with a wireless link for communication with a plurality of user devices and a link to a networking environment wherein a plurality of application programs and application servers reside, wherein each of the user devices being is equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the wireless networking environment, and wherein an installation and configuration of the operational HMP requires no incremental intervention by a human;
- computer program instructions for causing thee HCS to manage the HMPs;
- computer program instructions for making a selected user device known to a first HMP when the selected user device comes into communication range with the first HMP;
- computer program instructions for handing the selected user device off from the first HMP to a second HMP when the selected user device leaves the communication range of the first HMP and enters communication range of the second HMP;
- and
- computer program instructions for maintaining, during and after the handing off, any on-going session that may be operating between the selected user device and one or more of the application programs.
3 more elements
A system for enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment, comprising:
- one or more portable client devices, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment;
- a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed;
- Handoff Core Server to manage the HMPs;
- means for dynamically making a selected one of the HMPs operational, further comprising:
- means for obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the selected HMP;
- means for discovering, by the selected HMP, an identity of the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- means for initiating, by the selected HMP, an HMP presence protocol exchange with the Handoff Core Server, further comprising means for sending a registration request to the Handoff Core Server to register the selected HMP with the Handoff Core Server;
- means for obtaining a registration response from the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- means for periodically refreshing the selected HMP's registration with the Handoff Core Server if the registration response is successful.
8 more elements
A system for enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment, comprising:
- one or more portable client devices, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-rage wireless networking environment;
- a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed;
- a Handoff Core Server to manage the HMPs, wherein the Handoff Core Server maintains a record of a current location of each client device;
- means for receiving at least one of (1) traffic generated by a particular client device and (2) traffic destined for a particular client device at the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- means for filtering the received traffic, by the Handoff Core Server, according to one or more of:
- (1) a destination of the traffic;
- (2) a current location of the particular client device;
- and (3) an identity of a user of the particular client device.
6 more elements
A system for enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment, comprising:
- one or more portable client devices, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment;
- a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed;
- a Handoff Core Server to manage the HMPs;
- means for detecting, by a particular HMP, an establishment of a new communication channel with a selected client device;
- means for issuing a channel establishment notification to the Handoff Core Server, responsive to the means for detecting;
- and
- means for updating, by the Handoff Core Server, an Active User Location (AUL) Registry, responsive to receiving the channel establishment notification.
4 more elements
Computer program instructions embodied on one or more computer readable media, the computer program instructions being adapted for causing a computer system to execute a computer program, the computer program enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment, the computer program instructions comprising:
- computer program instructions for dynamically making a selected one of a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs) operational, wherein each of the HMPs is equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication wit one or more portable client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment, and wherein the computer program instructions for dynamically making further comprises:
- computer program instructions for obtaining an Interment Protocol (IP) address for the selected HMP;
- computer program instructions for discovering, by the selected HMP, an identity of a Handoff Core Server that manages the HMPs;
- and
- computer program instructions for initiating, by the selected HMP, an HMP presence protocol exchange with the Handoff Core Server, further comprising computer program instructions for sending a registration request to the Handoff Core Server to register the selected HMP with the Handoff Core Server;
- computer program instructions for obtaining a registration response from the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- computer program instructions for periodically refreshing the selected HMP's registration with the Handoff Core Server if the registration response is successful.
5 more elements
Computer program instructions embodied on one or more computer readable media, the computer program instructions being adapted for causing a computer system to execute a computer program, the computer program enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment, the computer program instructions comprising:
- computer program instructions for managing, by a Handoff Core Server that maintains a record of a current location of each of one or more client devices, a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), wherein each of the HMPs is equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment;
- computer program instructions for receiving at least one of (1) traffic generated by a particular client device and (2) traffic destined for a particular client device at the Handoff Core Server;
- and
- computer program instructions for filtering he received traffic, by the Handoff Core Server, according to one or more of:
- (1) a destination of the traffic;
- (2) a current location of the particular client device;
- and (3) an identity of a use of the particular client device.
4 more elements
Computer program instructions embodied on one or more computer readable media, the computer program instructions being adapted for causing a computer system to execute a computer program, the computer program enabling seamless user mobility in a short-range wireless networking environment, the computer program instructions comprising:
- computer program instructions for detecting, by a particular one of a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), an establishment of a new communication channel with a selected one of one or more client devices, each of the client devices equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the short-range wireless networking environment and each of the HMPs equipped with a short-range wireless link for communication with the client devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs residing on one or more application servers can be accessed;
- computer program instructions for issuing a channel establishment notification to a Handoff Core Server that manages the HMPs, responsive to the computer program instructions for detecting;
- and
- computer program instructions for updating, by the Handoff Core Server, an Active User Location (AUL) Registry, responsive to receiving the channel establishment notification.
1 more element
A method for enabling seamless user mobility in a wireless networking environment, comprising steps of:
- providing a plurality of Handoff Management Points (HMPs), each equipped with a wireless link for communication with one or more portable user devices and a link to a networking environment wherein one or more application programs and one or more application servers reside, wherein each of the user devices is equipped with a short-range wireless communications capability for communicating in the wireless networking environment and wherein the one or more application programs reside on the one or more application serves;
- providing a Handoff Core Server (HCS) to manage the HMPs;
- dynamically registering each HMP with the HCS as the HMP becomes operational, wherein an installation and configuration of the operational HMP requires no incremental intervention by a human;
- making a selected user device known to a first HMP when the selected user device comes into communication range with the first HMP;
- handing the selected user device off from the fast HMP to a second HMP when the selected user device leaves the communication range of the first HMP and enters communication range of the second HMP;
- and
- maintaining, during and after the handing off, any on-going session that may be operating between the selected user device and one or more of the application programs.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.