Method for seamless networking support for mobile devices using serial communications

A method comprising:

• establishing a connection between a mobile device and a server via an access point, wherein the mobile device is equipped with a serial asynchronous communication interface, the server is attached to a packet switched data network via a packet switched communication interface, and the access point is acting as a bridge between the serial asynchronous communication interface and the packet switched communication interface, by:
• receiving a connection establishment frame at the access point from the mobile device over the serial asynchronous communication interface;
• establishing a bi-directional network layer tunnel between the access point and the server over the packet switched data network;
• forwarding the connection establishment frame to the server over the bi-directional network layer tunnel;
• and
• maintaining the flow of frames between the server and the mobile device via the access point by forwarding frames received from the mobile device to the server over the bi-directional network layer tunnel, and forwarding the frames received from the server over the bi-directional network layer tunnel to the mobile device over the serial asynchronous communication interface.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing establishment of a connection between a mobile device and a server via an access point, wherein the mobile device is equipped with a serial asynchronous communication interface, the server is attached to a packet switched data network, and the access point is acting as a bridge between the serial asynchronous communication interface and the packet switched communication interface, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect:

• receiving a connection establishment frame at the access point from the mobile device over the serial asynchronous communication interface;
• establishing a bi-directional network layer tunnel between the access point and the server over the packet switched data network;
• forwarding the connection establishment frame to the server over the bi-directional network layer tunnel;
• and
• maintaining the flow of frames between the server and the mobile device via the access point by forwarding frames received from the mobile device to the server over the bi-directional network layer tunnel, and forwarding the frames received from the server over the bi-directional network layer tunnel to the mobile device over the serial asynchronous communication interface.