Managing a client application session based on a status of a local wireless connection between primary and secondary communication terminals

In an embodiment, a secondary communication terminal (CT) executes a client application to engage in a client application session (CAS), the secondary CT configured to connect to a primary CT over a local wireless connection (LWC), the primary CT having a higher-quality user interface environment as compared to the secondary CT. The secondary CT establishes the LWC with the primary CT during the CAS and, responsive to the establishment, negotiates with the primary CT to selectively transition the CAS to the primary CT. Alternatively, the primary CT executes the client application before the establishment and negotiates with the secondary CT to selectively transition the CAS to the secondary CT. In another embodiment, the primary CT hosts the CAS while the LWC is established with the secondary CT. Then, upon disconnection of the LWC, the secondary AT selectively transitions the CAS to the secondary CT.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to communications in a wireless telecommunication system and, more particularly to managing a client application session based on a status of a local wireless connection between primary and secondary communication terminals.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wireless communication systems have developed through various generations, including a first-generation analog wireless phone service (1G), a second-generation (2G) digital wireless phone service (including interim 2.5G and 2.75G networks) and a third-generation (3G) high speed data/Internet-capable wireless service. There are presently many different types of wireless communication systems in use, including Cellular and Personal Communications Service (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include the cellular Analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), the Global System for Mobile access (GSM) variation of TDMA, and newer hybrid digital communication systems using both TDMA and CDMA technologies.

The method for providing CDMA mobile communications was standardized in the United States by the Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association in TIA/EIA/IS-95-A entitled “Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System,” referred to herein as IS-95. Combined AMPS & CDMA systems are described in TIA/EIA Standard IS-98. Other communications systems are described in the IMT-2000/UM, or International Mobile Telecommunications System 2000/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, standards covering what are referred to as wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA2000 (such as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO standards, for example) or TD-SCDMA.

In wireless communication systems, mobile stations, handsets, or communication terminals (CT) receive signals from fixed position base stations (also referred to as cell sites or cells) that support communication links or service within particular geographic regions adjacent to or surrounding the base stations. Base stations provide entry points to an access network (AN)/radio access network (RAN), which is generally a packet data network using standard Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) based protocols that support methods for differentiating traffic based on Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Therefore, the base stations generally interact with CTs through an over the air interface and with the AN through Internet Protocol (IP) network data packets.

In wireless telecommunication systems, Push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities are becoming popular with service sectors and consumers. PTT can support a “dispatch” voice service that operates over standard commercial wireless infrastructures, such as CDMA, FDMA, TDMA, GSM, etc. In a dispatch model, communication between endpoints (CTs) occurs within virtual groups, wherein the voice of one “talker” is transmitted to one or more “listeners.” A single instance of this type of communication is commonly referred to as a dispatch call, or simply a PTT call. A PTT call is an instantiation of a group, which defines the characteristics of a call. A group in essence is defined by a member list and associated information, such as group name or group identification.

Conventionally, data packets within a wireless communications network have been configured to be sent to a single destination or communication terminal. A transmission of data to a single destination is referred to as “unicast”. As mobile communications have increased, the ability to transmit given data concurrently to multiple communication terminals has become more important. Accordingly, protocols have been adopted to support concurrent data transmissions of the same packet or message to multiple destinations or target communication terminals. A “broadcast” refers to a transmission of data packets to all destinations or communication terminals (e.g., within a given cell, served by a given service provider, etc.), while a “multicast” refers to a transmission of data packets to a given group of destinations or communication terminals. In an example, the given group of destinations or “multicast group” may include more than one and less than all of possible destinations or communication terminals (e.g., within a given group, served by a given service provider, etc.). However, it is at least possible in certain situations that the multicast group comprises only one communication terminal, similar to a unicast, or alternatively that the multicast group comprises all communication terminals (e.g., within a cell or sector), similar to a broadcast.

Broadcasts and/or multicasts may be performed within wireless communication systems in a number of ways, such as performing a plurality of sequential unicast operations to accommodate the multicast group, allocating a unique broadcast/multicast channel (BCH) for handling multiple data transmissions at the same time and the like. A conventional system using a broadcast channel for push-to-talk communications is described in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0049314 dated Mar. 1, 2007 and entitled “Push-To-Talk Group Call System Using CDMA 1x-EVDO Cellular Network”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As described in Publication No. 2007/0049314, a broadcast channel can be used for push-to-talk calls using conventional signaling techniques. Although the use of a broadcast channel may improve bandwidth requirements over conventional unicast techniques, the conventional signaling of the broadcast channel can still result in additional overhead and/or delay and may degrade system performance.

The 3rdGeneration Partnership Project 2 (“3GPP2”) defines a broadcast-multicast service (BCMCS) specification for supporting multicast communications in CDMA2000 networks. Accordingly, a version of 3GPP2's BCMCS specification, entitled “CDMA2000 High Rate Broadcast-Multicast Packet Data Air Interface Specification”, dated Feb. 14, 2006, Version 1.0 C.S0054-A, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a secondary communication terminal (CT) executes a client application to engage in a client application session (CAS), the secondary CT configured to connect to a primary CT over a local wireless connection (LWC), the primary CT having a higher-quality user interface environment as compared to the secondary CT. The secondary CT establishes the LWC with the primary CT during the CAS and, responsive to the establishment, negotiates with the primary CT to selectively transition the CAS to the primary CT. Alternatively, the primary CT executes the client application before the establishment and negotiates with the secondary CT to selectively transition the CAS to the secondary CT. In another embodiment, the primary CT hosts the CAS while the LWC is established with the secondary CT. Then, upon disconnection of the LWC, the secondary AT selectively transitions the CAS to the secondary CT.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The words “exemplary” and/or “example” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” and/or “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

A High Data Rate (HDR) subscriber station, referred to herein as an communication terminal (CT), may be mobile or stationary, and may communicate with one or more HDR base stations, referred to herein as modem pool transceivers (MPTs) or base stations (BS). A communication terminal transmits and receives data packets through one or more modem pool transceivers to an HDR base station controller, referred to as a modem pool controller (MPC), base station controller (BSC) and/or packet control function (PCF). Modem pool transceivers and modem pool controllers are parts of a network called an access network. An access network transports data packets between multiple communication terminals.

The access network may be further connected to additional networks outside the access network, such as a corporate intranet or the Internet, and may transport data packets between each communication terminal and such outside networks. A communication terminal that has established an active traffic channel connection with one or more modem pool transceivers is called an active communication terminal, and is said to be in a traffic state. A communication terminal that is in the process of establishing an active traffic channel connection with one or more modem pool transceivers is said to be in a connection setup state. A communication terminal may be any data device that communicates through a wireless channel or through a wired channel, for example using fiber optic or coaxial cables. A communication terminal may further be any of a number of types of devices including but not limited to PC card, compact flash, external or internal modem, or wireless or wireline phone. The communication link through which the communication terminal sends signals to the modem pool transceiver is called a reverse link or traffic channel. The communication link through which a modem pool transceiver sends signals to a communication terminal is called a forward link or traffic channel. As used herein the term traffic channel can refer to either a forward or reverse traffic channel.

FIG. 1illustrates a block diagram of one exemplary embodiment of a wireless system100in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention. System100can contain communication terminals, such as cellular telephone102, in communication across an air interface104with an access network or radio access network (RAN)120that can connect the communication terminal102to network equipment providing data connectivity between a packet switched data network (e.g., an intranet, the Internet, and/or carrier network126) and the communication terminals102,108,110,112. As shown here, the communication terminal can be a cellular telephone102, a personal digital assistant108, a pager110, which is shown here as a two-way text pager, or even a separate computer platform112that has a wireless communication portal. Embodiments of the invention can thus be realized on any form of communication terminal including a wireless communication portal or having wireless communication capabilities, including without limitation, wireless modems, PCMCIA cards, personal computers, telephones, or any combination or sub-combination thereof. Further, as used herein, the terms “communication terminal”, “wireless device”, “client device”, “mobile terminal” and variations thereof may be used interchangeably.

Referring back toFIG. 1, the components of the wireless network100and interrelation of the elements of the exemplary embodiments of the invention are not limited to the configuration illustrated. System100is merely exemplary and can include any system that allows remote communication terminals, such as wireless client computing devices102,108,110,112to communicate over-the-air between and among each other and/or between and among components connected via the air interface104and RAN120, including, without limitation, carrier network126, the Internet, and/or other remote servers.

The RAN120controls messages (typically sent as data packets) sent to a base station controller/packet control function (BSC/PCF)122. The BSC/PCF122is responsible for signaling, establishing, and tearing down bearer channels (i.e., data channels) between a packet data service node100(“PDSN”) and the communication terminals102/108/110/112. If link layer encryption is enabled, the BSC/PCF122also encrypts the content before forwarding it over the air interface104. The function of the BSC/PCF122is well-known in the art and will not be discussed further for the sake of brevity. The carrier network126may communicate with the BSC/PCF122by a network, the Internet and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Alternatively, the BSC/PCF122may connect directly to the Internet or external network. Typically, the network or Internet connection between the carrier network126and the BSC/PCF122transfers data, and the PSTN transfers voice information. The BSC/PCF122can be connected to multiple base stations (BS) or modem pool transceivers (MPT)124. In a similar manner to the carrier network, the BSC/PCF122is typically connected to the MPT/BS124by a network, the Internet and/or PSTN for data transfer and/or voice information. The MPT/BS124can broadcast data messages wirelessly to the communication terminals, such as cellular telephone102. The MPT/BS124, BSC/PCF122and other components may form the RAN120, as is known in the art. However, alternate configurations may also be used and the invention is not limited to the configuration illustrated. For example, in another embodiment the functionality of the BSC/PCF122and one or more of the MPT/BS124may be collapsed into a single “hybrid” module having the functionality of both the BSC/PCF122and the MPT/BS124.

FIG. 2illustrates the carrier network126according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment ofFIG. 2, the carrier network126includes a packet data serving node (PDSN)160, a broadcast serving node (BSN)165, an application server170and an Internet175. However, application server170and other components may be located outside the carrier network in alternative embodiments. The PDSN160provides access to the Internet175, intranets and/or remote servers (e.g., application server170) for mobile stations (e.g., communication terminals, such as102,108,110,112fromFIG. 1) utilizing, for example, a cdma2000 Radio Access Network (RAN) (e.g., RAN120ofFIG. 1). Acting as an access gateway, the PDSN160may provide simple IP and mobile IP access, foreign agent support, and packet transport. The PDSN160can act as a client for Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) servers and other supporting infrastructure and provides mobile stations with a gateway to the IP network as is known in the art. As shown inFIG. 2, the PDSN160may communicate with the RAN120(e.g., the BSC/PCF122) via a conventional A10 connection. The A10 connection is well-known in the art and will not be described further for the sake of brevity.

Referring toFIG. 2, the broadcast serving node (BSN)165may be configured to support multicast and broadcast services. The BSN165will be described in greater detail below. The BSN165communicates with the RAN120(e.g., the BSC/PCF122) via a broadcast (BC) A10 connection, and with the application server170via the Internet175. The BCA10 connection is used to transfer multicast and/or broadcast messaging. Accordingly, the application server170sends unicast messaging to the PDSN160via the Internet175, and sends multicast messaging to the BSN165via the Internet175.

Generally, as will be described in greater detail below, the RAN120transmits multicast messages, received from the BSN165via the BCA10 connection, over a broadcast channel (BCH) of the air interface104to one or more communication terminals200.

Referring toFIG. 3A, an communication terminal200, (here a wireless device), such as a cellular telephone, has a platform202that can receive and execute software applications, data and/or commands transmitted from the RAN120that may ultimately come from the carrier network126, the Internet and/or other remote servers and networks. The platform202can include a transceiver206operably coupled to an application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”208), or other processor, microprocessor, logic circuit, or other data processing device. The ASIC208or other processor executes the application programming interface (“API’)210layer that interfaces with any resident programs in the memory212of the wireless device. The memory212can be comprised of read-only or random-access memory (RAM and ROM), EEPROM, flash cards, or any memory common to computer platforms. The platform202also can include a local database214that can hold applications not actively used in memory212. The local database214is typically a flash memory cell, but can be any secondary storage device as known in the art, such as magnetic media, EEPROM, optical media, tape, soft or hard disk, or the like. The internal platform202components can also be operably coupled to external devices such as antenna222, display224, push-to-talk button228and keypad226among other components, as is known in the art.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the invention can include a communication terminal including the ability to perform the functions described herein. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the various logic elements can be embodied in discrete elements, software modules executed on a processor or any combination of software and hardware to achieve the functionality disclosed herein. For example, ASIC208, memory212, API210and local database214may all be used cooperatively to load, store and execute the various functions disclosed herein and thus the logic to perform these functions may be distributed over various elements. Alternatively, the functionality could be incorporated into one discrete component. Therefore, the features of the communication terminal inFIG. 3Aare to be considered merely illustrative and the invention is not limited to the illustrated features or arrangement.

The wireless communication between the communication terminal102and the RAN120can be based on different technologies, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), WCDMA, time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), or other protocols that may be used in a wireless communications network or a data communications network. The data communication is typically between the client device102, MPT/BS124, and BSC/PCF122. The BSC/PCF122can be connected to multiple data networks such as the carrier network126, PSTN, the Internet, a virtual private network, and the like, thus allowing the communication terminal102access to a broader communication network. As discussed in the foregoing and known in the art, voice transmission and/or data can be transmitted to the communication terminals from the RAN using a variety of networks and configurations. Accordingly, the illustrations provided herein are not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention and are merely to aid in the description of aspects of embodiments of the invention.

Conventionally, relatively powerful computing devices (or communication terminals (CTs)) such as desktop or laptop computers, are configured to execute client applications. For example, it is common for CTs such as desktop or laptop computers to execute instant messaging (IM) applications that permit a user of the computer to exchange text, voice and/or video media with one or more other participants to an IM session. The user interface (UI) environment of the desktop or laptop computer generally has a higher-quality or more fully featured UI environment as compared to more mobile CTs such as handsets or mobile phones. For example, it is common for desktop and laptop computers to have a full keyboard, a large and/or high-resolution display and/or other peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a mouse, a trackball, a web-cam, etc.) that increase the quality of the user's experience with the client application being executed thereon.

Increasingly, client applications like the IM application described above are being ported to lower-power CTs with a more restricted UI environment. While this extends the usability of the client application, the client application is typically embodied with reduced features on lower-power CTs, such as a smaller keyboard, a reduced-resolution display screen (e.g., a 3.5″ LCD screen as compared to a large desktop or laptop monitor), fewer available services (e.g., text only for the IM application, and not voice/video), etc.

Accordingly, assume that a user is relatively far away from a primary CT (e.g., a CT with a higher-quality UI environment, such as a laptop or desktop computer station) and that the user is carrying a secondary CT (e.g., a CT with a lower-quality UI environment, such as a mobile phone or handset). In this case, if the user wishes to launch the client application, the user selects an option for launching the client application on the secondary CT because the primary CT is remote and unavailable. Later, assume the user arrives at the primary CT and begins work on the primary CT. If the user wishes to transition his/her client application session from the secondary CT to the primary CT, the user manually shuts down the client application on the secondary CT and selects an option on the primary CT for launching the client application thereon.

In another example, assume that a user is positioned at the primary CT and that the user is also carrying the secondary CT. In this case, if the user wishes to launch the client application, the user selects an option for launching the client application on the primary CT at least in part due to the UI environment provided by the primary CT over the secondary CT. Later, assume the user walks away from the primary CT. As will be appreciated, the user is no longer close enough to the primary CT to interact with the client application being executed thereon. If the user wishes to transition his/her client application session from the primary CT to the secondary CT, the user manually selects an option on the secondary CT for launching the client application thereon. The user can also shut down the client application on the primary CT before leaving the primary CT.

It will be appreciated that, in order to ensure that a desired CT is hosting a client application session for a user, manual initiation or launching of the client application on the desired CT by the user is typically required where the user has multiple CT-options for launching and/or continuing a client application session. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention are directed to managing a client application session based at least in part upon whether a primary and secondary CT are connected over a local wireless connection.

While not shown explicitly below in the embodiments ofFIGS. 4A through 5B, the primary and/or secondary CT can connect to the application server170via the RAN120, or alternatively can connect to the application server170via some other type of connection mechanism (e.g., a wired Internet connection, etc.). Thus, whileFIGS. 4A through 5Billustrate the primary and secondary CTs connecting directly to the application server170, it will be appreciated that their respective connection to the application server170can be mediated by any type of access network.

FIG. 4Aillustrates a process of transitioning a client application session from a secondary CT to a primary CT in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As noted above, and in the embodiment ofFIG. 4A, both the primary and secondary CTs are capable of executing some version of a given client application (although this need not be the same version). The primary CT corresponds to a CT that has an enhanced UI environment as compared to the secondary CT. The primary CT can be either a fixed CT (e.g., a desktop computer, etc.) or a mobile CT (e.g., a laptop computer, etc.). In an example, the primary CT can correspond to a desktop or laptop computer, a tablet computer and/or any other type of computing device that provides a convenient UI for the user (e.g., including a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-screen, a large and/or high-resolution display, a trackball and/or any other UI that is desirable to a user thereof).

The secondary CT can correspond to a mobile electronic device (e.g., a phone or handset, an MP3 player, etc.), and the secondary CT has a UI for interacting with a client application executable thereon, with the secondary CT's UI being reduced and/or different from the UI of the primary CT. For example, the secondary CT's UI can be associated with a smaller keyboard than a keyboard of the primary CT, a lower-screen resolution than a display of the primary CT, less battery life than the primary CT (e.g., which may not even require a battery for operation), etc.

The primary and secondary CTs can communicate with each other over a local wireless connection, such as a Bluetooth connection or any other type of short-range peer-to-peer wireless connection. The local wireless connection can be any wireless connection that has a relatively small connection range. Accordingly, a Bluetooth connection has a range of approximately 10 meters which is relatively small. However, a base station's connection to a mobile station can potentially be on the order of miles, which would not qualify as a local wireless connection.

FIG. 3Bis an illustration of the communication terminal ofFIG. 3A(denoted as200A inFIG. 3B) deployed within the wireless communications system ofFIG. 1and further configured to support one or more local wireless connections (LWCs) in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

As shown inFIG. 3B, the communication terminal200A is configured to support a connection to the RAN120over the air interface104, similar toFIG. 1. The communication terminal200A is configured to further support multiple local wireless connections (LWCs) with local devices such as a touch-screen device200B, a laptop200C and/or a desktop computer200D via LWCs #1, #2and #3, respectively.

Referring toFIG. 4A, in400A, the secondary and primary CTs are configured to support a local wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, etc.), and the secondary and primary CTs are not currently connected over the local wireless connection. InFIG. 4A, it may generally be assumed that the secondary CT is mobile and will be carried on the person of the user, whereas the primary CT does not necessarily travel with the user (e.g., although in at least one embodiment, the primary CT can be a mobile device such as a laptop computer which can move with the user some of the time). In at least one embodiment of the invention, the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs is established whenever the secondary and primary CTs are close enough to support the local wireless connection, such that the absence of the local wireless connection implies that the secondary and primary CTs are physically or geographically separated by more than the range of the local wireless connection (e.g., although it is also possible that one or more of the secondary and primary CTs is simply turned off or otherwise disabled).

Next, in405A, the secondary CT loads a client application in order to initiate a client application session with the application server170. In an example, the client application can be loaded in405A responsive to a request by a request from a user to load the client application. In an example, the client application can correspond to an IM application and the client application session thereby corresponds to an IM session. In another example, the client application can correspond to a game application and the client application session thereby corresponds to a gaming session.

After loading or launching the client application in405A, the client application of the secondary CT registers with the application server170that will be supporting the client application session for the user,410A. In an example, if the secondary CT corresponds to a mobile phone, the registration of410A can include obtaining a traffic channel (TCH) from the RAN120, and then sending a reverse-link registration message to the RAN120over the TCH to be forwarded to the application server170, which acknowledges the registration of the secondary CT's client application.

After registering with the application server170, the user engages, via the client application, in a client application session that is arbitrated by the application server170,415A. For example, if the client application session is an IM session, the client application at the secondary CT can send and/or receive IMs to and/or from other IM session participants, at the direction of the application server170.

Next, assume that the secondary CT enters a given physical proximity (e.g., 10 meters, 40 meters, 3 feet, etc.) of the primary CT, and that the secondary CT establishes a local wireless connection with the primary CT,420A. For example, the local wireless connection can correspond to a personal area network (PAN) including the secondary and primary CTs connected via a wireless Bluetooth connection. In another example, the secondary CT may enter the given physical proximity of the primary CT when the user carrying the secondary CT approaches the primary CT. In another example, the secondary CT may enter the given physical proximity of the primary CT when the user carrying the secondary CT turns on or powers-up the secondary CT within the given physical proximity of the primary CT, or alternatively when the user carrying the secondary CT turns on or powers-up the primary CT while carrying an already powered-up secondary CT. The connection set-up of420A can be configured to occur automatically when the secondary CT detects or discovers the primary CT, or alternatively when the primary CT detects or discovers the secondary CT. Accordingly, the initiation of the connection set-up of420A can be either secondary CT-initiated or primary-CT initiated.

Further, the local wireless connection need not be a direct wireless connection between the primary and secondary CTs. For example, the primary and secondary CTs can correspond to two slave Bluetooth devices in a piconet, whereby each of the primary and secondary CTs connects to the master Bluetooth device of the piconet. In another example, the primary and secondary CTs can connect to a wireless router, such that the local wireless connection is mediated by the router. In other words, the local wireless connection does not necessarily correspond to a ‘direct’ wireless connection, so long as the local wireless connection is ‘local’ such that geographical proximity can be presumed for the primary and secondary CTs when connected.

After the secondary CT completes set-up of the local wireless connection to the primary CT, the client application is notified that that the local wireless connection and the client application prompts the user to indicate whether the client application session should be transitioned to the primary CT,425A. The prompt of425A may be an audio alert, (e.g., a beep, etc.), a visual message (e.g., a text message of “Primary Computer Available for Session”, etc.) or some other type of user-message.

The client application evaluates user-feedback in response to the prompt of425A to determine whether to transition the client application session from the secondary CT to the primary CT in430A. While not shown inFIG. 4A, if the user-feedback indicates the user wishes to continue the client application session via the client application on the secondary CT, the client application session continues on the secondary CT and the session is not set-up on or transitioned to the primary CT. Alternatively, if the user-feedback indicates the user wishes to transition the client application session to a client application on the primary CT, the client application of the secondary CT sends a message over the local wireless connection to the primary CT to initiate set-up of the client application session on the primary CT,435A. For example, the message of435A can correspond to an instruction to load the client application on the primary CT.

In an alternative example,425A and430A can be omitted entirely, in which case the secondary CT will automatically assume that the user wishes to transition to the primary CT upon detection of the local wireless connection. In an example, automatically transitioning the client application session from the secondary CT to the primary CT can be beneficial in reducing cellular traffic in the event that the secondary CT is connected to the application server170via a cellular base station and the primary CT is connected to the application server170via a broadband Internet connection.

Responsive to the message from435A, the primary CT loads or launches the client application,440A. As mentioned above, the client application configured for execution on the secondary CT need not be the same as the client application configured for execution on the primary CT. In an example, the client application configured for execution on the primary CT can correspond to a full-featured version of the client application, whereas the client application configured for execution on the secondary CT can correspond to a reduced-feature version or mobile-version of the client application. For example, in the context of an IM client application, the client application configured for execution on the secondary CT can correspond to a mobile IM client. The client application session may thereby differ somewhat for the user when interacting with the different versions of the client applications on the primary and secondary CTs.

After loading the client application in440A, the client application of the primary CT registers with the application server170that will be supporting the client application session for the user over the primary CT,445A. In an example, if the primary CT corresponds to a desktop computer, the registration of445A can include sending a message to the application server170via an Internet connection. After registering with the application server170at the primary CT, the user continues to engage, via the client application, in the client application session that is arbitrated by the application server170over the primary CT,450A.

In a further example, it is possible that old-session information can be conveyed to the primary CT related to the history of the client application session from when the session was conducted via the secondary CT. For example, if the client application session is an IM session, the IM messages or conversations that occurred during415A can be conveyed to the primary CT so that the user may scroll back to earlier IM messages/conversations while using the primary CT. In this case, the session history information can either be received at the primary CT from the secondary CT in435A, or alternatively from the application server170during or after the primary CT's registration in445A.

After the primary CT successfully sets-up the client application session via its own client application in450A, the application server170notifies the secondary CT that the client application session has transitioned to the primary CT,455A. The secondary CT then deregisters from the current session with the application server170,460A. After the de-registration of460A, the secondary CT may shut down or close the client application.

In an alternative embodiment, the secondary CT and primary CT can be configured for concurrent session-participation, such that the de-registration step of460A is omitted. In this case, both the primary and secondary CTs are registered with the application server170for the client application session after445A. Thus, if the client application session is an IM session, IM sessions intended for the user are sent by the application server170to the primary and secondary CTs when both CTs are registered, IMs sent from the secondary CT to a target CT would be conveyed to the primary CT so that the IM conservation displayed on the primary CT was up-to-date, and so on.

FIG. 4Billustrates another process of transitioning a client application session from a secondary CT to a primary CT in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.400B through420B ofFIG. 4Bgenerally correspond to400A through420A ofFIG. 4A, respectively, and as such will not be described in further detail for the sake of brevity.

InFIG. 4A, establishing the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs triggers the secondary CT to prompt the user for feedback relating to whether the client application session should be transitioned to the primary CT. By contrast, in the embodiment ofFIG. 4B, the user-prompt is provided via the primary CT instead of the secondary CT. Accordingly, the establishment of the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs triggers the primary CT to load the client application425B, after which the client application prompts the user to indicate whether the client application session should be transitioned from the secondary CT to the primary CT,430B. Similar to425A ofFIG. 4A, the prompt of430B may be an audio alert, (e.g., a beep, etc.), a visual message (e.g., a text message of “Primary Computer Available for Session”, etc.) or some other type of user-message. As will be appreciated, the prompt of430B can occur before the client application of the primary CT registers with the application server170because it is possible the user will want to continue the client application session on the secondary CT.

The client application of the primary CT evaluates user-feedback in response to the prompt of430B to determine whether to transition the client application session from the secondary CT to the primary CT in435B. While not shown inFIG. 4B, if the user-feedback indicates the user wishes to continue the client application session via the client application on the secondary CT, the client application session continues on the secondary CT and is not set-up on the primary CT. In this case, while not shown inFIG. 4B, the primary CT would simply shut down the client application loaded in425B.

Alternatively, if the user-feedback indicates the user wishes to transition the client application session to a client application on the primary CT, the client application of the primary CT registers with the application server170that will be supporting the client application session for the user over the primary CT,440B. After registering with the application server170at the primary CT, the user continues to engage, via the client application, in the client application session that is arbitrated by the application server170over the primary CT,445B.

As discussed with respect toFIG. 4A, in a further example, it is possible that old-session information can be conveyed to the primary CT related to the history of the client application session from when the session was conducted via the secondary CT. For example, if the client application session is an IM session, the IM messages or conversations that occurred during415B can be conveyed to the primary CT so that the user may scroll back to earlier IM messages/conversations while using the primary CT. In this case, the session history information can either be received from the application server170during or after the primary CT's registration in440B, or received at the primary CT from the secondary CT during or after the de-registration of450B (discussed below). Session history information may be more valuable for certain type of applications such as a gaming application where the current gaming activity relies on the past activity (gaming context, current score, etc).

After the primary CT successfully sets-up the client application session via its own client application in440B and445B, the application server170notifies the secondary AT that the current session has transitioned to the primary CT,450B. At this point, the secondary CT can de-register from the application server170such that the client application session continues thereafter only on the primary CT,455B. While the notification of450B arrives from the application server170inFIG. 4B, the de-registration of455B may be triggered by a message from the primary CT in another embodiment of the invention. After the de-registration of455B, the secondary CT may shut down or closes the client application.

While the embodiments ofFIGS. 4A and 4Bare directed to a client application session transitioning from the secondary CT to the primary CT, the embodiments ofFIGS. 5A and 5Bare directed to a client application session transitioning from the primary CT to the secondary CT. For example, assuming the primary CT corresponds to a desktop or laptop computer and the secondary CT corresponds to a mobile phone, the user can initiate a client application session on the primary CT to make use of its UI environment. Later, the user decides to travel to a destination remote from the primary CT. The user carries the secondary CT during this travel and thereby continues the client application session over the secondary CT at least until returning back to the primary CT. In this case, as discussed below with respect toFIGS. 5A and 5B, the disconnection of the local wireless connection between the primary and secondary CTs can be configured to trigger the transition of the client application session from the primary CT to the secondary CT.

Further, whileFIG. 4Aillustrates a prompt at425A upon establishment of the LWC in420A andFIG. 4Billustrates a prompt at430B after establishment of the LWC in420B and loading of the primary CT's client application in425B, in another embodiment of the invention, a hybrid approach can be adopted whereby both the secondary CT can perform the prompt (as inFIG. 4A) and the primary CT can also perform the prompt (e.g., as inFIG. 4B). In context ofFIG. 4B, in an example, the hybrid approach could be achieved by moving425A and430A after420B ofFIG. 4B. Then, if the user responded via the secondary CT instead of the primary CT, the secondary CT could signal the primary CT to perform the transition. Thus, the user could respond to either prompt in the hybrid approach to trigger the transition between the secondary CT and the primary CT, with blocks440B and onwards being performed in response to the user's feedback to the prompt from either CT.

FIG. 5Aillustrates a process of transitioning a client application session from the primary CT to the secondary CT in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIG. 5A, in500A, the secondary and primary CTs are configured to support a local wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, etc.), and secondary and primary CTs are currently connected over the local wireless connection. As inFIG. 4A, it may generally be assumed that the secondary CT is mobile and will be carried on the person of the user, whereas the primary CT does not necessarily travel with the user (e.g., although in at least one embodiment, the primary CT can be laptop computer which can move with the user some of the time). In at least one embodiment of the invention, the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs is established whenever the secondary and primary CTs are close enough to support the local wireless connection, such that the absence of the local wireless connection implies that the secondary and primary CTs are physically or geographically separated by more than the range of the local wireless connection.

Next, in505A, the primary CT loads a client application in order to initiate a client application session with the application server170. In an example, the client application can be loaded in505A responsive to a request by a request from a user to load the client application. After loading the client application in505A, the client application of the primary CT registers with the application server170that will be supporting the client application session for the user,510A (e.g., as in445A ofFIG. 4Aor440B ofFIG. 4B). After registering with the application server170, the user engages, via the client application, in a client application session that is arbitrated by the application server170,515A. For example, if the client application session is an IM session, the client application at the primary CT can send and/or receive IMs to and/or from other IM session participants.

Next, assume that the secondary CT exits a given physical proximity of the primary CT, and that the local wireless connection between the primary CT and secondary CT is thereby disconnected,520A. For example, the user may walk away from the primary CT while carrying the secondary CT, which causes the local wireless connection to drop out due to the gap caused by the travel of the user.

Upon detecting that the local wireless connection between the primary CT and secondary CT has disconnected, the secondary CT assumes that the user is no longer in proximity of the primary CT, and thereby the secondary CT loads the client application,535A, after which the client application of the secondary CT prompts the user to indicate whether the client application session should set-up on the secondary CT,540A.

The client application evaluates user-feedback in response to the prompt of540A to determine whether to set-up the client application session at the secondary CT in545A. While not shown inFIG. 5A, if the user-feedback indicates the user does not wish to set-up the client application session on the secondary CT, then the secondary CT simply shuts-down the client application and does not initiate the client application session at the secondary CT. Alternatively, if the user-feedback indicates the user wishes to set-up the client application session at the secondary CT, the process advances to550A. In an alternative example,540A and545A can be omitted entirely, in which case the secondary CT will automatically assume that the user wishes to set-up the client application session whenever the secondary CT detects the local wireless connection to the primary CT to be disconnected.

Referring toFIG. 5A, in550A, the client application of the secondary CT registers with the application server170that will be supporting the client application session for the user over the primary CT. After registering with the application server170at the secondary CT, the user continues to engage, via the client application, in the client application session that is arbitrated by the application server170over the secondary CT,555A.

Once the secondary CT registers with the application server170, the application server170notifies the primary CT that the session has transitioned to the secondary CT,560A. The client application of the primary CT then de-registers from the client application session with the application server170,565A, after which the client application may optionally be shut down or closed by the primary CT. In an example, the de-registration of565A can occur after a threshold time period from the disconnection of520A expires, and need not occur instantly upon the notification from the application server170in560A. In another example, the client application session can simply be maintained by the client application at the primary CT, such that the de-registration of565A and optional shut-down of the client application on the secondary CT need not be performed in other embodiments of the invention.

In a further example, it is possible that old-session information can be conveyed to the secondary CT related to the history of the client application session from when the session was conducted via the primary CT. For example, if the client application session is an IM session, the IM messages or conversations that occurred during515A can be conveyed to the secondary CT so that the user may scroll back to earlier IM messages/conversations while using the primary CT. In this case, the session history information can either be received from the application server170during or after the secondary CT's registration in550A, or received at the secondary CT from the primary CT before the disconnection of the local wireless connection in520A (e.g., via event-triggered and/or periodic messages from the primary CT to the secondary CT while the two CTs are connected).

FIG. 5Billustrates another process of transitioning a client application session from a primary CT to a secondary CT in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.500B through505B ofFIG. 5Bgenerally correspond to500A through505A ofFIG. 5A, respectively, and as such will not be described in further detail for the sake of brevity.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5B, the primary CT is configured to inform the secondary CT with regard to when the primary CT is executing the client application while the local wireless connection between the primary and secondary CTs is active. In this case, because the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs is active (500B), and the client application is loaded or launched by the primary CT (505B), the primary CT sends a notification to the secondary CT over the local wireless connection to inform that secondary CT that the primary CT is running the client application,510B. Next,520B through535B correspond to515A through530A ofFIG. 5A, respectively, and as such will not be described further for the sake of brevity.

InFIG. 5A, upon detecting that the local wireless connection between the primary CT and secondary CT has disconnected, the secondary CT simply loaded the client application (535A) and then prompted the user with regard to whether to establish the client application session via the secondary CT (540A). However, inFIG. 5A, the secondary CT does not necessarily have special knowledge related to the client application's execution on the primary CT. Instead,535A and540A are simply triggered with the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs is broken.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5B, upon detecting that the local wireless connection between the primary CT and secondary CT has disconnected, the secondary CT determines whether the secondary CT had been notified that the primary CT was executing the client application,540B. For example, upon receipt of the client application notification from the primary CT in505B, the secondary CT can set a given register to a state that indicates the primary CT to be executing the client application, and the given register can then be checked upon disconnection of the local wireless connection in540B.

If the secondary CT determines that the primary CT was executing the client application before the disconnection or termination of the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs in540B, then the process advances to535A ofFIG. 5Awhereby the client application session is set-up on the secondary CT. Otherwise, if the secondary CT determines that the primary CT was not executing the client application before the disconnection or termination of the local wireless connection between the secondary and primary CTs in540B, then the secondary CT does not load the client application,545B. Accordingly,FIG. 5Bdemonstrates that the secondary CT can load the client application and prompt the user for permission to set-up the client application session selectively based on whether the user was previously engaged in the session with the primary CT, which can improve the user experience with the client application by refraining from badgering the user when the user does not wish to engage in a session.

While many of the examples provided above with respect to the embodiments have been given with respect to IM sessions and IM client applications, it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the invention can be directed to other types of client applications and client application sessions, including but not limited to email, gaming, etc. Further, while above-described embodiments have generally been directed to ‘transitions’ from one CT to another CT for hosting a client application session, it will be appreciated that the old CT hosting the session need not necessarily drop out when the session is established with the new CT. Thus, the same session can be hosted concurrently on multiple CTs in at least one embodiment of the invention.

Further, it will be appreciated that the secondary CT is likely to come across many potential local wireless connection opportunities with different CTs while being carried or moved by the user throughout a particular environment. For example, in an office environment, numerous computers and other wireless devices may advertise themselves wirelessly to the secondary CT. In this case, the triggering of the client application at the secondary CT and the other processes described in the embodiments above may be conditioned upon specific primary CTs, and not any CT that the secondary CT happens to discover. For example, the user of the secondary CT may manually instruct the secondary CT with regard to which primary CTs the user desires to achieve seamless transitions for client application sessions of the client application. Accordingly, the evaluation of whether the secondary CT is authorized to trigger client application loading and/or transition for a particular target CT can occur at the secondary CT upon establishment of a local wireless connection with the target CT.

While above-described embodiments have been described with respect to server-arbitrated client application sessions (i.e., arbitrated by the application server170), other embodiments can be directed to local client application sessions that are not necessarily arbitrated by the application server170. For example, assume that a user is operating his/her primary CT, has a LWC to the secondary CT and is playing a game that does not require server-arbitration (e.g., Solitaire, Tetris, etc.). Later, the user walks away from the primary CT and down the hall out of LWC range with his/her secondary CT. In this embodiment, the game state could be conveyed to the user's secondary CT from the primary CT (i.e., prior to the LWC disconnection) and the mobile-version of the game could be loaded with the same game-state on the secondary CT (e.g., the same block arrangements from a Tetris game on the primary CT could be loaded on the mobile-Tetris application on the secondary CT). As will be appreciated, yet another embodiment could be implemented where the LWC is established and/or when the client application session can transition from the secondary CT to the primary CT. In these alternative embodiments, interactions between the primary and secondary CTs and the application server170(e.g., such as registrations and/or de-registrations to/from the application server170) as shown inFIGS. 4A through 5Bcan be omitted.