Abstract:
A method for reducing the connect time for server access by wireless devices connecting to the server via a gateway is described. A connection from the wireless device to the gateway is established and a request for information on the server is received from the wireless device and transmitted to the server. A determination is made that a response from the server is not forthcoming and a busy indicator response is transmitted to the wireless device. The connection between the wireless device and the gateway is terminated and the request to the server is retransmitted. In another embodiment, a response is received from the server and a determination is made that the received server response is not the requested information and a response is transmitted to the wireless device. The connection between the wireless device and the gateway is terminated and the request to the server is retransmitted.

Description:
FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a method for reducing wireless internet connect time for wireless devices and an apparatus corresponding thereto.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    A high-level block diagram of a network architecture, generally indicated by reference numeral  100 , supporting wireless Internet, e.g. World Wide Web (WWW), services is depicted in FIG. 1. A wireless terminal  102 , e.g. a wireless application protocol-enabled telephone, connects to a gateway  104 , e.g., a WAP gateway conforming to the WAP standard, over a wireless connection  106 , e.g. a radio frequency connection such as a digital or analog cellular connection, using a wireless connection protocol.  
           [0003]    A wireless connection protocol, known as the wireless application protocol (WAP), specified by the WAP Forum Ltd. is the most popular standard defining the provision of Internet communications and advanced telephony services to wireless systems, e.g., phones, pagers, personal digital assistants, and other terminals. The WAP specification is available from the WAP Forum at www.wapforum.org.  
           [0004]    Gateway  104 , a computer system as is known in the art, receives requests from terminals, tracks terminal connections, and provides responses to terminals. The amount of time terminal  102  is connected to gateway  104  is defined as the connect time. Gateway  104  connects to a server  108 , e.g. a web server, over a fixed connection  110 , e.g. a telephone line, an Ethernet connection, an optical or fiber-optic connection, a satellite-based connection, or a microwave-based connection, using standard network protocols, e.g. TCP/IP. Server  108 , a computer system as is known in the art, receives and responds to requests from gateway  104 .  
           [0005]    It is to be understood that multiple terminals, gateways, servers, and wireless and fixed connections are possible; however, for simplification purposes only a single instance of each is described.  
           [0006]    Typically, a user using terminal  102  travels among locations and corresponding gateways, e.g. traveling from home to office a terminal can connect and disconnect with multiple gateways. Connection of the terminal  102  to gateway  104  enables a user to access the Internet, and more specifically the World Wide Web (WWW), using WAP capabilities of terminal  102 . For simplicity of description, WWW service access will be used as a non-limiting example.  
           [0007]    After a WAP terminal, i.e. terminal  102 , establishes a wireless connection with gateway  104  and responsive to user manipulation of terminal  102 , terminal  102  transmits a request, e.g. a WAP version of an HTTP request, to gateway  104  which in turn formats the WAP request as an HTTP request and transmits the HTTP request to a web server, i.e. server  108 . In response to receiving an HTTP request, server  108  transmits an HTTP response to gateway  104  which in turn formats the HTTP response as a WAP response and transmits the WAP response to terminal  102 .  
           [0008]    Because WAP terminals differ from desktop and/or laptop computer systems, e.g. smaller screen size, lower resolution, and less processing capabilities, the protocol specified by WAP for requests and responses differs from the protocol specified by HTTP. For example, WAP requests and responses are shorter in length, less complex, and include minimal or no graphics in comparison to HTTP request and responses.  
           [0009]    Additionally, the cost of connect time for a terminal  102  connecting to gateway  104  over wireless connection  106  is greater than the cost of connect time from gateway  104  to web server  108  over fixed connection  110 . Because of the costly nature of the wireless connection  106 , users of terminal  102  desire to minimize the amount of connect time used. Further impacting the cost of using terminal  102  to access the Internet, the response time for web server  108  to respond to a request from gateway  104  is unreliable. That is, there is no guarantee whether or how long web server  108  will take to respond to requests from gateway  104 . Thus, there is a need in the art to reduce the cost of network access from wireless devices. Further, there is a need in the art to reduce the connect time for wireless devices accessing network resources.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for reducing the cost of network access from wireless devices.  
           [0011]    Another object of the present invention is to reduce the connect time for wireless devices accessing network resources.  
           [0012]    The above described objects are fulfilled by retransmitting requests between the gateway and the server, e.g. the Internet, and by connection management between the gateway and terminal.  
           [0013]    In a method aspect, the connect time for network access by wireless devices connecting to the server via a gateway is reduced by connection management and retransmitting requests between the gateway and the server. A connection from the wireless device to the gateway is established and a request for information on the server is received from the wireless device and transmitted to the server. A determination is made that a response from the server is not forthcoming and a busy indicator response is transmitted to the wireless device. The connection between the wireless device and the gateway is terminated and the request to the server is retransmitted. In another embodiment, a response is received from the server and a determination is made that the received server response is not the requested information and a response is transmitted to the wireless device. The connection between the wireless device and the gateway is terminated and the request to the server is retransmitted.  
           [0014]    In a computer-readable medium aspect, the medium includes at least one sequence of machine executable instructions. The medium bears the executable instructions in machine form, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to establish a connection between a wireless device and a gateway. Responsive to receiving a wireless device request for information on a server, the processor transmits the request to the server. Responsive to the transmitted server request, the processor receives a server response and determines that the received server response is not the requested information, transmits a response to the wireless device, and terminates the wireless device connection to the gateway and retransmits the server request.  
           [0015]    Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein elements having the same reference numeral designations represent like elements throughout and wherein:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram of a network architecture;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a high level functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a first interaction diagram of an example of an embodiment of the present invention in operation;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a second interaction diagram of an example of an embodiment of the present invention in operation; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a third interaction diagram of an example of an embodiment of the present invention in operation. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the block diagram of a typical WAP architecture depicted in FIG. 2. WAP terminal  102  includes a web browser, i.e. browser  120  designed for the limited physical constraints of terminal  102 . The browser  120  is executable software to be executed by terminal  102  to enable a user using the terminal  102  to access the Internet, i.e. a user is able to browse the Internet using browser  120  executing on terminal  102 . Browser  120  is a scaled-down, reduced functionality version of a typical desktop computer system web browser.  
         [0023]    A user manipulates browser  120 , executing on terminal  102 , causing terminal  102  to initiate and set up a connection with a gateway  104  to enable the user to access Internet information, e.g. web pages and other network-based information. After a connection to gateway  104  is made, the user further manipulates browser  120  causing terminal  102  to transmit a request for information, i.e. Internet request or a request to access a user-specified Internet location, for example a uniform resource locator (URL), to gateway  104 . As described above, the terminal-transmitted request is a WAP format request.  
         [0024]    Gateway  104  includes gateway-specific software  122  and wireless web connection management (WWCM) software  124 . Gateway-specific software  122 , executed by gateway  104 , receives (1) connection requests and Internet requests, i.e. WAP format Internet requests, from terminal  102  and (2) HTTP responses from web server  108 . In response to receiving a connection request from a specific terminal, gateway  104  executes gateway-specific software  122  instructions causing the gateway to (a) store information about the terminal making the connection request, e.g. a unique terminal identifier and/or telephone number, in memory and (b) reply via a response over wireless connection  106  to the terminal confirming the connection.  
         [0025]    After the connection has been made and in response to receiving an Internet request from terminal  102 , gateway  104  executes WWCM software  122  instructions causing the gateway to format the received WAP format Internet request to be an HTTP request. Gateway  104  then executes WWCM software  124  instructions based on the received Internet request from terminal  102 .  
         [0026]    Gateway  104  executing WWCM software  124  instructions stores the Internet request, e.g. the URL, in memory. After storing the Internet request in memory, gateway  104  executes gateway-specific software  122  instructions causing the gateway to transmit the Internet request to web server  108  over fixed connection  110 .  
         [0027]    Web server  108  receives the Internet request, i.e. the HTTP-formatted WAP request, from gateway  104  over fixed connection  110  and responds by transmitting an HTTP response over fixed connection  110  to gateway  104 . As is known to persons in the art, the HTTP response may include either the requested Internet information, e.g. a HTML-formatted file or an HTTP error identifier. The HTML-formatted file, i.e. a web page, returned depends on the content of the HTTP request received by the web server  108 , as is known. An example of an HTTP error identifier is a resource not found error, e.g. a 404-file not found error.  
         [0028]    Gateway  104  executing gateway-specific software  122  instructions receives the HTTP response from web server  108  and causes the WWCM software  124  instructions to be executed. It is to be understood that there are multiple ways in which gateway  104  can execute WWCM software  124  instructions, e.g. WWCM software  124  may be periodically checking a designated memory location for the HTTP response or the gateway-specific software  122  instructions may direct gateway  104  to begin executing WWCM software  124 .  
         [0029]    WWCM Software Functionality  
         [0030]    Based on the (a) amount of time elapsed since the HTTP request was transmitted to web server  108  or (b) HTTP response received from web server  108 , gateway  104  transmits a specific response to terminal  102 . WWCM software  124  instructions executing on gateway  104  analyze the received HTTP response to determine whether the response is the requested Internet information or an error identifier.  
         [0031]    No Response Received From Web Server  
         [0032]    If the amount of time elapsed since the HTTP request was transmitted to web server  108  from gateway  104  meets or exceeds a specified value, the WWCM software  124  instructions executing on gateway  104  determine that a response from server  108  is not forthcoming, e.g. either (1) the web server  108  is very slow or busy or (2) the fixed connection  110  between gateway  104  and web server  108  is very slow or busy. If gateway  104  determines that a response is not forthcoming, WWCM software  124  instructions executing on gateway  104  cause the gateway to execute gateway-specific software  122  instructions transmitting a response to terminal  102  to inform the user that a response has not been received from web server  108  and gateway  104  will retransmit the previously received HTTP request from terminal  102  to web server  108 . Further, the user of terminal  102  has the option of hanging up, i.e. disconnecting terminal  102  from gateway  104 , or continuing to wait for a response from web server  108  via gateway  104 .  
         [0033]    If the user decides to hang up, the connect time ceases to accumulate and gateway  104  records the connect time for terminal  102  for billing purposes. Gateway-specific software  122  instructions executed by gateway  104  store a record of the disconnect to memory and cause the gateway  104  to execute WWCM software  124  instructions causing the gateway  104  to retransmit the previously received HTTP request to web server  108 . In this manner, the user&#39;s connect time does not continue to increase and thereby lowers the overall cost to the user. Upon receiving an HTTP response, the process described above is repeated for receiving an HTTP response from web server  108 .  
         [0034]    If the user does not cause terminal  102  to disconnect, the connect time continues to accumulate and the gateway  104  retransmits the previously received HTTP request to web server  108 . Upon receiving an HTTP response, the process described above is repeated for receiving an HTTP response from web server  108 .  
         [0035]    If, after a predetermined number of attempted retransmissions of the HTTP request, an HTTP response is not received from web server  108 , gateway  104  discontinues transmission of the HTTP request and transmits a response to terminal  102 , if the terminal is still connected to gateway  104 , informing the user of the continued web server  108  response failure. The user may then choose to manipulate terminal  102  to disconnect the terminal from gateway  104 , transmit a new HTTP request, or retransmit the previous HTTP request.  
         [0036]    Response Received From Web Server  
         [0037]    If an HTTP response is received from web server  108  prior to the elapsed time exceeding the specified value, gateway  104  determines if the received response includes requested Internet information or an error identifier.  
         [0038]    Response Is Error Identifier  
         [0039]    If the HTTP response received from web server  108  by gateway  104  is an error identifier, WWCM software  124  instructions executing on gateway  104  cause the gateway to execute gateway-specific software  122  instructions to transmit a response to terminal  102  informing the user that an error response has been received from web server  108  and that gateway  104  will retransmit the previously received HTTP request from terminal  102  to web server  108 . The user of terminal  102  has the option of hanging up, i.e. disconnecting terminal  102  from gateway  104 , terminating the previous HTTP request, transmitting a new HTTP request, or continuing to wait for the requested internet information from web server  108  via gateway  104 .  
         [0040]    In this case, if the user decides to hang up, gateway  104  ceases to accumulate connect time and records the connect time for terminal  102  for billing purposes. There is no further transmission of the user&#39;s previous HTTP request to web server  108 . If the user terminates the previous HTTP request, terminal  102  remains connected to gateway  104  ready to transmit a new HTTP request or disconnect from gateway  104 . If the user decides to transmit a new HTTP request, the process begins a new except that terminal  102  is already connected to gateway  104 .  
         [0041]    If the user decides to continue to wait for the requested internet information, the user has the option of either hanging up and waiting for gateway  104  to call back or remaining connected and continuing to wait for a response from a web server  108  via gateway  104 . If the user decides to hang up and wait for gateway  104  to call back, the connection between terminal  102  and gateway  104  is terminated, gateway  104  ceases to accumulate connect time and records the connect time for terminal  102  for billing purposes, and gateway  104  retries the previously transmitted HTTP request to web server  108 . Thereafter, gateway  104  continues to retry transmitting the HTTP request at a specified frequency until either an HTTP response having Internet information is received from web server  108  or a predetermined number of attempts have been transmitted without receiving an HTTP response having Internet information. If an HTTP response having Internet information is received by gateway  104  from web server  108 , gateway  104  uses the previously stored terminal unique identifier to establish a connection with terminal  102 , formats the HTTP response to be a WAP format response, and transmits the WAP response to the terminal for presentation to the user. It is to be understood by persons of skill in the art that the above-described call back from gateway  104  to terminal  102  can also be implemented using push techniques to push content to a device without a specific user request.  
         [0042]    If the user decides to continue to wait, gateway  104  continues accumulating connect time for terminal  102  and retries the previously transmitted HTTP request to web server  108 . The process continues as described above until either a determination that no response is forthcoming or an HTTP response is received from web server  108 .  
         [0043]    Response Includes Internet Information  
         [0044]    If the HTTP response received from web server  108  by gateway  104  is the requested internet information, the WWCM software  124  causes the gateway-specific software  122  to transmit the requested information to terminal  102  over wireless connection  106 . Gateway-specific software  122  instructions executed by gateway  104  formats the requested information, i.e. the HTTP response received from web server  108 , as a WAP formatted response prior to transmission to terminal  102 .  
         [0045]    Request and Response Flow  
         [0046]    [0046]FIGS. 3, 4, and  5  are high level interaction diagrams depicting the flow of requests and responses between terminal  102 , gateway  104 , and web server  108  according to the processes described above. With respect to each figure, time proceeds down the page from top to bottom.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 3 depicts an example of the responses and requests transmitted between terminal  102 , gateway  104 , and web server  108  when no response is forthcoming from a web server  108  in response to a terminal-originated request, as described above. In accordance with FIG. 3, a connect request  130  is transmitted from terminal  102  to gateway  104  responsive to user manipulating terminal  102 . Gateway  104  responds to connect request  130  by transmitting a connect response  131  to terminal  102  thereby establishing a wireless connection  106  between terminal  102  and gateway  104 .  
         [0048]    After the wireless connection is established, the user manipulates terminal  102  causing terminal  102  to transmit a WAP request  132  to gateway  104 . Gateway  104  receives the WAP request  132 , formats the WAP request  132  as an HTTP request  133 , and transmits the HTTP request  132  to web server  108  via fixed connection  110 .  
         [0049]    After a predetermined period of time has elapsed without a response, as indicated by the execution of timeout process  134  by gateway  104 , gateway  104  transmits a WAP response  135  including three user selectable options to terminal  102  for presentation to the user. The options include hang up, hang up and retry, and continue. Responsive to the WAP response  135 , the user selects one of the options by manipulating terminal  102  causing the terminal to transmit the user selection  136 , e.g. option  3  continue, to gateway  104 . Gateway  104  receives the user selection  136  and retransmits the previously transmitted HTTP request  133  to web server  108  as HTTP request  137 . In this example, the cost to the user continues to increase because gateway  104  continues to accumulate connect time. If the user had selected the hang up and retry option, gateway  104  would cease to accumulate connect time and would retry the HTTP request without further increasing the connect time of terminal  102 .  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 4 depicts an example of the responses and requests transmitted between terminal  102 , gateway  104 , and web server  108  when a response having the Internet information requested is received from web server  108 , as described above. In accordance with FIG. 4, a wireless connection  106  is set up by transmission of connect request  130  and connect response  131  between terminal  102  and gateway  104 , a WAP request  132  is transmitted from terminal  102  to gateway  104 , and an HTTP request  133  is transmitted from gateway  104  to web server  108  over fixed connection  110  as the interactions are described with respect to FIG. 3.  
         [0051]    Differing from FIG. 3, in FIG. 4 the web server  108  transmits an HTTP response  140  including the requested internet information, i.e. the information corresponding to HTTP request  133 , to gateway  104 . After gateway  104  determines the type of the HTTP response received, as indicated by the execution of determine response process  141  by gateway  104 , gateway  104  formats HTTP response  140  as a WAP response  142  and transmits the WAP response  142  to terminal  102  for presentation to the user.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 5 depicts an example of the responses and requests transmitted between terminal  102 , gateway  104 , and web server  108  when a response having an error identifier is received from a web server  108 , as described above. In accordance with FIG. 4, a wireless connection  106  is set up by transmission of connect request  130  and connect response  131  between terminal  102  and gateway  104 , a WAP request  132  is transmitted from terminal  102  to gateway  104 , and an HTTP request  133  is transmitted from gateway  104  to web server  108  over fixed connection  110  as the interactions are described with respect to FIG. 3.  
         [0053]    Differing from the interaction diagram depicted in FIG. 4, in FIG. 5 the web server  108  transmits an HTTP response  150  including an error identifier, e.g. a 404-file not found error, to gateway  104 . After gateway  104  determines the type of the HTTP response received, as indicated by the execution of determined response process  141  by gateway  104 , gateway  104  transmits a WAP response  152  including three user selectable options to terminal  102  for presentation to the user. The options include hang up, hang up and retry, and continue.  
         [0054]    Responsive to the WAP response  152 , the user selects one of the options by manipulating terminal  102  causing the terminal to transmit the user selection  153 , i.e. option  2  hang up and retry at a later time, to gateway  104 . Gateway  104  receives the user selection  153 , disconnects terminal  102  from gateway  104  by transmitting disconnect  154 , and ceases to accumulate connect time for terminal  102 . Further in response to receipt of user selection  153 , gateway  104  retransmits the previously transmitted HTTP request  133  to web server  108  as HTTP request  155 .  
         [0055]    In response to HTTP request  155 , web server  108  transmits an HTTP response  140  including the requested internet information, i.e. the information corresponding to HTTP request  133 , to gateway  104 . After gateway  104  determines the type of the HTTP response received, as indicated by the execution of determine response process  141  by gateway  104 , gateway  104  transmits a connect request  156  to terminal  102  over wireless connection  106 . In response to receiving the connect request  156 , the user manipulates terminal  102  to transmit a connect response  157  to gateway  104  thereby reestablishing the connection between terminal  102  and gateway  104 . After the connection is established, gateway  104  transmits the WAP response  142  to terminal  102  for presentation to the user. In this example, the user has reduced the connect time used to obtain the requested Internet information.  
         [0056]    It will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention fulfills all of the objects set forth above. After reading the foregoing specification, one of ordinary skill will be able to affect various changes, substitutions of equivalents and various other aspects of the invention as broadly disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only by the definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.  
         [0057]    For example, other Internet and network services and resources can be accessed using an embodiment of the present invention. File transfer, electronic mail, and messaging services are examples of additional services. Further, server  108  can be a file server, electronic mail server, or other type of server.