Patent ID: 8761101

Claim:
A server configured to maintain a virtual connection map between one or more web-based computing devices and one or more mobile computing devices, the server comprising: a memory configured to store a map of logical connections of the one or more mobile computing devices; and a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to: determine a status of the logical connections of the one or more mobile computing devices; update the map of logical connections based on the determined status; receive a message from a web-based computing device; identify a mobile computing device to transfer at least a part of the message; determine whether the identified mobile computing device is currently connected based on the map; in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is currently connected, send the at least a part of the message for transmission to the identified mobile computing device; and in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is not currently connected: send a first communication to the web-based computing device indicating that the message is being processed in order to give an appearance to the web-based computing device that the identified mobile computing device is currently connected; send a second communication, via a first connection link, to the identified mobile computing device in order to authenticate the identified mobile computing device; in response to sending the second communication, receive, via the first connection link, a response communication from the identified mobile computing device; determine, based on the received response communication, whether to authenticate the identified mobile computing device; in response to determining to authenticate the identified mobile computing device, send a second connection link to the identified mobile computing device, the second connection link being different from the first connection link and for the identified mobile computing device to activate in order to communicate, via the server, with the web-based computing device; and communicate, via the second connection link, the at least a part of the message to the identified mobile computing device.