Patent ID: 7092718

Claim:
A local data communication system for transferring data over a communications channel between a local system and a remote data communication system connected to a remote system, said local data communications system comprising: a DTE interface adapted to connect said local data communications system to said local system so as to permit data to be transferred between said data communication system and said local system; a channel interface adapted to connect said local data communications system to said communications channel; a protocol and control processor adapted to transfer data between said channel interface and said DTE interface and adapted to transmit and receive data over said communications channel according to a predefined data communication protocol having a plurality of states and comprising a data compression protocol, said protocol and control processor being constructed so as to: (a) establish a connection with said remote data communication system and initiating the transmission of data over said communications channel; (b) detect a loss of said connection; (c) upon detection of a loss of said connection, enter a disconnect state whereby the transfer of data to and from said local system is prevented and the state of said data communication protocol and the state of said data compression protocol are preserved; (d) attempt to re-establish a connection with said remote data communications system and if said connection is re-established: (i) synchronize the state of said data communication protocol with the remote data communication system; and (ii) continue the transmission of said data over said communications channel.