Network communication

Abstract

Mobile devices are networked to servers using connections. The connections are monitored to select one or more connections as the active connection. Information from applications is aggregated and transmitted across the active connection in order to network the mobile devices to the servers.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 at a device, opening a first connection to a server;    establishing an information exchange protocol for communicating on the first connection;    at a device, opening a second connection to the server;    selecting an active connection from connections including the second connection; and    communicating information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising communicating information configured for the information exchange protocol using the first connection as the active connection prior to selecting the second connection as the active connection.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which the second connection is opened prior to establishing the information exchange protocol.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  in which two or more of the connections are selected as the active connection.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which the second connection includes a wireless connection.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  or  6  further comprising 
 onitoring the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and  
 reselecting the active connection to optimize the parameter.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which the information is communicated in packets that include aggregated information for more than one application.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 ,  4 , or  6  in which the information includes a command that is effected by a module on the server.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  in which the information comprises an aggregation of information from applications, the extent of aggregation for each application being dependent on an indicator of priority for information exchange associated with each application.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  in which the command causes the server to contact a remote system, receive a reply from the remote system, and effect a response without transmitting the reply to the device.  
     
     
         12 . A method comprising: 
 at a server, accepting connections from a device for communicating information configured by an information exchange protocol;    detecting or selecting one or more of the connections of as an active connection; and    communicating information configured by the information exchange protocol using the active connection.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different applications on the device.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  in which the information includes a command for a module.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising effecting the command.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  in which the module effects the command by contacting a remote server, receiving a reply from the remote server and effecting a response without transmitting the reply to the device.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 ,  13 , or  17  in which the information is an aggregation of information for applications, the extent of aggregation for each application being dependent on an indicator of priority for information exchange associated with each application.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising a processor and software configured to cause the processor to: 
 open a first connection to a server;    establish an information exchange protocol;    open a second connection to a server;    select an active connection from connections including the second connection; and    communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  in which the processor is further configured to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and 
 reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.  
 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19  in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different local applications.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19  in which the information includes commands that are effected by a module on the server.  
     
     
         23 . An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a machine to: 
 open a first connection to a server;    establish an information exchange protocol;    open a second connection to a server;    select an active connection from the connections; and    communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.    
     
     
         24 . The article of  claim 23  in which a single one of the connections is selected as the active connection.  
     
     
         25 . The article of  claim 23  in which the instructions further cause the machine to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and 
 reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.  
 
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 23  in which the information is communicated in packets, each of at least some of the packets includes aggregated information for different local applications.  
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 23  in which the information includes commands that are effected by a module on the server.  
     
     
         28 . A system comprising: 
 a device, a server, and communication links, in which the device is configured to:    open a first connection to the server using one of the communication links;    establish an information exchange protocol;    open a second connection to the server using another of the communication links;    select an active connection from connections including the second connection;    communicate information configured for the information exchange protocol using the active connection.    
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  in which at least one of the communication links includes a wireless communication link.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28  or  29  in which the device is further configured to monitor the connections for a parameter selected from the group consisting of signal strength, transmittal rate, latency, cost of transmittal, and connection integrity; and 
 reselect the active connection to optimize the parameter.