Virtual connection of a remote unit to a server

Abstract

A computer system, a communication module and a method are provided to allow a fast reconnection of a first computer to a second computer. The invention includes a telephone modem for coupling to a telephone line. Modem protocol control software adapts the telephone modem save channel parameters and to thereby renegotiate a connection speed over a telephone line in less time than required to perform an initial line rate negotiation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computerized system comprising: 
 a central processing unit;    a memory;    a display monitor;    a communication module;    wherein the communication module comprises a telephone modem and a software module controllably coupled to the telephone modem, wherein the software module implements at least a communication protocol which adapts the telephone modem to perform an initial line rate negotiation and a subsequent line rate renegotiation in a manner that allows the subsequent line rate renegotiation to complete in less time than is required for the initial line rate negotiation to complete, and wherein the software module further comprises: 
 a first program code that causes a first communication connection over a wireline telephone communication channel to be initialized using said telephone modem, said initializing being performed at least partially by performing the initial line rate negotiation sequence with a far end modem to determine a set of parameters to be used to support communications over said wireline telephone communication channel;  
 a second program code that causes the set of parameters to be stored in a memory structure;  
 a third program code that causes communication to proceed at a negotiated data rate via said first communication connection with said remote entity using said parameters;  
 a fourth program code that causes the first communication connection to be terminated;  
 a fifth program code that causes said parameters to be accessed from said memory structure and used by said telephone modem in the subsequent line rate renegotiation to renegotiate a second communication connection over the wireline telephone communication channel so that data communication can be resumed on the second communication connection at a renegotiated data rate.  
   
     
     
         2 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the telephone modem supports aspects of the V.34 modem standard, and the initial line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.34 modem standard.  
     
     
         3 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the telephone modem supports aspects of the V.90 modem standard, and the initial line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.90 modem standard.  
     
     
         4 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory structure is a table structure.  
     
     
         5  The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein said parameters comprise adjustable echo cancellation coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through said wireline telephone communication channel.  
     
     
         6 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein said parameters comprise adjustable equalizer coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through said wireline telephone communication channel.  
     
     
         7 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein said parameters comprise adjustable signal constellation configuration parameters.  
     
     
         8 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein a session is established in conjunction with said first communication connection, the session is placed in an inactive state substantially when the first communication connection is terminated, and said session is placed back into an active state substantially in conjunction with the initialization of the second communication connection.  
     
     
         9 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the second connection is directed to said far end modem.  
     
     
         10 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the computerized system is a server system that further implements a server-side application layer protocol.  
     
     
         11 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the computerized system is a client-side computerized device that further implements a client-side application layer protocol.  
     
     
         12 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a physical layer software code adapted to generate a physical layer modem communication signal for transmission to the far end modem.  
     
     
         13 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a physical layer software code adapted to extract information from a physical layer modem communication signal received from the far end modem.  
     
     
         14 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an interconnection network comprising at least one bus;    wherein said central processing unit, said memory, said display monitor and said communications module are all coupled to said interconnection network.    
     
     
         15 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to transfer an authorization code associated with a session placed into a suspended state.  
     
     
         16 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to transfer application data in the first communication connection using a lower speed modem set-up protocol before the modem line rate has been negotiated.  
     
     
         17 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to transfer application data in the second communication connection using a lower speed modem set-up protocol before the modem line rate has been renegotiated.  
     
     
         18 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to perform line rate negotiation in the background in order to allow application data to be passed by a lower speed modem set-up protocol while the line rate is being negotiated.  
     
     
         19 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to perform line rate renegotiation in the background in order to allow application data to be passed by a lower speed modem set-up protocol while the line rate is being renegotiated.  
     
     
         20 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module operates under the control of a protocol stack, and the protocol stack includes at an upper layer a virtual session software layer, and the parameters are accessed from the memory structure as a portion of the reactivation of the virtual session.  
     
     
         21 . The computerized system of  claim 1 , wherein the software module operates under the control of a protocol stack, and the protocol stack includes at an upper layer a virtual session software layer, and the parameters are accessed from a table associated with the virtual session software layer.  
     
     
         22 . A communication module, comprising: 
 a telephone modem including a connector for coupling to a telephone line;    a software module controllably coupled to said telephone modem;    wherein the software module implements a communications protocol which adapts the telephone modem to perform an initial line rate negotiation and a subsequent line rate renegotiation in a manner that allows the subsequent line rate renegotiation to complete in less time than is required for the initial line rate negotiation to complete, and wherein the software module further comprises: 
 a first program code that causes a first communication connection over a wireline telephone communication channel to be initialized using said telephone modem, said initializing being performed at least partially by performing the line rate negotiation sequence with a far end modem to determine a set of parameters to be used to support communications over said wireline telephone communication channel;  
 a second program code that causes the set of parameters to be stored in a memory structure;  
 a third program code that causes communication to proceed at a negotiated data rate via said first communication connection with said remote entity using said parameters;  
 a fourth program code that causes the first communication connection to be terminated;  
 a fifth program code that causes said parameters to be accessed from said memory structure and used by said telephone modem in the subsequent line rate renegotiation to renegotiate a second communication connection over the wireline telephone communication channel so that data communication can be resumed on the second communication connection at a renegotiated data rate.  
   
     
     
         23 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the telephone modem supports aspects of the V.34 modem standard, and the initial line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.34 modem standard.  
     
     
         24 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the telephone modem supports aspects of the V.90 modem standard, and the initial line rate negotiation is performed at least partially in accordance with the V.90 modem standard.  
     
     
         25 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the memory structure is a table structure.  
     
     
         26 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein said parameters comprise adjustable echo cancellation coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through said wireline telephone communication channel.  
     
     
         27 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein said parameters comprise adjustable equalizer coefficients that are adjusted in response to a training signal sent through said wireline telephone communication channel.  
     
     
         28 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein said parameters comprise adjustable signal constellation configuration parameters.  
     
     
         29 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein a session is established in conjunction with said first communication connection, the session is placed in an inactive state substantially when the first communication connection is terminated, and said session is placed back into an active state substantially in conjunction with the initialization of the second communication connection.  
     
     
         30 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the second connection is directed to said far end modem.  
     
     
         31 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the communication module is implemented as a portion of a server system that further implements a server-side application layer protocol.  
     
     
         32 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the communication module is implemented as a portion of a client-side computerized device that further implements a client-side application layer protocol.  
     
     
         33 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to generate a physical layer modem communication signal for transmission to the far end modem.  
     
     
         34 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a software code adapted to extract information from a physical layer modem communication signal received from the far end modem.  
     
     
         35 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a link layer software code adapted to transfer an authorization code associated with a session placed into a suspended state.  
     
     
         36 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a link layer software code adapted to transfer application data in the first communication connection using a lower speed modem set-up protocol before the modem line rate has been negotiated.  
     
     
         37 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a link layer software code adapted to transfer application data in the second communication connection using a lower speed modem set-up protocol before the modem line rate has been renegotiated.  
     
     
         38 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a link layer software code adapted to perform line rate negotiation in the background in order to allow application data to be passed by a lower speed modem set-up protocol while the line rate is being negotiated.  
     
     
         39 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module further comprises a link layer software code adapted to perform line rate renegotiation in the background in order to allow application data to be passed by a lower speed modem set-up protocol while the line rate is being renegotiated.  
     
     
         40 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module operates under the control of a protocol stack, and the protocol stack includes at an upper layer a virtual session software layer, and the parameters are accessed from the memory structure as a portion of the reactivation of the virtual session.  
     
     
         41 . The communication module of  claim 22 , wherein the software module operates under the control of a protocol stack, and the protocol stack includes at an upper layer a virtual session software layer, and the parameters are accessed from a table associated with the virtual session software layer.  
     
     
         42 . A method of reconnecting a telephone modem with a reduced delay by reducing a time associated with line rate renegotiation, the method comprising: 
 initializing a first communication connection over a wireline telephone communication channel using said telephone modem, said initializing comprising a line rate negotiation sequence with a far end modem to derive a set of echo canceller coefficients, equalizer coefficients, and signal constellation parameters to be used to configure communications processing to operate at a negotiated line rate over said wireline telephone communication channel;    storing said echo canceller coefficients, equalizer coefficients, and signal constellation parameters in a memory structure;    communicating at said negotiated data rate via said first communication connection with said far end modem using said echo canceller coefficients, equalizer coefficients, and signal constellation parameters;    terminating the first communication connection;    accessing from said memory structure said echo canceller coefficients, equalizer coefficients, and signal constellation parameters and using said echo canceller coefficients, equalizer coefficients, and signal constellation parameters to accelerate the renegotiation of a second communication connection having a renegotiated data rate for use over the wireline telephone communication channel using said telephone modem; and    communicating at a re-negotiated data rate via said second communication connection by reusing said echo canceller coefficients, equalizer coefficients, and signal constellation parameters;    whereby a setup delay time associated with the line rate negotiation of said first communication connection is longer than a setup delay time associated with the line rate renegotiation of said second communication connection.