Multiple network wake-up
View Patent ↗A communication device may select a communication path to check for pending messages in a multiple network environment. The communication device may exit from a power-saving operating mode during which the communication device does not receive messages from a message server. After exiting the power-saving operating mode, the communication device may identify multiple different communication paths. The multiple communication paths may include different communication networks in the multiple network environment. The communication device may determine a selected communication path from among the multiple communication paths and communicate with a message server across the selected communication path to check for messages.
1. A device comprising:
a communication interface; and
a control module in communication with the communication interface, the control module operable to:
exit an operating mode during which the device does not receive messages;
obtain an ordering of multiple communication paths for attempting to communicate with a message system;
identify a first communication path in the ordering;
attempt to communicate with the message system across the first communication path using the communication interface; and
when the attempt to communicate with the message system using the first communication path is successful:
receive a message from the message system, the message communicated through the first communication path; and
when the attempt to communicate with the message system using the first communication path is not successful:
determine a next communication path in the ordering; and
attempt to communicate with the message system using the next communication path.
2. The device of claim 1 , where the control module is further operable to determine an availability of the first communication path.
3. The device of claim 2 , where the control module is operable to determine the availability of the first communication path by receiving a beacon signal from a communication network in the first communication path.
4. The device of claim 2 , where the control module is operable to determine the availability of the first communication path by listening for non-beacon network traffic communicated across a communication network in the first communication path.
5. The device of claim 1 , where a portion of the next communication path is not present in the first communication path.
6. The device of claim 5 , where the portion of the next communication path not present in the first communication path comprises a communication network.
7. The device of claim 1 , where the control module is further operable to:
transmit, using the communication interface, a communication across the first communication path to the message system to determine whether the message is stored on the message system and is pending delivery to the device.
8. The device of claim 1 , where the control module is further operable to determine availability of the multiple communication paths for inclusion in the ordering by:
establishing a connection with a network status database;
accessing availability data from the network status database; and
determining, according to the availability data, availability of the multiple communication paths for communicating with the message system.
9. A method comprising:
in a communication device:
exiting a power-saving mode during which the communication device does not receive messages; and
checking for pending messages by:
obtaining an ordering of multiple communication paths for attempting to communicate with a message system;
identifying a first communication path in the ordering;
attempting to communicate with the message system across the first communication path; and
when the attempt to communicate with the message system using the first communication path is successful:
obtaining a message from the message system through the first communication path; and
when the attempt to communicate with the message system using the first communication path is not successful:
determining a next communication path in the ordering; and
attempting to communicate with the message system using the next communication path.
10. The method of claim 9 , where the ordering of the multiple communication paths is ordered based on a current communication characteristic of the multiple communication paths.
11. The method of claim 9 , where the ordering of the multiple communication paths is ordered based on data rate of the multiple communication paths.
12. The method of claim 9 , where the ordering of the multiple communication paths is ordered based on any combination of communication cost, reliability, or energy-efficiency of the multiple communication paths.
13. The method of claim 9 , where obtaining the message from the message system comprises:
transmitting a communication across the first communication path to the message system to determine whether the message is stored on the message system pending delivery to the communication device.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining availability of the multiple communication paths for inclusion in the ordering by:
establishing a connection with a network status database;
accessing availability data from the network status database; and
determining, according to the availability data, availability of the multiple communication paths for communicating with the message system.
15. A communication device comprising:
a communication interface operable to communicate with a message system; and
a manager module in communication with the communication interface, the manager module operable to:
exit the communication device from a power-save mode;
obtain an ordering of multiple communication paths for attempting to communicate with the message system;
determine a first communication path in the ordering;
attempt to communicate with the message system using the first communication path; and
when the attempt to communicate using the first communication path is successful, then:
obtain a message for the communication device from the message system by communicating across the first communication path; and
when the attempt to communicate using the first communication path fails:
determine a next communication path in the ordering;
attempt to communicate with the message system using the next communication path; and
when the attempt to communicate using the next communication path is successful, then:
obtain a message for the communication device from the message system by communicating across the next communication path.
16. The communication device of claim 15 , where the ordering of the multiple communication paths is based on any combination of data rate, communication quality, reliability, energy-efficiency, or cost.
17. The communication device of claim 15 , where the attempt to communicate using the first communication path is successful when the communication device receives a beacon signal from a communication network in the first communication path.
18. The communication device of claim 15 , where the manager module is operable to attempt to communicate with the message system using the first communication path by sending a beacon signal to a communication network in the first communication path.
19. The communication device of claim 15 , where the manager module is operable to obtain the message for the communication device from the message system by:
transmitting a communication across the first communication path to the message system to determine whether the message is stored on the message system pending delivery to the communication device.
20. The communication device of claim 15 , where the manager module is further operable to determine availability of the multiple communication paths by for inclusion in the ordering:
establishing a connection with a network status database;
accessing availability data from the network status database; and
determining, according to the availability data, availability of the multiple communication paths for communicating with the message server.