UPDATING NODE PRESENCE BASED ON COMMUNICATION PATHWAY
A data communications network, for which presence information is maintained for wireless data communication devices forming nodes of the network, includes: a presence server; and a plurality of nodes formed by the wireless data communication devices, each of the devices configured to send periodic check-in messages to the presence server. The presence server is configured to send an acknowledgment in response to a check-in message. Each of the wireless data communication devices is configured to reset a timer associated with the sending of the check-in messages by it upon (i) communicating, as an intermediate node, a check-in message originating at another node, and (ii) communicating, as an intermediate node, a corresponding acknowledgment originating at the presence server. The presence server is configured to update presence information of wireless data communication device from which a check-in message originates and each intermediate node.
1 - 41 . (canceled)
42 . A method of maintaining presence information associated with a wireless data communication device of a data communications network, comprising:
communicating a message from a first node of the data communications network to a gateway device along a pathway, the pathway including the wireless data communication device as an intermediary node of the pathway;
including with the message the pathway by which the message is communicated in the wireless data communication device;
storing, in a computer readable medium at the gateway device, information representing the pathway;
updating, at the gateway device, presence information of the wireless data communication device;
communicating an acknowledgment of the message to the first node along the reverse pathway; and
upon communicating the acknowledgement of the message by the wireless data communication device, resetting a timer used by the wireless data communication device to trigger the sending of a presence indication of the wireless data communication device to the gateway device.
43 . The method of claim 42 , further comprising the step of receiving, by the gateway device, an acknowledgement of the message from the application of the client device for communicating to the first node.
44 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the wireless data communication device is configured to communicate a check-in message when the timer reaches a certain value.
45 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the gateway device, the first node, and the wireless data communication device forming an intermediate node are part of a network utilizing class based networking
46 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the first node and the wireless data communication device forming an intermediary node utilize wake-up technology.
47 . The method of claim 42 , further comprising, prior to communicating a message from a first node, registering with the gateway device by the wireless data communication device.
48 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the gateway device, the first node, and the wireless data communication device forming an intermediary node are part of a mesh network.
49 . The method of claim 42 , wherein said step of resetting a timer occurs contemporaneously with the step of communicating the acknowledgment.
50 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the gateway device comprises a gateway server.
51 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the wireless data communication device comprises a data packet radio component.
52 . A method of indicating presence by a wireless data communication device that forms a node in a data communications network, comprising:
receiving, at the wireless data communication device, a message originating at a first node and addressed to a gateway device;
storing, in a computer readable medium of the wireless data communication device, information associated with the message;
communicating, by the wireless data communication device, for delivery to gateway device, the message to another node of the data communications network;
receiving, at the wireless data communication device, an acknowledgment of the message by the gateway device;
resetting a timer at the wireless data communication device; and
communicating, by the wireless data communication device, for delivery to the first node, the acknowledgment of the message by the gateway device;
wherein the wireless data communication device is configured to communicate a message to the gateway device indicating the presence of the wireless data communication device as a node in the data communications network at predetermined intervals based on the timer.
53 . The method of claim 52 , wherein said step of communicating the message to the gateway device comprises communicating the message directly to the gateway device.
54 . The method of claim 52 , wherein said step of communicating the message to the gateway device comprises communicating the message indirectly to the gateway device via one or more other nodes.
55 . The method of claim 52 , wherein said step of communicating the acknowledgment of the message to the first node comprises communicating the message directly to the first node.
56 . The method of claim 52 , wherein said step of communicating the acknowledgment of the message to the first node comprises communicating the message indirectly to the first node via one or more other nodes.
57 . The method of claim 52 , further comprising the step of, prior to said step of receiving a message originating at a first node, registering, by the intermediary node, with the gateway device.
58 . The method of claim 52 , wherein the gateway device, the first node, and the intermediary node are part of a mesh network.
59 . The method of claim 52 , wherein the gateway device, the first node, and the intermediary node are part of a network utilizing class based networking.