API FOR WEB ACCESS DIRECTLY OR THROUGH INTERMEDIARY

摘要

Application processes executing on a mobile device can interact with interfaces (e.g., routines of an application programming interface) exposed on that mobile device in order to establish a wireless connection either directly to a network (e.g., the Internet) or directly to an intermediary device through which the application processes can then communicate with the network indirectly. The intermediary device can communicate with the network on behalf of the mobile device. The application processes can remain unaware, in either case, of whether the interfaces are communicating with the network through the intermediary device or not. The interfaces can insulate the application processes from that fact. The use of the intermediary device can be transparent to the application processes, such that the manner in which the application processes transmit and receive data using the interfaces remains constant regardless of whether the intermediary device is involved.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
at a mobile device having one or more processors, a first wireless interface for connecting to a network, and a second wireless interface for connecting to an intermediary device that has a third interface for connecting to the network: receiving, at an application programming interface from an application executing on the mobile device, a request to obtain data from a server accessible by the network; determining, by one or more routines of the application programming interface, whether a connection between the mobile device and an intermediary device exists over the second wireless interface; based on whether the connection between the mobile device and the intermediary device exists, determining, by the one or more routines: whether to establish a first session directly between the mobile device and the network to obtain the requested data, or whether to establish a second session between the mobile device and the intermediary device to instruct the intermediary device to obtain the requested data; and establishing the first session or the second session to obtain the requested data.