You can freely build on How Early Mobile Devices Accessed the Internet Using Split Proxies

What this patent covers

This patent describes a split proxy system designed to bridge the gap between a client (like a mobile device) and a server (like a web server) over slow or high-latency networks. It uses a local proxy on the user's device and a remote proxy near the server to act as intermediaries. When a user makes a request, the local proxy converts the standard web protocol into a specialized transport protocol, which is more efficient for unreliable connections. The remote proxy receives this, converts it back to standard web protocol to talk to the server, and then compresses or filters the resulting data before sending it back to the device. This process prevents the 'chattiness' of standard web protocols from stalling on slow connections.

What is now free to use

All 0 claims of US 5673322 are in the public domain. Specifically:

The 0 dependent claims add narrowing limitations and are also free.

What is NOT covered

Patent expiry frees this specific invention. Separately-patented improvements made after expiry may still be protected.

• Does not cover direct connections between a client and server that do not use an intermediate proxy pair.

• Does not cover standard TCP/IP communication that lacks the specific conversion to a script-based transport protocol.

• Does not cover hardware-only solutions that do not involve the software-based proxy translation steps.

• Does not cover modern high-speed cellular protocols (like 5G) that handle latency at the hardware level.

Who is building on this today

This technology was developed by Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) and influenced the architecture of early mobile gateways. Today, companies like Cloudflare and various mobile network optimization firms continue to build on the concept of edge-based proxying to speed up content delivery.

Products built on expired version of this technology

How to cite this patent in your documentation

Bell Communications Research Inc. US Patent 5673322. System and method for providing protocol translation and filtering to access the world wide web from wireless or low-bandwidth networks. Granted 1997, expired 2016. Now in the public domain.

Note: This is a convenience citation. Consult a patent attorney for formal freedom-to-operate analysis.

PatentBrief is an educational resource and does not provide legal advice. Patent expiration information is derived from USPTO records and may not reflect continuation patents, divisional filings, or separately-patented improvements. For commercial use or production decisions, obtain a formal freedom-to-operate (FTO) opinion from a registered patent attorney.