# How to Keep Apps Running Without a Constant Internet Connection > IBM's method for letting apps think they are connected to a server even when the internet is offline by using a proxy that stores requests and fakes responses. - **Patent:** US 7543038 - **Original title:** Arrangement and method for impermanent connectivity - **Owner:** International Business Machines Corp - **Granted:** 2009 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** telecommunications, software, consumer_electronics ## What it does This patent describes a way to keep software running smoothly on devices that move in and out of network coverage. When a client application sends a request, such as an FTP file download, a client proxy intercepts it. If the connection is down, the proxy stores the request and immediately sends a fake, substitute response to the application so it does not crash or hang. Once the device reconnects, the proxy sends the actual request to the server and updates the local file using a unique signature to ensure the right data is overwritten. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover real-time streaming services where a substitute response would lead to data corruption. - Does not cover systems that rely on persistent, always-on connections without proxy-based interception. - Does not cover general data caching that lacks the specific 'substitute response' mechanism for application continuity. ## The clever bit The system tricks the application into believing it received a server response by generating a substitute, allowing the application to continue its execution flow while the proxy handles the actual network heavy lifting in the background. ## Real-world examples 1. Offline-first mobile applications 2. Field service handheld devices 3. Remote sensor data collection systems ## Why it matters This technology was essential for early mobile computing and field devices where connections were expensive or unreliable. It allowed developers to build applications that felt responsive even when the hardware was disconnected, a foundational concept for modern offline-first mobile app design. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How to Keep Apps Running Without a Constant Internet Connection cover? IBM's method for letting apps think they are connected to a server even when the internet is offline by using a proxy that stores requests and fakes responses. ### Who owns patent US 7543038? International Business Machines Corp owns this patent, granted in 2009. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 7543038 cited by? This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology was essential for early mobile computing and field devices where connections were expensive or unreliable. It allowed developers to build applications that felt responsive even when the hardware was disconnected, a foundational concept for modern offline-first mobile app design. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover real-time streaming services where a substitute response would lead to data corruption. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7543038/arrangement-and-method-for-impermanent-connectivity **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US7543038 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Apps Fetch Data in the Background While You Are Offline](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8069204/azure-cloud-platform) — A method for mobile devices to store web content for offline viewing and automatically fetch new updates in the background once a wireless connection is restored. - [How Servers Prepare Web Pages for You to Read Offline](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8972477/amazon-aurora-database) — A method for a remote server to process a website in two different ways simultaneously: one for live viewing and one optimized for later offline access. - [How Early Mobile Devices Accessed the Internet Using Split Proxies](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5673322/system-and-method-for-providing-protocol-translation-and-filtering-to-access-the-world-wide-web-from-wireless-or-low-bandwidth-networks) — A 1996 system that made the early web usable on slow, unreliable wireless connections by using two 'proxy' servers to shrink and simplify data before sending it. - [How Software Automatically Collects and Organizes Data from Multiple Websites](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8112476/amazon-ec2-elastic-compute-cloud) — A system that automatically logs into multiple websites, pulls information, and stores it locally before you even ask for it, so it is ready to view instantly. - [How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7233978/method-and-apparatus-for-managing-location-information-in-a-network-separate-from-the-data-to-which-the-location-information-pertains) — A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine.