Apple Inc.
API for web access directly or through intermediary

Abstract:

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.