Method and apparatus for managing the usage of data link resources

• US 20040062262A1
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Venteicher, Chris, Ryan, William, Willis, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

The present invention manages data link resources in a wireless communication device by managing the data link resource needs of multiple client applications including the creation and sharing of data link resources. If the requested data link resources can be accommodated by the already established data link resources (106), then one or more of the already established data link resources are shared (108) with the application making the request for data link resources. If the requested data link resources can not be accommodated by the already established data link resources, then the data link resources are upgraded (110) to accommodate the additional requirements of the received request.

Claims

1. A method for managing the usage of data link resources, communicatively coupling a wireless communication device and a wireless network, being used by one or more applications operating in association with the wireless communication device comprising:

receiving a request for data link resources from an application;

comparing the requested data link resources with the available resources associated with the already established data links;

determining whether the request for data link resources can be accommodated by the already established data link resources;

if the requested data link resources can be accommodated by the already established data link resources, then sharing one or more of the already established data link resources with the application making the request;

if the requested data link resources can not be accommodated by the already established data link resources, then the data link resources are upgraded to accommodate the additional requirements of the received request.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein upgrading the data link resources to accommodate the additional requirements includes one or more of

establishing a new primary context data link,

establishing a new secondary context data link in association with an already existing primary context data link, and

increasing the quality of service of an already established data link.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein when establishing a new primary or secondary data link, the cost of the different types of data links, which will meet the requirements of the application requesting the data link resources is compared with each other, and the data link resource which meets the application requirements and has the lowest cost is selected.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the quality of service of a data link is defined as different levels of background, interactive, streaming or conversational.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of the different levels of interactive or streaming includes low, medium and high levels of service quality.

6. The method in accordance with claim 4 wherein streaming is distinguished between real time and non-real time, which is used to define differences in transfer delays relative to a predefined threshold.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein establishing a new data link resource or sharing one or more of the already established data link resources includes creating an additional socket, on each of the one or more data links being established or shared.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 wherein each socket includes a count down timer, which is decremented when data is not being transferred on the corresponding socket.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein decrementing the count down timer includes, comparing the value of the timer to a lower threshold, and if the count value is lower than the lower threshold, then releasing the data link resources associated with the socket.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein releasing the data link resources associated with the socket includes downgrading the data link resources including one or more of:

decreasing the quality of service of an already established data link for which associated resources have been released to a level of service which minimally meets the non-released requirements for the data link resource, and

terminating a data link for which all of the associated resources have been released.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein decreasing the quality of service of an already established data link includes switching to a more cost effective data link, where the more cost effective data link can support the remaining non-released requirements.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining whether the request for data link resources can be accommodated by an already established data link includes:

determining whether the requested data link resources is for the same access point of an existing data link;

determining whether the requested data link resources is for the same user of an existing data link;

determining whether the application already using the existing data link, and the application requesting data link resources are willing to share a data link; and

determining whether the quality of service of the existing data link can support both the data link resource requirements of the applications already using the data link and the data link resource requirements of the application requesting data link resources.

13. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein upgrading the data link resources to accommodate the additional requirements additionally includes

checking a flag associated with the type of data link being established or the type of data link having the increased quality of service,

if the flag is set, then prompting the user for authorization to establish or increase the quality of the data link.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein receiving a request for data link resources includes

receiving a set of parameters defining the requirements for the data link resources being requested, and

supplying from a default list of parameters any parameters, which are missing from the set of parameters received.

15. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein establishing a new secondary context data link includes establishing a data link having a common address and access point as an already existing primary context data link.

16. A data link resource manager comprising:

a processor;

a storage unit coupled to said processor for storing one or more sets of instructions for execution by the processor including

prestored instructions for receiving a request for data link resources from an application and comparing the requested data link resources with the available resources associated with the already established data links; and

prestored instructions for determining whether the request for data link resources can be accommodated by the already established data link resources, and if the requested data link resources can be accommodated by the already established data link resources, then sharing one or more of the already established data link resources with the application making the request, otherwise if the requested data link resources can not be accommodated by the already established data link resources, then upgrading the data link resources to accommodate the additional requirements of the received request.

17. The data link resource manager of claim 16 wherein the prestored instructions for upgrading the data link resources includes prestored instructions for selectively establishing a new primary context data link, selectively establishing a new secondary context data link in association with an already existing primary context data link, and selectively increasing the quality of service of an already established data link.

18. The data link resource manager of claim 16 wherein the data link resource manager is incorporated as part of a wireless communication device.

19. The data link resource manager of claim 18 wherein the application requesting resources is an application operating in a separate external device communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device.

20. The data link resource manager of claim 18 wherein the application requesting resources is an application operating in the wireless communication device.

21. A data link resource manager comprising:

a data session event handler coupled to one or more client application for receiving a request for data link resources;

a proxy manager coupled to the data session event handler for creating a proxy instance including a signaling contexts and protocol stacks for maintaining a data session; and

a link manager coupled to the proxy manager for creating a link instance including an interface for controlling the signaling context and a link protocol.

22. A data link resource manager of claim 21 wherein the proxy manager includes a default proxy descriptor including a set of default parameters for establishing a data session in absence of one or more parameters from the client application, when the client application is making a request for data link resources.