Method and apparatus for achieving good usability for networked applications in multi mode mobile terminals

• US 20050070290A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Heikkila, Kari, Baggstrom, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A method (and corresponding equipment) for use by a device (10) in establishing a network connection on behalf of an application (14a-d) hosted by the device (10), including: a step (23b) of obtaining information about currently active cellular network systems, which may include information about connections currently in use; and a step (24) of deciding whether to allow establishing the connection based on factors including the information about currently active cellular network systems. The information about connections currently in use may include identifiers for applications using the connections currently in use. The factors can also include the identity of the application making the request and the identities of the applications using connections currently in use, so as to make the decision as to whether or not to allow establishing the connection after taking into account the importance and type of the different applications contending for the network resources (connections).

Claims

1. A method for use in establishing a network connection on behalf of an application (14a-d) hosted by a device (10), the method comprising:

a step (23b) of obtaining information about currently active cellular network systems; and

a step (24) of deciding whether to allow establishing the network connection based on factors including the information about currently active cellular network systems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about currently active cellular network systems includes information about combinations of different kinds of connections allowed by each currently active cellular network system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors also include information about connections currently in use or wherein the information about currently active cellular network systems includes information about connections currently in use.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information about connections currently in use includes at least the number and type of connections currently in use.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

a step (22) in which a request is made for permission to establish the network connection and the request includes an identifier corresponding to the application requesting the network connection;

and wherein the information about connections currently in use includes identifiers for applications using the connections currently in use, and further wherein the factors also include the identifier for the application and the identifiers for applications using the connections currently in use.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the factors also include the maximum amount of concurrent packet switched data allowed by the connections currently in use.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the active cellular network systems include at least a GSM network, a WCDMA network, or a CDMA2000 network.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a telecommunication terminal (10), with said computer program code characterized in that it includes instructions for performing the steps of the method of claim 1.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a telecommunication terminal (10), with said computer program code characterized in that it includes instructions for performing the steps of the method of claim 5.

18. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a telecommunication terminal (10), with said computer program code characterized in that it includes instructions for performing the steps of the method of claim 7.

8. A mobile terminal (10), equipped to establish a network connection on behalf of an application (14a-d) hosted by the mobile terminal (10), characterized in that it comprises:

means (11b 11c), responsive to a signal from the application (14a-d) to establish the connection, for providing a request to allow establishing the connection; and

a network resource control module (11a), responsive to a request to allow establishing the connection, and also responsive to information about currently active cellular systems, for determining whether to allow establishing the connection based on factors including the information about currently active cellular network systems.

9. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 8, wherein the information about currently active cellular network systems includes information about combinations of different kinds of connections allowed by each currently active cellular network system.

10. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 8, wherein the factors also include information about connections currently in use or wherein the information about currently active cellular network systems includes information about connections currently in use.

11. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 10, wherein the information about connections currently in use includes at least the number and type of connections currently in use.

12. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 10, further characterized in that it also comprises:

means (22) for making a request for permission to establish the network connection with the request including an identifier corresponding to the application requesting the network connection;

wherein the information about connections currently in use includes identifiers for applications using the connections currently in use, and further wherein the factors also include the identifier for the application and the identifiers for applications using the connections currently in use.

13. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 8, wherein the factors also include the maximum amount of concurrent packet switched data allowed by the connections currently in use.

14. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 8, wherein the active cellular network systems include at least a GSM network, a WCDMA network, or a CDMA2000 network.

15. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 8, further characterized in that it also comprises a cellular network information server (12), responsive to a request to provide the information about currently active cellular systems, for providing such information.

19. A system, comprising an operator network (17) having at least one cellular system (17a 17b), and also comprising a mobile terminal (10) as in claim 8.

20. A system, comprising an operator network (17) having at least one cellular system (17a 17b), and also comprising a mobile terminal (10) as in claim 12.