Method and apparatus for mitigating the impact of receiving unsolicited IP packets at a wireless device

• US 20060109846A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nookala, Sriram Nagesh, Lioy, Marcello
• Granted Patent: US 8,379,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0238 where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

To initiate dormancy early, a wireless device receives an IP packet from a wireless network and determines whether the received IP packet is an unsolicited IP packet. An unsolicited IP packet may be declared if the received IP packet causes the wireless device to reactivate from dormancy or is not delivered to an application or service running at the wireless device. The wireless device transitions to dormancy early if the received IP packet is deemed to be an unsolicited IP packet and no other events prevent transition to dormancy. The wireless device may use (1) a shortened value for an inactivity timer for a predetermined time duration if an unsolicited IP packet is detected and (2) a nominal value for the inactivity timer thereafter. The wireless device resets the inactivity timer whenever an IP packet is sent or received and transitions to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a processor operative to receive a packet from a wireless network; and

a controller operative to determine whether the received packet is an unsolicited packet not requested from the wireless network and to initiate transition to dormancy early if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to declare the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet causes a transition out of dormancy.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to declare the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet is not delivered to an application or a service running at the wireless device.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to declare the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet results in no reply or a reject reply.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to declare the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if a subsequent data exchange, if any, is shorter than a predetermined time duration.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to reset an inactivity timer to a shortened value if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet and to initiate transition to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to reset an inactivity timer to a predetermined value if the received packet is deemed not to be an unsolicited packet and to initiate transition to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a packet from a wireless network;

determining whether the received packet is an unsolicited packet not requested from the wireless network; and

transitioning to dormancy early if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining whether the received packet is an unsolicited packet comprises

declaring the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet causes a transition out of dormancy.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining whether the received packet is an unsolicited packet comprises

declaring the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet is not delivered to an application or a service.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

resetting an inactivity timer to a shortened value if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet; and

transitioning to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

12. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a packet from a wireless network;

means for determining whether the received packet is an unsolicited packet not requested from the wireless network; and

means for transitioning to dormancy early if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for declaring the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet causes a transition out of dormancy.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for declaring the received packet to be an unsolicited packet if the received packet is not delivered to an application or a service.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for resetting an inactivity timer to a shortened value if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet; and

means for transitioning to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

16. A processor readable media for storing instructions operable in a wireless device to:

determine whether a packet received from a wireless network is an unsolicited packet not requested from the wireless network; and

initiate transition to dormancy early if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet.

17. The processor readable media of claim 16, and further for storing instructions operable to:

reset an inactivity timer to a shortened value if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet; and

initiate transition to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

18. A wireless device comprising:

a processor operative to receive a packet from a wireless network; and

a controller operative to determine whether the received packet is an unsolicited packet not requested from a wireless network, to use a first timer value for an inactivity timer for a predetermined time duration if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet, and to use a second timer value for the inactivity timer after the predetermined time duration.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is operative to reset the inactivity timer to the first timer value for each packet received during the predetermined time duration.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is operative to reset the inactivity timer to the second timer value for each packet received after the predetermined time duration.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the predetermined time duration is equal to the first timer value or the second timer value.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is operative to initiate transition to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first timer value is configurable.

24. A method comprising:

determining whether a received packet is an unsolicited packet not requested from a wireless network;

using a first timer value for an inactivity timer if the received packet is deemed to be an unsolicited packet, wherein the first timer value is used for a predetermined time duration; and

using a second timer value for the inactivity timer after the predetermined time duration.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

resetting the inactivity timer to the first timer value for each packet received during the predetermined time duration.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

resetting the inactivity timer to the second timer value for each packet received after the predetermined time duration.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the predetermined time duration is equal to the first timer value or the second timer value.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transitioning to dormancy upon expiration of the inactivity timer.