Method to sustain TCP connection
First Claim
1. A network device for use in a communication system, the network device having a predetermined period of time during which, if no communication is received from a mobile communication unit, the network device ends an established connection with the mobile communication unit, the network device comprising:
- a processor operative to control the network device;
a transceiver coupled to the processor, the transceiver operative to transmit and receive information between the mobile communication unit and the network device upon a connection being established between the mobile communication unit and the network device; and
the processor of the network device periodically receives an unsolicited transparent keepalive packet from the mobile communication unit at predetermined intervals, the keepalive packet serving to reset the predetermined period of time such that the network device does not end the established connection.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to network communication systems for managing client/server connections in a wireless environment. In accordance with the invention, a mobile communication unit (i.e., client), deploys keepalive packets at selected times in order to reset a keepidle timer of a server (e.g., host computer). By periodically resetting the keepidle timer a current connection between the mobile communication unit and server can be maintained as long as desired even when the mobile communication unit is in a power suspend mode. When in a power suspend mode, the mobile communication unit can briefly awake long enough to activate its transmitter and send a keepalive packet to the server to maintain the current connection. In this manner, the mobile communication unit can obtain the power savings of being in primarily a power suspend mode, but still prevent the current connection from timing out.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A network device for use in a communication system, the network device having a predetermined period of time during which, if no communication is received from a mobile communication unit, the network device ends an established connection with the mobile communication unit, the network device comprising:
-
a processor operative to control the network device;
a transceiver coupled to the processor, the transceiver operative to transmit and receive information between the mobile communication unit and the network device upon a connection being established between the mobile communication unit and the network device; and
the processor of the network device periodically receives an unsolicited transparent keepalive packet from the mobile communication unit at predetermined intervals, the keepalive packet serving to reset the predetermined period of time such that the network device does not end the established connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A communication system that propagates a keepalive packet, the keepalive packet serving to reset a predetermined period of time that a network device ends a connection with a mobile communication unit, the system comprising:
a network device with a connection to a mobile communication unit, the network device at least one of receives and sends a keepalive packet, the keepalive packet comprising;
a preamble field having synchronizing bits for allowing the network device to synchronize to the packet;
a header field following the preamble field;
a source address field holding the address of the mobile communication unit from which the packet originates;
a destination field holding the address of the network device for which the packet is directed;
a sending sequence field relating to the number of bytes of the packet, the sending sequence field comprising a number one less than a sending sequence number expected by the network device;
a last sequence field provided to allow the network device to determine the last sequence number sent by the network device to the mobile communication unit; and
error correction field provided to allow the network device to determine if it has properly received the packet. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
16. A method for maintaining a connection between a network device and a mobile communication unit, comprising:
-
ending the connection by the network device if no communication is received from the mobile communication unit for a predetermined period of time; and
transmitting an unsolicited keepalive packet from the mobile communication unit to the network device, the keepalive packet serving to reset the predetermined period of time so that the network device does not end the connection and is transparent to the network device.
-
-
17. A mobile communication unit for use in a communication system, the communication system including a network device, the network device having a predetermined period of time during which, if no communication is received from the mobile communication unit, the network device ends an established connection with the mobile communication unit, the mobile communication unit comprising:
-
a processor operative to control the mobile communication unit;
a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter operative to transmit information to the network device upon a connection being established between the mobile communication unit and the network device; and
the processor of the mobile communication unit transmits a transparent, unsolicited keepalive packet to the network device, the keepalive packet serving to reset the predetermined period of time so that the network device does not end the established connection.
-
-
18. A communication system comprising:
-
a mobile client;
a network device adapted to determine if no communication from the mobile client is received for a predetermined period of time during a connection and ending the connection with the mobile client if the predetermined period of time expires prior to the network device receiving communication from the mobile client; and
the mobile client transmits an unsolicited keepalive packet to the network device, the keepalive packet serving to reset the predetermined period of time so that the network device does not end the connection, the keepalive packet transparent to the network device.
-
Specification