METHOD OF PAUSING KEEP-ALIVE MESSAGES AND ROAMING FOR VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS ON HANDHELD DEVICES TO SAVE BATTERY POWER

• US 20070298848A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BABIN, STEPHEN W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

Provided is a method for maintaining a connection between a mobile device and a server over a wireless network in a manner that conserves the power supply of the mobile device. The claimed subject matter addresses the transmission of regular “keep-alive” packets to refresh a network address translation (NAT) server and the scanning for and connecting to faster, higher priority network connections. A configurable parameter, or power timeout, specifies an idle time. When a period of time equal to the parameter has passed with no traffic between the mobile device and the server, in either direction, periodic roaming scans and keep-alive messages are halted. As soon as traffic is resumed through the tunnel, the mobile device roams to the highest priority connection and roaming scans and keep-alive messages are resumed.

Claims

1. A method for conserving power on a mobile computing device, comprising:

defining a power timeout parameter corresponding to a period of inactivity for a mobile computing device, wherein a time interval defined by the power timeout parameter is longer than a time interval defined by a network address translation (NAT) timeout parameter associated with a secure communication channel;

setting a timer equal to time interval defined by the power timeout parameter;

detecting activity on the mobile computing device associated with the secure communication channel;

resetting the timer to time interval defined by the power timeout variable when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected; and

transitioning the mobile computing device into a power conservation state when the timer expires.

2. The method of claim 1, the transitioning the mobile computing device into the power conservation state comprising discontinuing transmission of keep-alive messages on the secure communication channel.

3. The method of claim 2, the transitioning the mobile computing device into the power conservation state further comprising discontinuing roaming activities associated with the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting activity associated with the secure communication channel while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state; and

transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to an active state when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state.

5. The method of claim 4, the transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to the active state comprising:

resetting the timer equal to the power timeout parameter;

resuming transmission of keep-alive messages; and

resuming roaming activities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure communication channel is a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is a cellular telephone.

8. A system for conserving power in a mobile computing device, comprising:

a power timeout parameter corresponding to a period of inactivity for a mobile computing device, a time interval defined by the power timeout parameter is longer than a time interval defined by a network address translation (NAT) timeout parameter associated with a secure communication channel;

a timer;

logic for detecting activity on the mobile computing device associated with the secure communication channel; and

logic for transitioning the mobile computing device into a power conservation state when the timer indicates that a period of inactivity on the mobile computing device associated with the secure communication channel has exceeded the power timeout parameter.

9. The system of claim 8, the logic for transitioning the mobile computing device into a power conservation state comprising logic for discontinuing transmission of keep-alive messages on the secure communication channel.

10. The system of claim 9, the logic for transitioning the mobile computing device into a power conservation state further comprising logic for discontinuing roaming activities associated with the mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising logic for transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to an active state when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state.

12. The system of claim 11, the logic for transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to the active state comprising:

logic for resuming transmission of keep-alive messages; and

logic for resuming roaming activities.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the secure communication channel is a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile computing device is a cellular telephone.

15. A computer programming product for conserving power in a mobile computing device, comprising:

a memory;

a power timeout parameter, stored on the memory, corresponding to a period of inactivity for a mobile computing device, wherein a time interval defined by the power timeout parameter is longer than a time interval defined by a network address translation (NAT) timeout parameter associated with a secure communication channel;

logic, stored on the memory, for setting a timer equal to time interval defined by the power timeout parameter;

logic, stored on the memory, for detecting activity on the mobile computing device associated with the secure communication channel;

logic, stored on the memory, for resetting the timer to time interval defined by the power timeout variable when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected; and

logic, stored on the memory, for transitioning the mobile computing device into a power conservation state when the timer expires.

16. The computer programming product of claim 15, the logic for transitioning the mobile computing device into the power conservation state comprising logic for discontinuing transmission of keep-alive messages on the secure communication channel.

17. The computer programming product of claim 16, the logic for transitioning the mobile computing device into the power conservation state further comprising logic for discontinuing roaming activities associated with the mobile computing device.

18. The computer programming product of claim 15, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory, for detecting activity associated with the secure communication channel while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state; and

logic, stored on the memory, for transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to an active state when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state.

19. The computer programming product of claim 18, the logic for transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to the active state comprising:

logic for resetting the timer equal to the power timeout parameter;

logic for resuming transmission of keep-alive messages; and

logic for resuming roaming activities.

20. The computer programming product of claim 15, wherein the secure communication channel is a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.

21. The computer programming product of claim 15, wherein the mobile computing device is a cellular telephone.

22. A cellular telephone, comprising:

a power timeout parameter corresponding to a period of inactivity for the cellular, wherein a time interval defined by the power timeout parameter is longer than a time interval defined by a network address translation (NAT) timeout parameter associated with a secure communication channel;

a timer;

logic for detecting activity on the cellular telephone associated with the secure communication channel; and

logic for transitioning the mobile cellular telephone into a power conservation state when the timer indicates that a period of inactivity on the cellular telephone associated with the secure communication channel has exceeded the power timeout parameter.

23. The cellular telephone of claim 22, the logic for transitioning the cellular telephone into a power conservation state comprising logic for discontinuing transmission of keep-alive messages on the secure communication channel.

24. The cellular telephone of claim 23, the logic for transitioning the cellular telephone into a power conservation state further comprising logic for discontinuing roaming activities associated with the cellular telephone.

25. The cellular telephone of claim 22, further comprising logic for transitioning the cellular telephone from the power conservation state to an active state when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected while the cellular telephone is in the power conservation state.

26. The cellular telephone of claim 25, the logic for transitioning the cellular telephone from the power conservation state to the active state comprising logic for resuming transmission of keep-alive messages.

27. The cellular telephone of claim 26, the logic for transitioning the cellular telephone from the power conservation state to the active state further comprising logic for resuming roaming activities.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the secure communication channel is a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.

29. A programmed method for conserving power on a mobile computing device, comprising:

defining a power timeout parameter corresponding to a period of inactivity for a mobile computing device, wherein a time interval defined by the power timeout parameter is longer than a time interval defined by a network address translation (NAT) timeout parameter associated with a secure communication channel;

setting a timer equal to time interval defined by the power timeout parameter;

detecting activity on the mobile computing device associated with the secure communication channel;

resetting the timer to time interval defined by the power timeout variable when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected; and

transitioning the mobile computing device into a power conservation state when the timer expires.

30. The programmed method of claim 29, the transitioning the mobile computing device into the power conservation state comprising discontinuing transmission of keep-alive messages on the secure communication channel.

31. The programmed method of claim 30, the transitioning the mobile computing device into the power conservation state further comprising discontinuing roaming activities associated with the mobile computing device.

32. The programmed method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting activity associated with the secure communication channel while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state; and

transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to an active state when activity associated with a secure communication channel is detected while the mobile computing device is in the power conservation state.

33. The programmed method of claim 32, the transitioning the mobile computing device from the power conservation state to the active state comprising:

resetting the timer equal to the power timeout parameter;

resuming transmission of keep-alive messages; and

resuming roaming activities.

34. The programmed method of claim 29, wherein the secure communication channel is a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel.

35. The programmed method of claim 29, wherein the mobile computing device is a cellular telephone.