System and Method for Intelligent Paging of an Idle Mobile Device

• US 20080225760A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Jayaraman R., Stammers, Timothy P., Oswal, Anand K., Shannon, Michael Lindsay
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An access gateway comprises a processor. The processor is operable to determine a message type of a received packet. The processor is further operable to apply a paging rule. The paging rule is related at least in part to the message type of the received packet. The processor is further operable to determine whether to send a request to transition the mobile device to an active state based on the paging rule. The processor is further operable to send a request, when appropriate, to transition the mobile device to an active state.

Claims

1. A method for intelligently paging an idle mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a message destined for a mobile device communicatively coupled to a packet switched wireless network;

determining a plurality of characteristics of the message, including a destination address of the message;

retrieving a paging rule based on one or more of the determined characteristics;

allowing the mobile device to remain in an idle state if instructed by the paging rule; and

requesting the mobile device to transition to an active state if instructed by the paging rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of characteristics is of the set comprising:

the sender of the incoming message;

the time the incoming message was sent;

the protocol used to transmit the incoming message;

the priority of the incoming message; and

an activation flag being set in the incoming message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the paging rule is specific to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the paging rule is a default rule applicable to a plurality of mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the paging rule comprises:

retrieving from a plurality of paging rules specific to the mobile device a particular paging rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message; and

retrieving from a plurality of default rules a particular default rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message, if the plurality of paging rules specific to the mobile device contains no particular paging rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

buffering the message if instructed by the paging rule.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

discarding the message if instructed by the paging rule.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving the paging rule is based on the number of messages destined for the mobile device that are buffered.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting to the mobile device after it becomes active at least a portion of the messages destined for the mobile device that are buffered.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a plurality of packets.

11. An access gateway comprising:

a memory capable of storing a plurality of paging rules and one or more messages destined for a mobile device; and

a processor operable to;

receive a message destined for a mobile device communicatively coupled to a packet switched wireless network;

determine a plurality of characteristics of the message, including a destination address of the message;

retrieve a paging rule based on one or more of the determined characteristics;

allow the mobile device to remain in an idle state if instructed by the paging rule; and

request the mobile device to transition to an active state if instructed by the paging rule.

12. The access gateway according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

retrieve from a plurality of paging rules specific to the mobile device a particular paging rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message;

retrieve from a plurality of default rules a particular default rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message, if the plurality of paging rules specific to the mobile device contains no particular paging rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message.

13. The access gateway according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to buffer the message in the memory if instructed by the paging rule.

14. The access gateway according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to discard the message if instructed by the paging rule.

15. The access gateway according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to transmit to the mobile device when the mobile device becomes active at least a portion of the messages destined for the mobile device that are buffered.

16. The access gateway according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to host an application proxy, wherein the application proxy is operable to:

receive a message destined for a mobile device communicatively coupled to a packet switched wireless network;

determine a plurality of characteristics of the message, including a destination address of the message;

retrieve from a plurality of paging rules specific to the mobile device a particular paging rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message;

retrieve from a plurality of default rules a particular default rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message, if the plurality of paging rules specific to the mobile device contains no particular paging rule having criteria that match the plurality of characteristics of the message.

17. A system comprising a mobile device, an access gateway, a base station, and means for buffering a message destined for the mobile device,

the access gateway operable to:

receive the message destined for a mobile device communicatively coupled to a packet switched wireless network;

determine a plurality of characteristics of the message, including a destination address of the message;

retrieve a paging rule based on one or more of the determined characteristics;

allow the mobile device to remain in an idle state if instructed by the paging rule;

send a first request to transition the mobile device to an active state if instructed by the paging rule;

the base station communicatively coupled to the access gateway and the mobile device, the base station operable to;

receive the first request;

send a second request to the mobile device to transition to an active state.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising an authentication, authorization, and accounting server operable to store one or more paging rules specified for the mobile device.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the means for buffering the incoming message is a relay device.

20. A system for intelligently paging an idle mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving a message destined for a mobile device communicatively coupled to a packet switched wireless network;

means for determining a plurality of characteristics of the message, including a destination address of the message;

means for retrieving a paging rule based on one or more of the determined characteristics;

means for allowing the mobile device to remain in an idle state if instructed by the paging rule; and

means for requesting the mobile device to transition to an active state if instructed by the paging rule.