Method, system and apparatus for dynamic quality of service modification

• US 20080247326A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Cormier, Jean-Philippe, Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor, Islam, Muhammad Khaledul
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device. The method includes the steps of establishing a secure tunnel between the mobile communication device and a remote network through a wireless network; communicating through the secure tunnel at a first quality of service; determining that a second quality of service, higher or lower than the first quality of service, is more appropriate to the communication type, and requesting, from the wireless network, the second quality of service.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a secure channel driver operable to establish a secure channel between the mobile communication device and a remote network via a wireless network, the secure channel operating to support an end-to-end secure tunnel;

a first client application operable to communicate with a first server application via the secure tunnel and associated with a first quality of service;

a second client application operable to communicate with a second server application via the secure tunnel and associated with a second quality of service different from the first quality of service;

a quality of service monitor operable to identify when the second quality of service is appropriate; and

a quality of service modification module operable to request the second quality of service from the wireless network when the second quality of service is appropriate.

2. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first client application is one of a messaging client application, a contacts management client application, a calendar management application or a browser application.

3. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the second application is one of a streaming audio client, a streaming video client, a VoIP client or an FTP client.

4. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the wireless network is one of a GSM network, an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network or any 3rd Generation (3G) network.

5. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the quality of service monitor is further operable to identify when the second quality of service is not appropriate.

6. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the service modification module is operable to request the first quality of service from the wireless network when the second quality of service is not appropriate.

7. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the quality of service monitor and quality of service module comprise a portion of a transport stack within the mobile communication device.

8. A method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

communicating at a first quality of service through a secure tunnel established between the mobile communication device and a remote network through a wireless network;

determining that a second quality of service, different from the first quality of service, is appropriate; and

requesting, from a network node associated with the wireless network, the second quality of service.

9. The method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device as recited in claim 8 wherein the first quality of service is associated with one of a messaging client application, a contacts management client application, a calendar management application or a browser application.

10. The method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device as recited in claim 8 wherein the second quality of service is associated with one of a streaming audio client, a streaming video client, a VoIP client or an FTP client.

11. The method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device as recited in claim 8 wherein the wireless network is one of a GSM network, an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network or any 3rd Generation (3G) network.

12. The method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device as recited in claim 8 further comprising the step of identifying when the second quality of service is not appropriate.

13. The method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device as recited in claim 8 further comprising the step of requesting the first quality of service from the wireless network when the second quality of service is not appropriate.

14. The method of dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device as recited in claim 8 wherein the step of determining that a second quality of service, higher than the first quality of service, is appropriate is performed by a quality of service monitor within the mobile communication device.

15. A communications node comprising:

means for supporting communication between a mobile communication device and a remote network via a secure tunnel across a wireless network having at least a first quality of service and a second quality of service;

means for processing a request from the mobile communication device to change the quality of service from the first quality of service to the second quality of service; and

means for changing the quality of service according to the request received from the mobile communication device.

16. The communications node as recited in claim 15 wherein the first quality of service is associated with one of a messaging client application, a contacts management client application, a calendar management application or a browser application, each operable to execute on the mobile communication device.

17. The communications node as recited in claim 15 wherein the second quality of service is associated with one of a streaming audio client, a streaming video client, a VoIP client or an FTP client, each operable to execute on the mobile communication device.

18. The communications node as recited in claim 15 wherein the wireless network is one of a GSM network, an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network or any 3rd Generation (3G) network.

19. The communications node as recited in claim 15 further comprising means for identifying when the second quality of service is not appropriate based on an indication from the mobile communication device.

20. The communications node as recited in claim 15 further comprising means for providing the first quality of service from the wireless network when the second quality of service is not appropriate.