METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING AN ALWAYS-ON DATA SESSION IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20090003208A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shahidi, Reza, Shen, Lei, Payyappilly, Ajith T., Agashe, Parag Arun
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

Techniques for maintaining an always-on data session for an access terminal are described. Messages to keep alive the data session may be sent using non-traffic channels to avoid bringing up traffic channels just to send these messages. In one design, an access network may send a first message (e.g., a RouteUpdateRequest message) on a first non-traffic channel (e.g., a control channel) to the access terminal. The access terminal may return a second message (e.g., a RouteUpdate message) on a second non-traffic channel (e.g., an access channel) to the access network. The access network may then send a third message (e.g., for an Echo-Request) on the first non-traffic channel over a smaller area covering an approximate location of the access terminal, which may be determined based on the second message. The access terminal may return a fourth message (e.g., for an Echo-Reply) on the second non-traffic channel to the access network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network, and to send a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to avoid setting up a radio connection and bringing up traffic channels to exchange the first and second messages with the access network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the first message on a control channel from the access network, and to send the second message on an access channel to the access network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data session comprises a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a ping for the data session and the second message comprises a reply to the ping.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a Link Control Protocol (LCP) Echo-Request packet and the second message comprises an LCP Echo-Reply packet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the first message sent by the access network using mobile-terminated Data Over Signaling (DOS) in High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), and to send the second message using mobile-originated DOS in HRPD.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network; and

sending a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for an access terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first non-traffic channel is a control channel for forward link, and wherein the second non-traffic channel is an access channel for reverse link.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first message comprises a ping for the data session and the second message comprises a reply to the ping.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network; and

means for sending a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for an access terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first non-traffic channel is a control channel for forward link, and wherein the second non-traffic channel is an access channel for reverse link.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first message comprises a ping for the data session and the second message comprises a reply to the ping.

14. A processor-readable media for storing instructions to:

receive a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network; and

send a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for an access terminal.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to send a first message on a first non-traffic channel to an access terminal, and to receive a second message on a second non-traffic channel from the access terminal, the first and second messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for the access terminal; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first message on a control channel to the access terminal, and to receive the second message on an access channel from the access terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first message comprises a Link Control Protocol (LCP) Echo-Request packet and the second message comprises an LCP Echo-Reply packet.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first message using mobile-terminated Data Over Signaling (DOS) in High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), and to receive the second message sent by the access terminal using mobile-originated DOS in HRPD.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a packet carrying data for the first message from a network entity responsible for maintaining the data session, and to select the first non-traffic channel for the first message based on a field in the packet.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network, to send a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, and to receive a third message on the first non-traffic channel from the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to determine an approximate location of an access terminal, and the third message being sent over an area covering the approximate location of the access terminal; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is configured to avoid setting up a radio connection and bringing up traffic channels to exchange the first, second, and third messages with the access network.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send a fourth message on the second non-traffic channel to the access network, the third and fourth messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for the access terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the first and third messages on a control channel from the access network, and to send the second message on an access channel to the access network.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first message comprises a RouteUpdateRequest message and the second message comprises a RouteUpdate message.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network;

sending a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to determine an approximate location of an access terminal; and

receiving a third message on the first non-traffic channel from the access network, the third message being sent over an area covering the approximate location of the access terminal.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending a fourth message on the second non-traffic channel to the access network, the third and fourth messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for the access terminal.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network;

means for sending a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to determine an approximate location of an access terminal; and

means for receiving a third message on the first non-traffic channel from the access network, the third message being sent over an area covering the approximate location of the access terminal.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for sending a fourth message on the second non-traffic channel to the access network, the third and fourth messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for the access terminal.

29. A processor-readable media for storing instructions to:

receive a first message on a first non-traffic channel from an access network;

send a second message on a second non-traffic channel to the access network, the first and second messages being exchanged to determine an approximate location of an access terminal; and

receive a third message on the first non-traffic channel from the access network, the third message being sent over an area covering the approximate location of the access terminal.

30. The processor-readable media of claim 29, and further for storing instructions to:

send a fourth message on the second non-traffic channel to the access network, the third and fourth messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for the access terminal.

31. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to send a first message on a first non-traffic channel to an access terminal, to receive a second message on a second non-traffic channel from the access terminal, to determine an approximate location of the access terminal based on the second message, and to send a third message on the first non-traffic channel to the access terminal, the third message being sent over an area covering the approximate location of the access terminal; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first message over a first area and to send the third message over a second area smaller than the first area.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first message if a radio connection for the access terminal is down.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a fourth message on the second non-traffic channel from the access terminal, the third and fourth messages being exchanged to keep alive a data session for the access terminal.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first and third messages on a control channel to the access terminal, and to receive the second message on an access channel from the access terminal.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first message comprises a RouteUpdateRequest message and the second message comprises a RouteUpdate message.