METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A DYNAMIC INACTIVITY TIMER IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20120122405A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Inventors: GERBER, ALEXANDRE, Mao, Zhuoqing, Qian, Feng, Sen, Subhabrata, Spatscheck, Oliver, Wang, Zhaoguang
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method, a computer readable medium and an apparatus for providing a dynamic inactivity timer are disclosed. For example, the method monitors a timer for a time threshold associated with a burst of a plurality of bursts of packets, and determines if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired. The method predicts an inter-burst time for the burst, if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired and sets the dynamic inactivity timer in accordance with the inter-burst time for the burst.

Claims

1. A method for providing a dynamic inactivity timer in a network, comprising:

monitoring a timer for a time threshold associated with a burst of a plurality of bursts of packets;

determining if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired;

predicting an inter-burst time for the burst, if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired; and

setting the dynamic inactivity timer in accordance with the inter-burst time for the burst.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a packet;

determining if the packet is for the burst;

resetting the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst, if the packet is for the burst; and

recording a new burst and setting a second timer for a second time threshold associated with the new burst, if the packet is not for the burst.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting the dynamic inactivity timer comprises:

determining if the inter-burst time is greater than an inactivity timer for transitioning from a first state to a second state, wherein the first state is associated with a first level of radio resource, wherein the second state is associated with a second level of radio resource, wherein the first level of radio resource is larger than the second level of radio resource;

setting the dynamic inactivity timer to the value of the inactivity time for transitioning from the first state to the second state, if the predicted inter-burst time is not greater than the inactivity timer for transitioning from the first state to the second state; and

setting the dynamic inactivity timer to zero, if the inter-burst time is greater than the inactivity timer for transitioning from the first state to the second state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first state is a CELL_DCH state.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second state is a CELL_FACH state.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing a value of the dynamic inactivity timer.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing a value of the predicted inter-burst time.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the setting the dynamic inactivity timer is performed on a per user endpoint device basis.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining inter-arrival time data associated with a user endpoint device; and

performing machine learning based on the inter-arrival time data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the performing the machine learning is performed at a radio network controller.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the performing the machine learning is based on data collected from a plurality of user endpoint devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein inter-arrival time data is obtained on a per user endpoint device basis.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicting the inter-burst time is performed by utilizing a decision tree as a classifier of inter-burst times.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the decision tree is based on a feature that characterizes inter-burst times.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing a dynamic inactivity timer in a network, comprising.

monitoring a timer for a time threshold associated with a burst of a plurality of bursts of packets;

determining if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired;

predicting an inter-burst time for the burst, if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired; and

setting the dynamic inactivity timer in accordance with the inter-burst time for the burst.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a packet;

determining if the packet is for the burst;

resetting the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst, if the packet is for the burst; and

recording a new burst and setting a second timer for a second time threshold associated with the new burst, if the packet is not for the burst.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the setting the dynamic inactivity timer comprises:

determining if the inter-burst time is greater than an inactivity timer for transitioning from a first state to a second state, wherein the first state is associated with a first level of radio resource, wherein the second state is associated with a second level of radio resource, wherein the first level of radio resource is larger than the second level of radio resource;

setting the dynamic inactivity timer to the value of the inactivity time for transitioning from the first state to the second state, if the predicted inter-burst time is not greater than the inactivity timer for transitioning from the first state to the second state; and

setting the dynamic inactivity timer to zero, if the inter-burst time is greater than the inactivity timer for transitioning from the first state to the second state.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first state is a CELL_DCH state.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second state is a CELL_FACH state.

20. An apparatus for providing a dynamic inactivity timer in a network, comprising:

means for monitoring a timer for a time threshold associated with a burst of a plurality of bursts of packets;

means for determining if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired;

means for predicting an inter-burst time for the burst, if the timer for the time threshold associated with the burst has expired; and

means for setting the dynamic inactivity timer in accordance with the inter-burst time for the burst.