METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING DEVICE PERFORMANCE THROUGH FLOW CONTROL

• US 20120265897A1
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Das, Saumitra Mohan, Vicisano, Lorenzo, Khorashadi, Behrooz, Wang, Bin, Pakzad, Payam, Watson, Mark, Rezaiifar, Ramin
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enhancing device performance through transport flow control is provided. The method may include determining that a level of user interest is indicated in at least one application of one or more applications, and modifying a transport flow associated with at least one of the one or more applications.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communications, comprising:

determining that a level of user interest is indicated in at least one application of one or more applications; and

modifying a transport flow associated with at least one of the one or more applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the level of user interest is indicated further comprises using one or more sensors associated with a device to determine that the indicated at least one application of the one or more applications is active.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of:

an accelerometer, a user interface, a light sensor, or a gyroscope.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of user interest is indicated by at least one of:

determining the at least one application of the one or more applications is an interactive application;

determining the at least one application of the one or more applications is in the foreground;

or

one or more user defined settings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein determining the level of user interest is indicated in the at least one application of one or more applications defines a first interactive application;

determining that a level of user interest is not indicated in a second application of the one or more applications, wherein the second application is not an interactive application; and

wherein the modifying further comprises reducing a second transport flow of the second application in order to prioritize a first transport flow of the first interactive application.

6. The method of claims 1, wherein transport flow comprises a TCP flow.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises:

prioritizing the transport flow associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications over transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the prioritizing further comprises delaying outbound acknowledgements for the transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications by adding a time value to each round trip time (RTT) for outbound acknowledgements.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the time value comprises either a constant value, or a multiplicative value that proportionally increases RTT for applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises at least one of:

advertising a reduced buffer size for the at least one application of the one or more applications, or

delaying bulk flows for applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow modification module is further operable for at least one of:

advertizing a reduced buffer size for the at least one application of the one or more applications, or

delaying bulk flows for applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to;

determine that a level of user interest is indicated in at least one application of one or more applications; and

modify a transport flow associated with at least one of the one or more applications.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to:

use one or more sensors associated with a device to determine that the indicated at least one application of the one or more applications is active.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of:

an accelerometer, a user interface, a light sensor, or a gyroscope.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to determine at least one of:

that the at least one application of the one or more applications is an interactive application;

or

that the at least one application of the one or more applications is in the foreground.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the level of user interest is indicated by one or more user defined settings.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein determining the level of user interest is indicated in the at least one application of one or more applications defines a first interactive application, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to:

determine that a level of user interest is not indicated in a second application of the one or more applications, wherein the second application is not an interactive application, and

reduce a second transport flow of the second application in order to prioritize a first transport flow of the first interactive application.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the transport flow comprises a TCP flow.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to:

prioritize the transport flow associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications over transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to:

delay outbound acknowledgements for the transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications by adding a time value to each round trip time (RTT) for outbound acknowledgements.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the time value comprises either a constant value, or a multiplicative value that proportionally increases RTT for the applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

21. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to perform at least one of:

advertise a reduced buffer size for the at least one application of the one or more applications, or

delay bulk flows for applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining that a level of user interest is determined in at least one application of one or more applications; and

means for modifying a transport flow associated with at least one of the one or more applications.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining that the level of user interest is indicated further comprises means for using one or more sensors associated with a device to determine that the indicated at least one application of the one or more applications is active.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of:

an accelerometer, a user interface, a light sensor, or a gyroscope.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the level of user interest is determined by at least one of:

means for determining the at least one application of the one or more applications is an interactive application;

means for determining the at least one application of the one or more applications is in the foreground;

or

one or more user defined settings.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein means for determining the level of user interest is indicated in the at least one application of one or more applications defines a first interactive application, further comprising:

means for determining that a level of user interest is not indicated in a second application of the one or more applications, wherein the second application is not an interactive application; and

wherein the means for modifying further comprises means for reducing a second transport flow of the second application in order to prioritize a first transport flow of the first interactive application.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein transport flow comprises a TCP flow.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for modifying further comprises:

means for prioritizing the transport flow associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications over transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for prioritizing further comprises means for delaying outbound acknowledgements for the transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications by adding a time value to each round trip time (RTT) for outbound acknowledgements.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the time value comprises either a constant value, or a multiplicative value that proportionally increases RTT for the applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for modifying further comprises at least one of:

means for advertising a reduced buffer size for the at least one application of the one or more applications, or

means for delaying bulk flows for applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.

32. An apparatus for communications, comprising:

a level of interest module operable for;

determining that a level of user interest is determined in at least one application of one or more applications; and

a flow modification module operable for;

modifying a transport flow associated with at least one of the one or more applications.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the level of interest module is further operable for using one or more sensors associated with a device to determine that the indicated at least one application of the one or more applications is active.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of:

an accelerometer, a user interface, a light sensor, or a gyroscope.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the level of user interest is determined by one or more user defined settings.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the level of interest module is further operable for determining at least one of:

that the at least one application of the one or more applications is an interactive application;

or

that the at least one application of the one or more applications is in the foreground.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein determining the level of user interest is indicated in the at least one application of one or more applications defines a first interactive application, wherein the level of interest module is further operable for determining that a level of user interest is not indicated in a second application of the one or more applications, wherein the second application is not an interactive application, and wherein the flow modification module is further operable for reducing a second transport flow of the second application in order to prioritize a first transport flow of the first interactive application.

38. The apparatus of claims 32, wherein transport flow comprises a TCP flow.

39. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the flow modification module is further operable for:

prioritizing the transport flow associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications over transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the flow modification module is further operable for:

delaying outbound acknowledgements for the transport flows not associated with the at least one application of the one or more applications by adding a time value to each round trip time (RTT) for outbound acknowledgements.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the time value comprises either:

a constant value, or a multiplicative value that proportionally increases RTT for the applications other than the at least one application of the one or more applications.