ADAPTIVE FAST DORMANCY IN A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120281561A1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: RAMASAMY, Venkatasubramanian, SHUKLA, Umesh K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

Method, apparatus and computer program product to adapt the timing for releasing connections between a mobile wireless device and a wireless network is described. The mobile wireless device monitors data activity, and the value of a fast dormancy timer increases when data activity increases and decreases when data activity decreases. The mobile wireless device counts successive time intervals that include data activity and changes the value of the fast dormancy timer based on a preferred fast dormancy timer value related to the successive time interval count.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a value for a fast dormancy timer in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, comprising:

monitoring data activity at the wireless device;

increasing the value of the fast dormancy timer when data activity increases; and

decreasing the value of the fast dormancy timer when data activity decreases;

wherein the fast dormancy timer controls when the wireless device requests to release a connection with the wireless network following a period of data inactivity.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the value of the fast dormancy timer only when a current value of the fast dormancy timer is below a maximum threshold; and

decreasing the value of the fast dormancy timer only when the current value of the fast dormancy timer is above a minimum threshold.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein monitoring data activity by the wireless device occurs in discrete time intervals, and further comprising:

determining a successive time interval count by the wireless device by counting a number of successive time intervals that include data activity;

mapping the successive time interval count to a preferred fast dormancy timer value; and

changing the value of the fast dormancy timer when the value of the fast dormancy timer differs from the preferred fast dormancy timer value.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value is linearly proportional to the successive time interval count, when the successive time interval count is a positive valued integer.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value is exponentially proportional to the successive time interval count, when the successive time interval count is a positive valued integer.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value equals a default value raised to the power of the successive time interval count.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value equals a default value plus a constant value multiplied by the successive time interval count.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein changing the fast dormancy timer value includes increasing the fast dormancy timer value toward the preferred fast dormancy timer value more rapidly than decreasing the fast dormancy timer value toward the preferred fast dormancy timer value.

9. A mobile wireless device in communication with a wireless network, comprising:

a processor; and

a wireless transceiver arranged to facilitate the communication with the wireless network, wherein the mobile wireless device is arranged to adapt a fast dormancy timer by;

monitoring data activity at the mobile wireless device;

increasing a value of the fast dormancy timer when data activity increases; and

decreasing the value of the fast dormancy timer when data activity decreases;

wherein the value of the fast dormancy timer determines a period of data inactivity after which the mobile wireless device requests termination of a connection with the wireless network.

10. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor monitors the data activity.

11. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9, wherein the wireless transceiver monitors the data activity.

12. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor is arranged to request release of the connection with the wireless network, and the transceiver is arranged to transmit the release request to the wireless network.

13. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 12, wherein the transceiver is arranged to ignore the request to release the connection when transmitting a high priority signaling message to the wireless network and to notify the processor whether the release request is transmitted.

14. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor is further arranged to re-request release of the connection with the wireless network after receiving an indication that the initial release request was not sent by the transceiver to the wireless network.

15. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 12, wherein the processor is arranged to determine a preferred fast dormancy timer value based on the monitored data activity, and to change the fast dormancy timer value to the preferred fast dormancy time value when the fast dormancy time value differs from the preferred fast dormancy timer value.

16. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 15, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value is related to the monitored data activity linearly.

17. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 15, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value is related to the monitored data activity exponentially.

18. A non-transitory computer program product for storing executable computer code for adapting a fast dormancy timer in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:

computer code for monitoring data activity at the wireless device during a series of time intervals;

computer code for determining a number of successive time intervals that include data activity;

computer code for determining a preferred fast dormancy timer value for the wireless device based on the number of successive time intervals that include data activity; and

computer code for changing an actual fast dormancy timer value based on the preferred fast dormancy timer value.

19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the fast dormancy timer determines a period of data inactivity after which the wireless device requests release of a connection to the wireless network.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the preferred fast dormancy timer value is linearly proportional to the number of successive time intervals with data activity, when the number of successive time intervals with data activity is a positive valued integer.

21. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

computer program code for reducing the actual fast dormancy timer value following a time interval with no data activity.

22. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

computer program code for maintaining a second exclusion timer at the wireless device during which the wireless device is excluded from transmitting the release request of the connection to the wireless network.

23. A method of adapting a value for a fast dormancy timer in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, comprising:

at the wireless device,

sensing a period of data inactivity;

starting the fast dormancy timer;

monitoring for data activity and for expiration of the fast dormancy timer;

increasing the value of the fast dormancy timer when the fast dormancy timer expires; and

decreasing the value of the fast dormancy timer when data activity occurs before the expiration of the fast dormancy timer;

wherein the fast dormancy timer controls when the wireless device requests to release a connection with the wireless network.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

increasing the value of the fast dormancy timer only when a current value of the fast dormancy timer is below a maximum threshold; and

decreasing the value of the fast dormancy timer only when the current value of the fast dormancy timer is above a minimum threshold.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein changing the fast dormancy timer value includes increasing the fast dormancy value toward the maximum threshold more slowly that decreasing the fast dormancy value toward the minimum threshold.