SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION BASED ON DATA ACTIVITY SENSITIVE TIMERS

• US 20140112223A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: SWANN, Craig Ian Haight, DEU-NGOC, Joseph Tu-Long
• Granted Patent: US 9,781,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1221 based on age of data to be sent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Where a source of data has a time at which it is to transmit data, if it has data to transmit, for example as determined by a timer, this time is advanced when there is an active data connection. In this manner, rather than the data connection being torn down, and then immediately set up again, the data can be transmitted before the connection is torn down. In some embodiments, a history is maintained in terms of how long data connections are maintained. Then, once data transmission on an active connection ceases, the times are advanced, or not, depending on a likelihood that the connection will stay up for some further period of time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in the event there is an active data connection, adjusting forward at least once a time at which a source of transmit data is to transmit data if there is data to transmit; and

if the source of transmit data has data to transmit at the time, transmitting the data.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

starting a timer associated with the source of transmit data, expiry of the timer defining the time at which the source of transmit data is to transmit data if there is data to transmit;

wherein adjusting forward at least once comprises adjusting the timer at least once.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

starting the timer comprises setting the timer to expire at a timeout duration;

adjusting the timer comprises adjusting the timer such that the timer expires before the timeout duration.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein adjusting the timer comprises;

notifying the timer at least once if there is an active data connection;

the timer, if notified, adjusting itself such that the timer expires before the timeout duration.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

restarting the timer after expiry so that it is again set to expire after the timeout duration.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

performing the method for each of a plurality of timers, each timer having a respective timeout duration, and each timer associated with a respective source of transmit data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each source of transmit data is an application or a source of transmit data within an operating system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the forward at least once the time comprises at least one of:

adjusting the time upon the active data connection coming into existence; and

adjusting the time in advance of a time at which the active data connection is to be torn down in the absence of further data to transmit;

9. The method of claim 4 wherein notifying the timer at least once if there is an active data connection comprises at least one of:

notifying the timer upon the active data connection coming into existence; and

notifying the timer in advance of a time at which the active data connection is to be torn down in the absence of further data to transmit.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting forward at least once a time at which a source of transmit data is to transmit data if there is data to transmit comprises:

starting a delay period;

adjusting forward the time at which the source of transmit data is to transmit data if there is data to transmit so as to occur during the delay period.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

after the delay period, if no data has been transmitted on the active data connection during the delay period, sending a transition indication to request the network to transition the active data connection from one state or mode to another.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transition indication comprises a signaling connection release indication message.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein starting a delay period comprises one of:

receiving an indication from at least one application that the application has no more data to send;

starting the delay period based upon receiving the indication.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein starting a delay period comprises one of:

for each of a plurality of applications, receiving a respective indication from each the application that the application has no more data to send; and

starting the delay period based upon receiving the indications.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

starting a delay period upon expiry of which the mobile station will send a signaling connection release indication if no data was sent during the delay period;

wherein adjusting forward at least once a time at which a source of transmit data is to transmit data if there is data to transmit comprises adjusting forward the time so as to occur during the delay period.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein starting a delay period comprises starting a timer.

17. The method claim 2 wherein adjusting the timer comprises at least one of:

a) reducing a remaining time on the timer;

b) reducing a remaining time on the timer subject to a defined timeout range for the timer;

c) expiring the timer;

d) expiring the timer subject to a defined timeout range for the timer.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein adjusting the timer comprises:

notifying the timer at least once if there is an active data connection;

upon being notified, the timer performing at least one of;

a) reducing a remaining time on the timer;

b) reducing a remaining time on the timer subject to a defined timeout range for the timer;

c) expiring the timer;

d) expiring the timer subject to a defined timeout range for the timer.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking historical behavior in terms of how long data connections last;

making a decision as to whether or not to adjust forward the time for the source of data to transmit data based on historical behavior in terms of how long the data connections last;

performing the adjusting forward or not based on the decision.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking historical behavior for a plurality of different contexts;

making the decision based on the historical behavior for a current context.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of different context include at least one of:

whether or not the LCD (liquid crystal display) is on;

which network the mobile station is operating in;

which radio access technology the mobile station is using;

which network and radio access technology combination the mobile station is operating in and using;

which applications are active.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein:

tracking historical behaviour in terms of how long data connections last comprises maintaining a histogram of data connection times;

making a decision as to whether or not to adjust forward the time comprises determining based on the histogram whether the current data connection is sufficiently likely to stay up for at least a predetermined additional duration.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein making a decision as to whether or not to adjust forward the time comprises:

predicting a length of time that the current data connection will stay up;

if the predicted length of time is longer than a threshold, making the decision to adjust forward the time.

24. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for execution by a mobile device, which when executed cause the mobile device to execute the method of claim 1.

25. A mobile device comprising:

at least one antenna;

a source of transmit data;

at least one radio through which can be established an active data connection;

wherein in the event there is an active data connection, a time at which the source of transmit data is to transmit data if there is data to transmit is adjusted forward at least once; and

wherein the source of transmit data transmits data at the time if the source of transmit data has data to transmit.

26-42. -42. (canceled)