Method of Maintaining a Connection and Electronic Apparatus Using the Same

• US 20140254409A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsai, I-Feng, Jiang, Shu-Yu, Tsai, Meng-Ta
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/026 Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• 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: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

A method of maintaining a network connection is used between an electronic apparatus and a server. The method includes the following steps: (a) sending an Nth test packet to the server, and the Nth test packet requests that the server reply to the electronic apparatus after waiting for an Nth time interval; (b) determining whether a reply for the Nth test package is received; (c) repeating step (a) if the reply for the Nth test packet is received; and calculating a period from the (N−1)th test packet being sent to the reply from the server being received if the reply for the Nth test packet is not received; and (d) sending a keep-alive packet periodically to the server according to the period for maintaining a connection between the electronic apparatus and the server when the electronic apparatus is switched to a standby/sleep mode.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining a network connection, used between an electronic apparatus and a server, the method comprising:

(a) sending an Nth test packet to the server, and the Nth test packet requests that the server reply to the electronic apparatus after waiting for an Nth time interval, wherein N is a positive integer;

(b) determining whether a reply for the Nth test packet is received, wherein the reply is sent by the server;

(c) repeating step (a) if the reply for the Nth test packet is received, and calculating a period from the (N−

1)th test packet being sent to the reply from the server being received if the reply for the Nth test packet is not received; and

(d) sending a keep-alive packet to the server according to the period for maintaining a connection between the electronic apparatus and the server when the electronic apparatus is switched to a standby/sleep mode.

2. The method of maintaining a network connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (b), determining whether a time for waiting for the server to reply exceeds a packet round-trip time plus a sum of N time intervals, the packet round-trip time being the total time from a packet being sent from the electronic apparatus to the server to an immediate reply from the server being received.

3. The method of maintaining a network connection as claimed in claim 2, wherein when N=1, if the reply for the 1st test packet sent by the server is not received, the packet round-trip time is determined to be the period.

4. The method of maintaining a network connection as, claimed in claim 1, wherein the time interval is 5 to 20 seconds.

5. A method of maintaining a network connection, used between an electronic apparatus and a server, the method comprising:

(a) sending an Nth test packet to the server, and the Nth test packet requests that the server reply to the electronic apparatus after waiting for an Nth time interval, wherein N is a positive integer;

(b) determining whether a reply for the Nth test packet is received, wherein the reply is sent by the server;

(c) repeating step (a) if the reply for the Nth test packet is received;

if the reply for the Nth test packet is not received, repeatedly sending the (N−

1)th test packet and determining whether the replies for all the (N−

1)th test packets which are sent by the server are received;

(d) if the replies for all the (N−

1)th test packets repeatedly sent by the server are received, calculating a period from the (N−

1)th test packet being sent to the reply from the server being received;

if not all the replies for all the (N−

1)th test packets repeatedly sent by the server are received, calculating a period from the (N−

2)th test packet being sent to the reply from the server being received; and

(e) sending a keep-alive packet to the server according to the period for maintaining a connection between the electronic apparatus and the server when the electronic apparatus is switched to a standby/sleep mode.

6. The method of maintaining a network connection as claimed in claim 5, wherein in step (c), at least 3 (N−

1)th test packets are sent to the server.

7. The method of maintaining a network connection as claimed in claim 5, wherein in step (b), it is determined whether a time for waiting for the server to reply exceeds a packet round-trip time plus a sum of N time intervals, wherein the packet round-trip time is the time from the electronic apparatus sending a packet to the reply from the server being received without delay.

8. The method of maintaining a network connection as claimed in claim 7, wherein when N=1, if the reply for the 1st test packet sent by the server is not received, the packet round-trip time is determined to be the period.

9. The method of maintaining a network connection as claimed in claim 5, wherein the time interval is 5 to 20 seconds.