METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLOSING A TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROTOCOL CONNECTION FOR A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20150156812A1
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sen, Subhabrata, Spatscheck, Oliver, QIAN, FENG
• Granted Patent: US 9,565,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A method, computer-readable storage device and apparatus for closing a transmission control protocol connection in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method sends a first transmission control protocol option requesting a use of a silent transmission control protocol closure for the transmission control protocol connection, receives a confirmation from a recipient device that silent transmission control protocol closure is to be used for the transmission control protocol connection, sends a second transmission control protocol option that indicates a connection timeout period for the sender device, receives a connection timeout period for the recipient device, tracks the connection timeout period for the sender device and the connection timeout period for the recipient device, and closes the transmission control protocol connection when one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired.

Claims

1. A method for closing a transmission control protocol connection in a wireless network, comprising:

sending, by a processor, a first transmission control protocol option requesting a use of a silent transmission control protocol closure for the transmission control protocol connection;

receiving, by the processor, a confirmation from a recipient device that silent transmission control protocol closure is to be used for the transmission control protocol connection;

sending, by the processor, a second transmission control protocol option that indicates a connection timeout period for a sender device;

receiving, by the processor, a connection timeout period for the recipient device;

tracking, by the processor, the connection timeout period for the sender device and the connection timeout period for the recipient device; and

closing, by the processor, the transmission control protocol connection when one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

waiting for a protection time period after one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired, before closing the transmission control protocol connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sender device comprises a mobile endpoint device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient device comprises a server.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the protection time period is set to be at least as long as a round-trip time period determined between the sender device and the recipient device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the closing of the transmission control protocol connection is accomplished without receiving a FIN packet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the closing of the transmission control protocol connection is accomplished without receiving a RST packet.

9. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a sender device, cause the processor to perform operations for closing a transmission control protocol connection in a wireless network, the operations comprising:

sending a first transmission control protocol option requesting a use of a silent transmission control protocol closure for the transmission control protocol connection;

receiving a confirmation from a recipient device that silent transmission control protocol closure is to be used for the transmission control protocol connection;

sending a second transmission control protocol option that indicates a connection timeout period for the sender device;

receiving a connection timeout period for the recipient device;

tracking the connection timeout period for the sender device and the connection timeout period for the recipient device; and

closing the transmission control protocol connection when one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, further comprising:

waiting for a protection time period after one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired, before closing the transmission control protocol connection.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular network.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the sender device comprises a mobile endpoint device.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the recipient device comprises a server.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the protection time period is set to be at least as long as a round-trip time period determined between the sender device and the recipient device.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the closing of the transmission control protocol connection is accomplished without receiving a FIN packet.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the closing of the transmission control protocol connection is accomplished without receiving a RST packet.

17. An apparatus for closing a transmission control protocol connection in a wireless network, comprising:

a processor of a sender device; and

a computer-readable storage device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

sending a first transmission control protocol option requesting a use of a silent transmission control protocol closure for the transmission control protocol connection;

receiving a confirmation from a recipient device that silent transmission control protocol closure is to be used for the transmission control protocol connection;

sending a second transmission control protocol option that indicates a connection timeout period for the sender device;

receiving a connection timeout period for the recipient device;

tracking the connection timeout period for the sender device and the connection timeout period for the recipient device; and

closing the transmission control protocol connection when one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

waiting for a protection time period after one of the connection timeout period for the sender device or the connection timeout period for the recipient device has expired, before closing the transmission control protocol connection.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the protection time period is set to be at least as long as a round-trip time period determined between the sender device and the recipient device.