METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIGNALING OPTIMIZATION OF IP CONNECTION OVER A MOBILE-RADIO NETWORK

• US 20170135076A1
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flash Networks, Ltd. (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flash Networks, Ltd. (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zink, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 10,397,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

A technique for saving cellular resources is disclosed. The technique is implemented at an intermediate network element (NE) that is communicatively coupled between a plurality of cellular devices (CDs) via a cellular network and a plurality of servers via an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The NE is configured to transfer control packets in association with IP packets toward the CD in order to save cellular resources.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) employing, a network element (NE) that is communicatively coupled between a plurality of cellular devices (CDs) via a cellular network and a plurality of servers via an Internet Protocol (IP) network;

(b) obtaining by the NE a control message sent from a first server, from the plurality of servers, toward a first CD from the plurality of CDs;

(c) storing the obtained control message in association with the NE;

(c) determining by the NE when to transfer the stored control message toward the first CD; and

(d) transferring by the NE the stored control message toward the first CD via the cellular network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular network is a Long-Term Evaluation (LTE) cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control message is a connection-close message (CCM).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the CCM is a TCP FIN message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the CD is a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of determining by NE when to transfer the stored control message toward the first CD further comprising determining that the time of storing the CCM message exceeds a certain Time-Out period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of determining by NE when to transfer the stored control message toward the first CD further comprising determining that another IP packet is sent toward the first CD.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of storing the obtained control message in association with the NE is implemented when the NE determines that the CD is in Radio-Resource Control (RRC) idle mode.

9. A method comprising:

(a) employing, a network element (NE) that is communicatively coupled between a plurality of cellular devices (CDs) via a cellular network and a plurality of servers via an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

(b) determining by NE that a first CD from the plurality of CDs is in idle mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of determining by the NE that the first CD is in idle mode is implemented by comparing the time interval between obtaining a last packet from the first CD and a predefined threshold.

11. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions comprising instructions when executed cause a processor, at network element (NE) that is communicatively coupled between a plurality of cellular-device (CDs) over a cellular network and a plurality of webservers over an IP network, to:

a. obtain a control message sent from a first webserver, from the plurality of webservers, toward a first SE from the plurality of CDs;

b. store the obtained control message in association with the NE;

c. determine by NE when to transfer the stored control message toward the first CD; and

d. transfer the stored control message toward the first CD via the cellular network.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the cellular network is a Long-Term Evaluation (LTE) cellular network.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the control message is a connection-close message (CCM).

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the CCM is a FIN message.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the CD is a mobile phone.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instruction of determine by NE when to transfer the stored CCM message toward the first CD further comprises the instruction to determine that another IP packet is sent toward the first CD.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instruction to store the obtained CCM message in association with the NE is implemented when the NE determines that the CD is in idle mode.