Method and equipment for the control of a data transfer connection

• US 6,067,534 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nykanen, Petri, Terho, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US08/564,066
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 706/2, 706/3, 706/6
• US Class Current: 706/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors

Abstract

In data transfer connections with disturbances, e.g. in cellular networks, it is possible to establish and maintain an optimal connection using the solution according to the present invention. The optimal parameters for each data transfer connection are saved in the modem database. When the user next calls a number, the data of which has been saved, the parameters saved in the database are first used for the connection control. Interference occurring during the data transfer is handled with the help of the database with adaptive logic searching for the optimal data transfer rate and other connection parameters.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a data transfer connection on a transfer line with interference thereon, when said data is transferred from an application software (2) to a desired connection address, characterized in that:

historical connection parameter information respectively related to data transfer connections with desired connection addresses is stored in a database;

when establishing a data transfer connection over said transfer line to a chosen connection address from among said desired connection addresses, historical connection parameter information related with the chosen connection address is retrieved from said database; and

on the basis of the retrieved historical connection parameter information and with the help of a predefined algorithm, connection parameters are selected which establish or maintain a data transfer connection at the chosen connection address that achieve an optimal data transfer connection over said transfer line.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that during a data transfer connection, preset quality parameters in the historical connection parameter information are monitored.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that on the basis of said preset quality parameters, in accordance with at least one of preset algorithm and with the help of historical connection parameter information stored in the database, changes are executed, when necessary, for maintaining an optimal data transfer connection or for disconnecting the connection.

4. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said monitoring uses a modification program and the modification program includes a direct start algorithm, which bypasses said predefined algorithm when the preset quality parameters exist.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that connection parameters;

and related quality parameters, related with the chosen connection address and used during the connection, are stored to the database as historical connection parameter information.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the connection and related quality parameters producing as a whole an optimal data transfer result during the connection and related with the chosen connection address, are stored to the database by a control program when the data transfer connection is terminated.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that, upon establishment of the connection, the control program retrieves from the application software at least one of the amount of information to be transferred and the estimated length of the connection.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, when establishing the connection, at least one piece of the following information is retrieved from the application software:

the activation of redialling with normal settings after a failed connection establishment attempt;

the allowed amount of redialling attempts; and

the activation of the control program for only one connection establishment attempt.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the historical parameter connection information stored in the database includes at least one of the following:

the cumulative number of connections to the chosen connection address;

the cumulative number of connections realized to other connection addresses than the selected address;

the connection protocol used last time to the chosen connection address and the achieved data transfer rate;

the best data transfer rate achieved with the available connection protocols;

the data transfer rate and connection protocol which have been used for most of the cumulative connection time; and

statistical information on how much each data transfer rate of each connection protocol has been used of the cumulative connection time.

10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more of the following functional blocks are used:

a modem operations control block (3),

a connection establishment block (1), and

a data pump block (9),

which functional blocks (1, 3,

     9) are linked to each other and to an external application software block (2) via data transfer buses (s1-s6, s21-s22, s11-s13), the connection establishment block (1) comprising one or more of the following internal functional blocks;

a modem connection control block (4) with a control program;

a parameter block (5) with a modification program and a related starting block (7) with a direct start algorithm being functional in the related starting block; and

a database block (6) including said database,

wherein said internal functional blocks of the connection establishment block (1) are linked to each other via data transfer buses.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the connection establishment block (1) is controlled by the application software (2) for operating with a modem in such a way that:

the operation of the modem connection control block (4) starts when the call from the application software (2) with the connection address (s11) is indicated (23),

data passed from the application software (2) to the modem is buffered or blocked (24),

if the connection address does not exist in the database (25), this new connection address is added to the database, from which default parameters are read for modem settings;

but if the connection address exists in the database (25), the corresponding historical connection parameter information is read from the database (26) to the dialling phase (27), and at the connection protocol selection phase (27), the optimal connection protocol is selected using the predefined algorithm,

if the modem does not support the chosen connection protocol (28), a new connection protocol is selected (27),

buffering is terminated (29),

transmission of buffered or blocked data from the application software is started (30), and connection parameters are stored to a cache memory,

the information from the application software (2) on the termination of data transfer is awaited and the connection is terminated (31), and

the connection address and connection parameters are stored (32) from the cache memory to the database (6), after which phase the modem returns to wait for a connection address call (23).

12. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the connection establishment block (1) supervises the traffic between the application software (2) and the modem operations control block (3) in a transparent way so that:

it is defined that the modem operations control block (3) answers with a preset connection call acknowledgement;

data passed from the application software (2) to the modem is buffered in a ring buffer, and the connection address in indicated;

if the connection address does not exist in the database, this new connection address is added to the database and default parameters are read from the database for modem settings;

if the connection address exists in the database, the corresponding historical connection parameter information is read from the database to the selection phase, and in the connection protocol selection phase, an optimal connection protocol is selected using the predefined algorithm;

buffering is terminated, and transmission of buffered data from the database is started, and connection parameters are stored to a cache memory;

the information from the modem operations control block (3) is waited for on the termination of the data transfer, when the connection is disconnected; and

the connection parameters are stored from the cache memory to the database (6), after which the modem returns to wait for a connection address call.

13. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the connection protocol V.32bis and/or V.42 are applicable in the modem operations control block (3).

14. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that an algorithm based on fuzzy logic is used in the parameter block (5).

15. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the predefined algorithm in the parameter block is an algorithm of fuzzy logic which comprises the following phases:

input data (10) is assembled;

on the basis of preset parameters, cases are indicated at the starting phase (11) wherein the line quality is so good that the operation of the parameter block (5) based on fuzzy logic can be bypassed and the output data (22) is directly passed;

and in other cases;

fuzzy sets are created for each input variable upon fuzzification of variables (12),

fuzzy sets for output parameters are created at a rule execution phase (19) with the help of a decision device (14), rules (17) and a term set (20);

fuzzification of output parameters is defuzzified at a defuzzification phase (21) and output data is passed (22) to the modem control block (3),

wherein;

the parameter block (5) operates adaptively in such a way that input data from the input data assembly phase (10) and new connection data created at a rule execution phase (19) are passed to historical parameter connection information (13), on the basis of which a connection calculation phase (16) creates more optimal parameters for the modem and passes them to term calculation (18), the term calculation (18) updating the new data for the rules (17) and term set (20).

16. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that an algorithm based on a neural network is used in the parameter block (5).

17. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that a dynamic adaptive algorithm is used in the parameter block (5) to modify the parameter variables.

18. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the following is used as an input parameter for decision making in the parameter block (5):

from the data pump block (9), the level of the received signal, square error, mean square error, and peak square error;

from the system parameters of the modem operations, the number of faulty packets, the total number of packets, the detection phase time, the acknowledgment time, the maximum number of retransmissions, and the inactivity time;

from the negotiable system parameters of the modem operations, the number of octets in the information field, and the window size;

from at least one of the modem program of the modem operations control block (3) and from the connection protocol program, the current data rate, the available data rates, and the relative usage of data rates at the current data rate, and

from the historical parameter connection information saved in the database (6) or from the information saved in a decision algorithm of the parameter block (5), the moving average of the effective connection time, the achieved throughput on a different data rates, and the moving average of the achieved data throughput on different data rates.

19. A method according to claim 10, wherein said parameter block (5) contains a decision algorithm and characterized in that a weight value is assigned to the input parameters of the parameter block (5) defining the effect of the parameter on the decision algorithm logic.

20. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the following is used as an output parameter for decision making in the parameter block (5):

to the connection protocol program of the modem operations control block (3), the need to modify the data transfer rate, a disconnection indication, and the initial data transfer rate considered advantageous, and

to the error correcting program of the modem operations control block (3), a change in the maximum number of octets in the data field, a change in window size, a change in detection phase time, a change in the maximum number of retransmissions, and a change in the inactivity time.

21. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the method is applied to a mobile station having a radio unit (8), the connection establishment block (1) being additionally linked to the radio unit (8) of the mobile station via a data transfer bus (s31-s34).

22. A method according to claim 21, characterized in that at least one of the following is used as an input parameter for decision making in the parameter block (5):

the strength of the signal received from the radio unit (8),

the battery state, and

the current transmission power and radio connection parameters.

23. A method according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmission power of the radio unit (8) of the change in it is used as an output parameter for decision making in the parameter block (5).

24. An equipment for controlling a data transfer connection, characterized in that said equipment comprises:

means for saving historical connection parameters associated with connection addresses with which a data transfer connection has been made; and

means for selecting the connection parameters from the saved historical connection parameters when at least one of establishing a subsequent data transfer connection and during a connection with the help of the information and a preset algorithm to a chosen connection address, for obtaining an optimal data transfer connection to the chosen connection address.

25. An equipment according to claim 24, characterized in that said equipment comprises means for measuring the connection quality and for saving the measurement results related to the connection parameters to be formed as said historical connection parameters.

26. An equipment according to claim 24, characterized in that said equipment comprises:

a modem, with

means for controlling modem operations (3),

means for connection establishment (1), and

means for data pumping (9),

and wherein said means (1, 3,

     9) are linked to each other and to an external application software block (2) via data transfer buses (s1-s6, s21-s22, s11-s13).

27. An equipment according to claim 26, characterized in that the said modem is connected to a mobile station.

28. An equipment according to claim 26, characterized in that said means for connection establishment (1) comprises:

a connection control block (4) with a control program;

a parameter block (5) with a modification program, and with a related starting block including a direct start algorithm; and

a database block (6) including said database,

and wherein said blocks of the means for connection establishment (1) are linked to each other via data transfer buses.

29. An equipment according to claim 24, characterized in that said equipment comprises:

a digital mobile station, with

means for controlling modem operations block (3), and

means for connection establishment (1),

and wherein said means (1, 3,

     9) are linked to each other and to an external application software block via data transfer buses (s1-s6, s11-s13).