Method and apparatus for providing deferrable data services in a cellular communication system

• US 6,999,759 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kay, John C., Harris, John M., Jayapalan, Jay, Kelley, Sean S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US10/389,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20040180677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 370/230, 370/235, 370/229, 370/338, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/245 using preemption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

A communication system, upon receiving an instruction to transfer deferrable data, determines whether an air interface is congested and, when the air interface is congested, defers a transfer of the deferrable data or transfers the deferrable, lower priority data as higher priority data. When, during a transfer of deferrable data, the system determines that the air interface is congested, the system may terminate the call and save a state of a partially completed deferred data transfer. Subsequent to the termination of the call, the system establishes another data connection over the air interface and transfers any remaining, not yet transferred deferrable data. In order to discourage subscribers from transferring higher priority data as lower priority data, the system may further restrict a transfer of lower priority data to designated time periods while allowing a transfer of higher priority data during the designated time periods and other time periods.

Claims

1. A method for transferring deferrable data in a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving an instruction to transfer deferrable data;

determining whether an air interface is congested;

when the air interface is congested, deferring a transfer of the deferrable data;

subsequent to deferring the transfer of the deferrable data, determining that the air interface is not congested;

in response to determining that the air interface is not congested, determining a deferral time period during which a transfer of deferrable data is further deferred; and

upon expiration of the deferrable time period, transferring the deferrable data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a length of the deferral time period is determined based on a quantity of time that a transfer of the deferrable data is deferred while the air interface is congested.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a length of the deferral time period is determined based on a subscription package subscribed to by a customer associated with the deferrable data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring comprises establishing a data connection and transferring the deferrable data over the data connection and wherein the method further comprises:

upon completion of the transfer of the deferrable data, starting an inactivity timer; and

upon expiration of an inactivity time period, terminating the data connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deferrable data is associated with a deferrable data service and a corresponding Service Option value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the deferrable data is associated with a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises receiving a signaling message having an Access Control based on Call Type (ACCT) value that informs whether transfer of deferrable data is permitted and wherein deferring comprises determining, based on the received signaling message, not to transfer the deferrable data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises receiving a signaling message informing whether deferrable data can be transferred.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signaling message comprises a first signaling message, wherein the first signaling message is received over a signaling channel, and wherein the method further comprises:

when the air interface is congested, monitoring the signaling channel;

receiving a second signaling message over the signaling channel; and

when the second signaling message informs that deferrable data can be transferred, transferring the deferrable data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the signaling message comprises a first signaling message and wherein deferring comprises:

suspending reception of messages from an infrastructure;

resuming reception of messages from the infrastructure in order to receive a second signaling message; and

when the second signaling message indicates that deferrable data can be transferred, transferring the deferrable data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the first signaling message and the second signaling message comprises an overhead message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein deferring comprises, when the air interface is congested, allowing a transfer of only a portion of the deferrable data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the portion of the deferrable data transferred when the air interface is congested is determined based on a subscription package of a plurality of subscription packages subscribed to by a customer associated with the deferrable data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each subscription package of the plurality of subscription packages is associated with a different price than the other subscription packages of the plurality of subscription packages.

15. A method for transferring deferrable data in a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving an instruction to transfer deferrable data;

determining whether an air interface is congested based on a first signal quality metric, wherein the first signal quality metric is determined based on a first signal received from a wireless infrastructure;

when the air interface is congested, deferring a transfer of the deferrable data;

when the air interface is congested, monitoring for signals from the wireless infrastructure;

receiving a second signal from the wireless infrastructure;

determining a second signal quality metric based on a second signal received from the wireless infrastructure; and

transferring the deferrable data in response to the determination of the second signal quality metric.

16. A mobile station capable of transferring deferrable data in a wireless communication system comprising:

at least one memory device capable of storing deferrable data;

a processor associated with the at least one memory device that receives an instruction to transfer deferrable data, determines whether an air interface is congested, defers a transfer of the deferrable data when the air interface is congested, transfers the deferrable data when the air interface is not congested, and subsequent to determining that the air interface is congested and deferring transfer of the deferrable data, determines that the air interface is not congested, determines a deferral time period during which a transfer of deferrable data is further deferred and, upon expiration of the deferrable time period, transfers the deferrable data and transfers the deferrable data.

17. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the processor determines a length of the deferral time period based on a quantity of time that a transfer of the deferrable data is deferred while the air interface is congested.

18. The method mobile station of claim 16, wherein a length of the deferral time period is determined based on a subscription package subscribed to by a customer associated with the deferrable data.

19. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the processor transfers the deferrable data by establishing a data connection with an infrastructure and transferring the deferrable data over the established data connection, wherein the mobile station further includes an inactivity timer associated with the processor, and wherein the processor further starts the inactivity timer upon completing the transfer of the deferrable data and, upon expiration of an inactivity time period, terminates the data connection.

20. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the deferrable data is associated with a deferrable data service and a corresponding a Service Option value, wherein the Service Option value is maintained in the at least one memory device, and wherein the processor determines whether an air interface is congested based on information received denying permission to transfer data associated with the Service Option a value.

21. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory device stores a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, wherein the deferrable data is associated with at least one QoS parameter of the plurality of QoS parameters, and wherein the processor transfers the deferrable data in association with the at least one QoS parameter.

22. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the processor determines whether deferrable data may be transferred based on a signaling message having an Access Control based on Call Type (ACCT) value that informs whether transfer of deferrable data is permitted, and wherein the processor determines, based on the signaling message, whether to transfer the deferrable data.

23. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the processor determines whether an air interface is congested based on a signaling message informing whether deferrable data can be transferred.

24. The mobile station of claim 23, wherein the signaling message comprises a first signaling message, wherein the first signaling message is received over a signaling channel, and wherein the processor, when the air interface is congested, monitors the signaling channel, receives a second signaling message over the signaling channel, and when the second signaling message informs that deferrable data can be transferred, transfers the deferrable data.

25. The mobile station of claim 23, wherein the signaling message comprises a first signaling message and wherein the processor, upon determining that the first signaling message denies permission to transfer deferrable data, suspends reception of signaling messages, resumes receiving signaling messages in order to receive a second signaling message, and when the second signaling message indicates that deferrable data can be transferred, transfers the deferrable data.

26. The mobile station of claim 25, wherein each of the first signaling message and the second signaling message comprises an overhead message.

27. A mobile station capable of transferring deferrable data in a wireless communication system comprising:

at least one memory device capable of storing deferrable data;

a processor associated with the at least one memory device that receives an instruction to transfer deferrable data, determines whether an air interface is congested based on a first signal quality metric, wherein the first signal quality metric is determined based on a first signal received from an infrastructure, defers a transfer of the deferrable data when the air interface is congested, transfers the deferrable data when the air interface is not congested, and when the air interface is congested, monitors signals received from the infrastructure, receives a second signal from the infrastructure, determines a second signal quality metric based on a second signal received from the infrastructure, and transfers the deferrable data in response to the determination of the second signal quality metric.