Methods and apparatus for providing a tolerable delay for slotted messages in wireless communication networks

• US 7,346,019 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Willey, William Daniel, Islam, Muhammad Khaledul
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, ANGELICA
• Application Number:
  US11/006,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20050201311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/342, 370/335, 370/441, 370/348, 370313-314, 370/280, 370/337, 370/442, 455507-515
• US Class Current: 370/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one illustrative example, a plurality of page message requests for a plurality of mobile devices which operate in a wireless communication network are received. One or more paging slots assigned to the mobile devices are identified for transmitting a plurality of page messages in response to these requests. However, the wireless network refrains from causing a page message for the mobile device associated with a tolerable delay indication to be transmitted within the one or more paging slots when a paging capacity limit of the one or more paging slots is reached. This allows higher priority page messages to be transmitted within the one or more paging slots. The wireless network subsequently causes a page message for the mobile device having the tolerable delay indication to be transmitted within one or more subsequent paging slots within a tolerable delay period corresponding to the tolerable delay indication. The mobile device may transmit the tolerable delay indication to the wireless network in response to identifying a predetermined condition, for example, identifying use of a high capacity power source.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing a tolerable delay for the communication of page messages for establishing calls via a wireless communication network, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, in the wireless network, a plurality of page message requests for a plurality of mobile devices which operate in the wireless network including a mobile communication device associated with a tolerable delay indication;

identifying one or more paging slots for transmitting a plurality of page messages for establishing calls with the mobile devices in response to the page message requests; and

deferring a transmission of one of the page messages for establishing a call with the mobile communication device based on identifying the tolerable delay indication for the mobile communication device, the transmission being deferred to one or more subsequent paging slots within a tolerable delay period associated with the tolerable delay indication.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the page messages for establishing the calls comprise calls for voice or data communications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

alternatively causing the page message for the mobile communication device associated with the tolerable delay indication to be transmitted within the one or more paging slots when there is paging capacity within the one or more paging slots.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the act of deferring the transmission of the page message comprises the further act of deferring the transmission of the page message based on further identifying that a paging capacity limit of the one or more paging slots has been reached.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a number of paging slots indicative of the tolerable delay period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a time period indicative of the tolerable delay period.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device in response to a predetermined condition at the mobile communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, being performed by a network processing component within the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of paging slots has a value between 0 and N.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device is connected to a high capacity power source.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored on the computer readable medium;

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors in a wireless communication network for use in providing a tolerable delay for the communication of page messages by;

receiving a plurality of page message requests for a plurality of mobile devices which operate in the wireless communication network including a mobile communication device associated with a tolerable delay indication;

identifying one or more paging slots for transmitting a plurality of page messages for establishing calls to the mobile devices in response to the page message requests; and

deferring a transmission of one of the page messages for establishing a call with the mobile communication device based on identifying the tolerable delay indication for the mobile communication device, the transmission being deferred to one or more subsequent paging slots within a tolerable delay period associated with the tolerable delay indication.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the

wherein the page messages for establishing the calls comprise calls for voice or data communications.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

alternatively causing the page message for the mobile communication device associated with the tolerable delay indication to be transmitted within the one or more paging slots assigned to the mobile communication device when there is paging capacity within the one or more paging slots.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

deferring the transmission of the page message based on further identifying that a paging capacity limit of the one or more paging slots has been reached.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a number of paging slots indicative of the tolerable delay period.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a time period indicative of the tolerable delay period.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device in response to a predetermined condition at the mobile communication device.

21. A network processing component for use within a wireless communication network, the network processing component comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

computer instructions stored in the memory;

the computer instructions being executable by the one or more processors for providing a tolerable delay for the communication of page messages for establishing calls by;

receiving a plurality of page message requests for a plurality of mobile devices which operate in the wireless network including a mobile communication device associated with a tolerable delay indication;

identifying one or more paging slots for transmitting a plurality of page messages for establishing calls to the mobile devices in response to the page message requests; and

deferring a transmission of one of the page messages for establishing a call with the mobile communication device based on identifying the tolerable delay indication for the mobile communication device, the transmission being deferred to one or more subsequent paging slots within a tolerable delay period associated with the tolerable delay indication.

22. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the page messages for establishing the calls comprise calls for voice or data communications.

23. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

alternatively causing the page message for the mobile communication device associated with the tolerable delay indication to be transmitted within the one or more paging slots assigned to the mobile communication device when there is paging capacity within the one or more paging slots.

24. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

deferring the transmission of the page message based on further identifying that a paging capacity limit of the one or more paging slots has been reached.

25. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a number of paging slots indicative of the tolerable delay period.

26. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a time period indicative of the tolerable delay period.

27. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device.

28. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device in response to a predetermined condition at the mobile communication device.

29. The network processing component of claim 21, which is part of the wireless communication network comprising a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network.

30. The network processing component of claim 25, wherein the number of paging slots has a value between 0 and N.

31. The network processing component of claim 21, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

receiving, via the wireless network, the tolerable delay indication from the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device is connected to a high capacity power source.

32. A method for use in providing a tolerable delay for the communication of page messages to a mobile communication device in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

causing a tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network from the mobile device; and

monitoring, at the mobile device, each paging slot of a plurality of paging slots of the wireless network for a page message for establishing a call for the mobile device, each paging slot being separated in time by a fixed time period, such that the page message is received within a finite tolerable delay period greater than or equal to two or more of the fixed time periods indicated by the tolerable delay indication.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a number of paging slots indicative of the finite tolerable delay period.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a time period indicative of the finite tolerable delay period.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

identifying a predetermined condition; and

causing the tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network based on identifying the predetermined condition.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

identifying that a predetermined power source is connected to the mobile device; and

causing the tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network based on identifying that the predetermined power source is connected to the mobile device.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

causing an indication to be transmitted to the wireless network, the indication being indicative for terminating the tolerable delay; and

after transmitting the indication;

monitoring each paging slot of the plurality of paging slots to receive a page message in a paging slot with no tolerable delay.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the mobile device is adapted to communicate in accordance with a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standard.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium;

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a mobile communication device for;

causing a tolerable delay indication to be sent to a wireless communication network from the mobile device; and

monitoring, at the mobile device, each paging slot of a plurality of paging slots of the wireless network for a page message for establishing a call for the mobile device, each paging slot being separated in time by a fixed time period, such that the page message is received within a finite tolerable delay period greater than or equal to two or more of the fixed time periods indicated by the tolerable delay indication.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a number of paging slots indicative of the finite tolerable delay period.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a time period indicative of the finite tolerable delay period.

42. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

identifying a predetermined condition; and

causing the tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network based on identifying the predetermined condition.

43. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

identifying that a predetermined power source is connected to the mobile device; and

causing the tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network based on identifying that the predetermined power source is connected to the mobile device.

44. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

causing an indication to be transmitted to the wireless network, the indication being indicative for terminating the tolerable delay; and

after transmitting the indication;

monitoring each paging slot of the plurality of paging slots to receive a page message in a paging slot with no tolerable delay.

45. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver operative for radio communications with a wireless communication network;

an antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;

the one or more processors being operative to;

cause a tolerable delay indication to be transmitted to the wireless network via the wireless transceiver; and

monitor, via the wireless transceiver, each paging slot of a plurality of paging slots for a page message for establishing a call for the mobile device, each paging slot being separated in time by a fixed time period, such that the page message is received within a finite tolerable delay period greater than or equal to two or more of the fixed time periods indicated by the tolerable delay indication.

46. The mobile device of claim 45, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a number of paging slots indicative of the finite tolerable delay period.

47. The mobile device of claim 45, wherein the tolerable delay indication includes a time period indicative of the finite tolerable delay period.

48. The mobile device of claim 45, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

identify a predetermined condition; and

cause the tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network based on identifying the predetermined condition.

49. The mobile device of claim 45, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

identify that a predetermined power source is coupled to the mobile device; and

cause the tolerable delay indication to be sent to the wireless network based on identifying that the predetermined power source is coupled to the mobile device.

50. The mobile device of claim 45, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

cause an indication to be transmitted to the wireless network, the indication being indicative for terminating the tolerable delay; and

after transmitting the indication;

monitor each paging slot of the plurality of paging slots to receive a page message in a paging slot with no tolerable delay.

51. The mobile device of claim 45, which is adapted to operate in accordance with a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standard.