Data channel resource optimization for devices in a network

• US 7,472,194 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sprigg, Stephen A., Minear, Brian, Chandhok, Ravinder
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US10/187,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections

Abstract

A system, method, and program for optimizing the data channel availability on a computer device through selectively delaying the closing of an open channel on a computer network having expensive bandwidth, such as a cellular telecommunication network. The device has a plurality of device resources that utilize an open channel to communicate across the network, and optimally delays the closing of an open communication channel after cessation of usage thereof by a device resource such that other device resources can utilize the open communication channel prior to closure while still minimizing the duration of the expensive open channel.

Claims

1. A system for communication between computer devices on a computer network, comprising:

one or more computer devices each operable to selectively open and close a communication channel to the computer network each device including a plurality of device resources operable to selectively utilize the communication channel to communicate with one or more other devices across the network;

wherein upon a device selectively opening a communication channel to the network on behalf of a first one of said device resources for the first one of said device resources to communicate with one or more other devices, only the device delaying a closing of the communication channel once a usage of the communication channel by the first one of said device resources has ceased, and selectively allowing another one of said device resources to utilize the communication channel once the delaying the closing of the communication channel has commenced and prior to closure of the communication channel; and

wherein the delaying comprises maintaining the communication channel in an open state until a predetermined duration expires after the usage of the communication channel has ceased, said delaying being maintained while any device resource is utilizing said communication channel and said predetermined duration being restarted upon a next cessation of usage of said communication channel, wherein said predetermined duration is set based upon a usage data collected on said plurality of device resources.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined duration is a function of the device resource which last utilized said communication channel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication channel is closed upon expiration of said predetermined duration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer network is a wireless network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless network is a cellular telecommunication network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said usage data is stored on the device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined duration is determined at the device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined duration is determined at a different one of said plurality of devices.

9. A system for communication between devices on a computer network, comprising:

one or more devices each having a communication means for selectively opening and closing a communication channel onto the computer network, each device further comprising;

a plurality of device resources that selectively utilize the communication channel to communicate with one or more other devices across the network;

a delay means for delaying a closing of a communication channel opened on behalf of a first one of said device resources for the first one of said device resources to communicate with the one or more other devices once a usage of the communication channel by the first one of said device resources has ceased; and

a means for selectively allowing another one of said device resources to utilize said communication channel for communication across the network once the delaying the closing of the communication channel has commenced and prior to closure of said channel;

wherein only said device performs said delaying the closing of the communication channel; and

wherein said delaying comprises maintaining the communication channel in an open state until a predetermined duration expires after the usage of the communication channel has ceased, said delaying is maintained while any device resource is utilizing said communication channel, and said predetermined duration is restarted upon a next cessation of usage of said communication channel, wherein said predetermined duration is set based upon a usage data collected on said plurality of device resources.

10. A method for communicating over a network by a device having a plurality of device resources, comprising:

opening, on behalf of one of said device resources, a communication channel on said network;

using said communication channel, by said one of said device resources, to communicate with a remote device over said network;

once said using by said one of said device resources has ceased, only the device delaying a closing of said communication channel; and

once said delaying has commenced, selectively permitting another one of said device resources to use said communication channel;

wherein said delaying comprises;

closing said communication channel upon an elapsing of a predetermined duration, wherein said predetermined duration is a function of usage data collected on said plurality of device resources;

maintaining said communication channel in an open state while another one of said device resources is using said communication channel; and

after said maintaining, resetting said predetermined duration.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined duration is a function of the device resource last communicating over said communication channel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said network is a wireless network, and said device is a wireless device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said wireless network is a cellular telecommunication network, said device is a cellular device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said device resource usage data is stored on the device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said device resource usage data is stored on another device over said network.

16. A device, comprising:

a bus;

a processor, coupled to said bus;

a communications interface, coupled to a network and to said bus; and

a plurality of device resources, coupled to said bus;

wherein

said processor is configured to cause said communications interface to open a communications channel on said network on behalf of a first one of said device resources for the first one of said device resources to utilize to communicate to other devices,

said processor is configured to delay closing of said communications channel until an expiration of a duration once a usage of said communications channel by said first one of said device resources has ceased, said duration being a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined time is set upon usage data collected on said plurality of device resources, and

said processor is configured to permit another one of said plurality of device resources to use said communications channel once the usage of the communications channel has ceased and before said expiration,

wherein said communications channel is maintained in an open state while said another one of said plurality of device resources is using said communications channel and said duration is reset once a usage of said communications channel by said another one of said plurality of device resources has ceased, and

wherein only said device is configured to delay closing of said communications channel.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined time is a function of the device resource last communicating over said communications channel.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the device selectively communicates with one or more servers across the network.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the communications interface is a wireless network interface for communicating over a wireless network.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the device resource usage data is stored on the device.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined time is set via an external command.

23. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for selectively opening a communication channel from a device to a network on behalf of a first device resource of a plurality of device resources of the device for the first device resource to utilize to communicate with one or more other devices across the network;

at least one instruction for delaying a closing of the communication channel until an expiration of a duration after the first device resource has ceased usage of the communication channel, only the device delaying the closing of the communication channel, the duration being a predetermined duration, wherein the predetermined duration is a function of usage data collected on said plurality of device resources;

at least one instruction for selectively allowing another one of said plurality of device resources to utilize the open communication channel once the delaying the closing of the communication channel has commenced and prior to closure thereof;

at least one instruction for maintaining said communication channel in an open state while said another one of said plurality of device resources is utilizing said communication channel; and

at least one instruction for resetting said duration after said another one of said plurality of device resources has ceased to use said communication channel.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the duration is based upon the device resource last communicating across the open channel.