Socket management for always-on data connections

• US 7,508,812 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Stout, Craig, Maurice, Robbie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): AREVALO, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/044,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20060171306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/445, 455/510, 455/466, 455/450, 455/414.2, 455/401, 703/92, 709/249, 709/204, 709/224, 709/726, 709/247, 370/241, 370/392, 370/401, 710/104, 109/224
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/375 Access point names [APN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method of automatically keeping sockets open for always-on applications in a GPRS context is provided. Information is maintained by each wireless device identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application. Upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, a socket is registered for each port-APN pair associated with the PDP context.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless device comprising:

maintaining information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application; and

upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, registering a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising executing the maintaining and registering for each of a plurality of PDP contexts each used by at least one always-on application.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically maintaining the PDP context associated with an always-on application;

detecting when the PDP context is no longer available; and

detecting when the PDP context is again available.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each APN-port pair of an active context maintaining a respective socket identifier; and

upon the PDP context becoming unavailable, closing the socket having the respective socket identifier for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the maintaining information comprises:

when registering a new port for a given APN, adding an APN-port pair to a list of APN-port pairs; and

when de-registering a port for a given APN, removing the APN-port pair from the list.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein upon receipt of a request to register the new port for the given APN, if the PDP context is available, applying registration for the APN-port pair.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when de-registering an entire APN, closing the socket for each APN-port pair if the PDP context is available and removing each APN-port pair from the information.

8. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless device, the instructions comprising an always-on application configured to:

maintain information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application; and

upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, register a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context.

9. A wireless device comprising:

a socket layer;

an always on application;

an automatic socket manager;

the automatic socket manager being configured to maintain in an information store information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by the always-on application; and

wherein upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, the automatic socket manager registers a socket with said socket layer for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context.

10. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein:

the information store is used to maintain information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with each of a plurality of PDP (packet data protocol) contexts used by the always-on application; and

upon one of the PDP contexts becoming available after having become unavailable, the automatic socket manager registers a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context that became unavailable.

11. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the automatic socket manager is further configured to:

for each APN-port pair of an active context, maintain a respective socket identifier; and

upon the PDP context becoming unavailable, close the socket having the respective socket identifier for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context.

12. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the information is maintained by:

when registering a new port for a given APN, adding an APN-port pair to a list of APN-port pairs; and

when de-registering a port for a given APN, removing the APN-port pair from the list.

13. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the automatic socket manager is further configured to:

when de-registering an entire APN, closing a socket for each APN-port pair if the PDP context is available and removing each APN-port pair from the information.

14. A wireless device comprising:

a socket layer;

an always-on application configured to;

maintain information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application; and

upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, register a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN -port pair associated with a PDP context.

wherein register a socket comprises register the socket with the socket layer.

15. The wireless device of claim 14 further comprising:

at least one intermittent application.

16. A method in a wireless device comprising:

for each of at least one data service used by an always-on application, maintaining information identifying each socket used by the always-on application in using the data service; and

upon one of the data services becoming available after having become unavailable, registering a new socket for each socket used by the always-on application, based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context, in using the data service.

17. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless device, the instructions comprising an always-on application configured to:

for each of at least one data service used by an always-on application, maintain information identifying each socket used by the always-on application in using the data service; and

upon one of the data services becoming available after having become unavailable, register a new socket for each socket used by the always-on application, based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context, in using the data service.

18. A wireless device configured to:

for each of at least one data service used by an always-on application, maintain information identifying each socket used by the always-on application in using the data service; and

upon one of the data services becoming available after having become unavailable, register a new socket for each socket used by the always-on application, based upon the information identifying each APN -port pair associated with a PDP context, in using the data service.