Customization of data session retry mechanism in a wireless packet data service network

• US 7,561,891 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Cormier, Jean-Philippe, Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor, Simpson, Ian, Munje, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karikari; Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US10/981,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20060099930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/564, 455/565, 455/460, 455/417, 455/445, 455/410, 455/411, 455/510, 455/412.1, 455/515, 455/435.2, 455/453, 455/435.1, 370/235, 370229-231, 370/239, 714/4, 714/43
• US Class Current: 455/510
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

In one embodiment, a scheme is provided for customization of a mobile communications device'"'"'s data session retry mechanism in a wireless packet data service network. Upon detecting that a cause code has been returned by a node disposed in a wireless packet data service network, a structure is interrogated to determine if the cause code is mapped to a flag relating to the device'"'"'s data session retry mechanism. Responsive to determining that the received cause code is mapped as a critical cause code, the data session retry mechanism of the mobile communications device is disabled so that further signaling messages towards the network are prevented.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device, comprising:

means for detecting that a cause code has been returned by a node disposed in a wireless packet data service network operable with said mobile communications device;

means for interrogating a configurable database structure within said mobile communications device to determine whether said cause code is identified in said configurable database structure as a critical cause code relating to a data session retry mechanism of said mobile communications device; and

means for disabling said data session retry mechanism of said mobile communications device responsive to a determination that said cause code is identified in said configurable database structure as a critical cause code relating to said data session retry mechanism of said mobile communications device.

2. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network.

3. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network.

4. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises a 3^rd Generation (3G) network.

5. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN).

6. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network.

7. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said cause code is indicative of a signaling load condition in said wireless packet data service network.

8. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said cause code is indicative of an invalid Access Point Name (APN) with respect to said mobile communications device.

9. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said cause code is indicative of an invalid Packet Data Protocol (PDP) address with respect to said mobile communications device.

10. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said cause code is indicative of a user authentication failure with respect to said mobile communications device.

11. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said cause code is indicative of a rejection of activation by said wireless packet data service network.

12. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said configurable database structure is provided as a firmware block having a configurable mapping for a plurality of cause codes, each cause code having a retry mechanism flag associated therewith.

13. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 12, wherein said configurable database structure is configured based on at least one of a carrier-by-carrier basis and a mobile communications device-by-mobile communications device basis.

14. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for detecting is operable to detect that a PDP context between said mobile communications device and said wireless packet data service network has failed.

15. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for detecting comprises a transport stack having an interface to a radio layer of said mobile communications device.

16. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 15, wherein said configurable database structure is operable upon instantiation as an observer having access to said radio layer.

17. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 15, wherein said transport stack is operable in a client operating system (OS) environment provided as part of a data communications client executing on said mobile communications device.

18. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 15, wherein said transport stack is comprised of four protocol layers.

19. A method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device, comprising:

detecting that a cause code has been returned by a node disposed in a wireless packet data service network operable with said mobile communications device;

interrogating a configurable database structure within said mobile communications device to determine whether said cause code is identified in said configurable database structure as a critical cause code relating to a data session retry functionality of said mobile communications device; and

disabling said data session retry functionality of said mobile communications device responsive to a determination that said cause code is identified in said configurable database structure as a critical cause code relating to said data session retry mechanism of said mobile communications device.

20. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network.

21. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network.

22. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises a 3^rd Generation (3G) network.

23. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN).

24. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless packet data service network comprises a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network.

25. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said cause code is indicative of a signaling load condition in said wireless packet data service network.

26. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said cause code is indicative of an invalid Access Point Name (APN) with respect to said mobile communications device.

27. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said cause code is indicative of an invalid Packet Data Protocol (PDP) address with respect to said mobile communications device.

28. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said cause code is indicative of a user authentication failure with respect to said mobile communications device.

29. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said cause code is indicative of a rejection of activation by said wireless packet data service network.

30. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said configurable database structure is provided as a firmware block having a configurable mapping for a plurality of cause codes, each cause code having a retry mechanism flag associated therewith.

31. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 30, wherein said configurable database structure is configured based on one of a carrier-by-carrier basis and a mobile communications device-by-mobile communications device basis.

32. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said detecting is performed responsive to determining that a PDP context between said mobile communications device and said wireless packet data service network has failed.

33. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 19, wherein said detecting is effectuated by a transport stack having an interface to a radio layer of said mobile communications device.

34. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 33, wherein said configurable database structure is operable upon instantiation as an observer having access to said radio layer.

35. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 33, wherein said transport stack is operable in a client operating system (OS) environment provided as part of a data communications client executing on said mobile communications device.

36. The method for customizing data session retry functionality associated with a mobile communications device as recited in claim 33, wherein said transport stack is comprised of four protocol layers.