Efficient use of communication channel for periodic/occasional lower-priority and/or opportunistic data exchanges

• US 7,565,447 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lundblade, Laurence, Gellens, Randall Coleman
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Philip B
• Application Number:
  US10/727,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709223-224, 709/232, 709/228, 709/240
• US Class Current: 709/240
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/535 based on resource usage policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method for transferring data that includes the formulation of a set of criteria that includes a first subset of the criteria and a second subset of the criteria, the first subset of the criteria corresponding to one or more triggering events, the second subset of the criteria corresponding to a group of conditions of a communication link required for a data transfer between a first entity and a second entity, the group consisting of a timing to request data and a timing for the data transfer, a determination that the criteria in the first subset has been met which triggers an evaluation of the criteria in the second subset, a determination that the set of criteria has been met; and the initiation of the data transfer between the first entity and the second entity in response to meeting the set of criteria.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data, comprising:

receiving one or more registrations in a first entity, wherein each registration comprises a set of criteria for transferring data, the set of criteria comprising at least one triggering event;

recognizing a communication link between the first entity and a second entity;

identifying, based on an occurrence of at least one of the at least one triggering event, registrations in the first entity associated with the set of criteria that has been met;

assigning priority indicators to the identified registrations in the first entity; and

initiating a transfer over the communication link between the first entity and the second entity to transfer data associated with the identified registrations based on the priority indicators.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria identifies at least one of an amount of data to be transferred, a type of data to be transferred, a type of communication link, the amount of data currently being sent over the communication link, an available data transfer rate, power consumption associated with transmitting the data, an amount of data packet re-transmissions per unit time, a battery power level, a user activity level, and a time of day indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating in a background mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the method on a device chosen from a group of devices comprising a personal laptop computer, a personal standup computer, a wireless communication device, a still camera, a video camera, an audio recording device and a PDA.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data represents at least one of keystroke information, files viewed, files created, websites visited, and software application usage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more registrations identify at least one of opportunistic data transfers and periodic data transfers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said recognizing comprises establishing the communication link if the communication link is not recognized within a selected time interval.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link is at least one of a traffic channel and a supplemental channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of a notification request and a data exchange associated with at least one of an email program, a stock quote utility, an MMS utility, an instant messaging client, networked games, a weather checker, a person locator, a location monitor, a news checker, and a medical reminder.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating such that the activities are unknown to a user of the first entity.

11. An apparatus for transferring data, comprising:

a processor and a memory;

means for receiving one or more registrations, wherein each registration comprises a set of criteria for transferring data, the set of criteria comprising at least one triggering event;

means for recognizing a communication link;

means for identifying, based on an occurrence of at least one of the at least one triggering event, registrations associated with the set of criteria that has been met;

means for assigning priority indicators to the identified registrations; and

means for initiating a transfer over the communication link to transfer data associated with the identified registrations based on the priority indicators.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the set of criteria identifies at least one of an amount of data to be transferred, a type of data to be transferred, a type of communication link, the amount of data currently being sent over the communication link, an available data transfer rate, power consumption associated with transmitting the data, an amount of data packet re-transmissions per unit time, a battery power level, a user activity level, and a time of day indicator.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for performing at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating in a background mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate on a device chosen from a group of devices comprising a personal laptop computer, a personal standup computer, a wireless communication device, a still camera, a video camera, an audio recording device and a PDA.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data represents at least one of keystroke information, files viewed, files created, websites visited, and software application usage.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more registrations identify at least one of opportunistic data transfers and periodic data transfers.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for recognizing comprises means for establishing the communication link if the communication link is not recognized within a selected time interval.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication link is at least one of a traffic channel and a supplemental channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data comprises at least one of a notification request and a data exchange associated with at least one of an email program, a stock quote utility, an MMS utility, an instant messaging client, networked games, a weather checker, a person locator, a location monitor, a news checker, and a medical reminder.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for performing at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating such that the activities are unknown to a user.

21. An apparatus for transferring data, comprising:

a processor configured to receive one or more registrations, wherein each registration comprises a set of criteria for transferring data, the set of criteria comprising at least one triggering event, recognize a communication link, identify, based on an occurrence of at least one of the at least one triggering event, registrations associated with the set of criteria that has been met, and assign priority indicators to the identified registrations; and

a transmitter configured to initiate a transfer over the communication link to transfer data associated with the identified registrations based on the priority indicators.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the set of criteria identifies at least one of an amount of data to be transferred, a type of data to be transferred, a type of communication link, the amount of data currently being sent over the communication link, an available data transfer rate, power consumption associated with transmitting the data, an amount of data packet re-transmissions per unit time, a battery power level, a user activity level, and a time of day indicator.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said processor is configured to perform at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating in a background mode.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said apparatus is configured to operate on a device chosen from a group of devices comprising a personal laptop computer, a personal standup computer, a wireless communication device, a still camera, a video camera, an audio recording device and a PDA.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the data represents at least one of keystroke information, files viewed, files created, websites visited, and software application usage.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more registrations identify at least one of opportunistic data transfers and periodic data transfers.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said processor is configured to establish the communication link if the communication link is not recognized within a selected time interval.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the communication link is at least one of a traffic channel and a supplemental channel.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the data comprises at least one of a notification request and a data exchange associated with at least one of an email program, a stock quote utility, an MMS utility, an instant messaging client, networked games, a weather checker, a person locator, a location monitor, a news checker, and a medical reminder.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said processor is configured to perform at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating such that the activities are unknown to a user.

31. A computer readable storage media embodying a program, which when executed by a processor, operates to perform a method to transfer data, the method comprising:

receiving one or more registrations in a first entity, wherein each registration comprises a set of criteria for transferring data, the set of criteria comprising at least one triggering event;

recognizing a communication link between the first entity and a second entity;

identifying, based on an occurrence of at least one of the at least one triggering event, registrations in the first entity associated with the set of criteria that has been met;

assigning priority indicators to the identified registrations in the first entity; and

initiating a transfer over the communication link between the first entity and the second entity to transfer data associated with the identified registrations based on the priority indicators.

32. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, wherein the set of criteria identifies at least one of an amount of data to be transferred, a type of data to be transferred, a type of communication link, the amount of data currently being sent over the communication link, an available data transfer rate, power consumption associated with transmitting the data, an amount of data packet re-transmissions per unit time, a battery power level, a user activity level, and a time of day indicator.

33. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, further comprising performing at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating in the background mode.

34. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, further comprising performing the method on a device chosen from a group of devices comprising a personal laptop computer, a personal standup computer, a wireless communication device, a still camera, a video camera, an audio recording device and a PDA.

35. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, wherein the data represents at least one of keystroke information, files viewed, files created, websites visited, and software application usage.

36. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, wherein the one or more registrations identify at least one of opportunistic data transfers and periodic data transfers.

37. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, wherein said recognizing comprises establishing the communication link if the communication link is not recognized within a selected time interval.

38. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, wherein the communication link is at least one of a traffic channel and a supplemental channel.

39. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, wherein the data comprises at least one of a notification request and a data exchange associated with at least one of an email program, a stock quote utility, an MMS utility, an instant messaging client, networked games, a weather checker, a person locator, a location monitor, a news checker, and a medical reminder.

40. The computer readable storage media embodying a program of claim 31, further comprising performing at least one of said receiving, recognizing, identifying, assigning, and initiating such that the activities are unknown to a user.

41. A computer program embedded in a computer readable storage medium, when executed by a processor for transferring data, the computer program comprising:

a first module for receiving one or more registrations in a first entity, wherein each registration comprises a set of criteria for transferring data, the set of criteria comprising at least one triggering event;

a second module for recognizing a communication link between the first entity and a second entity;

a third module for identifying, based on an occurrence of at least one of the at least one triggering event, registrations in the first entity associated with the set of criteria that has been met;

a fourth module for assigning priority indicators to the identified registrations in the first entity; and

a fifth module for initiating a transfer over the communication link between the first entity and the second entity to transfer data associated with the identified registrations based on the priority indicators.