System and method for erasing a data frames queue on a mobile device

• US 7,778,227 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gibbs, Fraser
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, CHANDRAHAS B
• Application Number:
  US10/645,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20040253946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/412, 370/329, 370/338, 370/395.21, 370/469, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for managing communications between a mobile device and a wireless network. The mobile device may include an executable network management program that causes the mobile device to terminate a first communication link with the wireless network while in an out-of-coverage state, and queue data in the mobile device relating to the first communication link. The network management program may further cause the mobile device to receive instructions to establish a second communication link between the mobile device and the wireless network, and delete the queued data relating to the first communication link.

Claims

1. A method of managing communications between a mobile device and a wireless network, comprising:

establishing a first general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile management (MM) context for the mobile device to enable communication with the wireless network;

terminating the first GPRS MM context while the mobile device is out of network coverage of any GPRS wireless network;

in response to the termination of the first GPRS MM context while the mobile device is out of network coverage of any GPRS wireless network, queuing a first set of data in a local data store associated with the first GPRS MM context, wherein the first set of data includes one or more information transfer data frames that include user data, the user data including at least one of email data, calendar data, voice mail data, and task item data;

making a decision to establish a second GPRS MM context to re-establish communication with the wireless network;

in response to the establishment of a second GPRS MM context, deleting the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context; and

queuing a second set of data in the local data store associated with the second GPRS MM context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes a mobile device identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a decision to terminate the first GPRS MM context is made by a mobile device user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes network control data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes a GPRS detach request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes a detach type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the detach type includes a GPRS detach.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes a mobile device status flag.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes a temporary logical link identifier (TLLI).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first data set associated with the first GPRS MM context includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first set of data associated with the first GPRS MM context includes a packet temporary mobile subscriber identity (P-TMSI).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the decision to establish the second GPRS MM context is made by a mobile device user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of data associated with the second GPRS MM context includes a GPRS attach request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second set of data associated with the second GPRS MM context includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second set of data associated with the second GPRS MM context includes a packet temporary mobile subscriber identity (P-TMSI).

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second set of data associated with the second GPRS MM context includes an attach type.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the decision to establish the second GPRS MM context is made by a software module resident on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a decision to terminate the first GPRS MM context is made by a software module resident on the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the decision to terminate the first GPRS MM context made by the software module is based on the expiration of a software timer.

20. A method for managing communications between a mobile device and a wireless network, comprising:

establishing a first packet data protocol (PDP) context for a mobile device to establish data communication with the wireless network;

terminating the first PDP context while the mobile device is out of network coverage with any wireless data network;

in response to the termination of the first PDP context while the mobile device is out of network coverage with any wireless data network, queuing a first set of data in a local data store associated with the first PDP context, wherein the first set of data includes one or more information transfer data frames that include user data, the user data including at least one of email data, calendar data, voice mail data, and task item data;

making a decision to establish a second PDP context for the mobile device to re-establish data communication with the wireless network;

in response to the establishment of the second PDP context, deleting the first set of data associated with the first PDP context; and

queuing a second set of data in the local data store associated with the second PDP context.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a decision to terminate the first PDP context is made by a mobile device user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the decision to establish the second PDP context is made by a mobile device user.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein a decision to terminate the first PDP context is made by a software module resident on the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the decision to establish the second PDP context is made by a software module resident on the mobile device.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the first set of data associated with the first PDP context includes network control data.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first set of data associated with the first PDP context includes a deactivate PDP context request.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the first set of data associated with the first PDP context includes a mobile device identifier.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first set of data associated with the first PDP context includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first set of data associated with the first PDP context includes a packet temporary mobile subscriber identity (P-TMSI).

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the first set of data associated with the first PDP context includes a temporary logical link identifier (TLLI).

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the second set of data associated with the first PDP context includes an activate PDP context request.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second set of data associated with the second PDP context includes a network service point access identifier (NSAPI).

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the second set of data associated with the second PDP context includes a PDP value.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the second data associated with the second PDP context comprises a PDP address.

35. A method of managing communications between a mobile device and a wireless network, comprising:

establishing a first communication link between the mobile device and the wireless network;

detecting that the mobile device is out-of-coverage with any wireless network;

terminating the first communication link while the mobile device is out-of-coverage with any wireless network;

in response to the termination of the first communication link while the mobile device is out-of-coverage with any wireless network, queuing data in the mobile device relating to the first communication link, wherein the data includes one or more information transfer data frames that include user data, the user data including at least one of email data, calendar data, voice mail data, and task item data;

receiving instructions to establish a second communication link between the mobile device and the wireless network; and

in response to the establishment of the second communication link, deleting from the mobile device the queued data relating to the first communication link;

the first and second communication links being to the same wireless network.

36. A mobile device for use in a wireless network, comprising:

a memory subsystem;

a communication subsystem operable to transmit and receive data over the wireless network;

a processing subsystem coupled to the memory subsystem and the communication subsystem and operable to store and retrieve data in the memory subsystem, to execute instructions stored in the memory subsystem, and to cause the communication subsystem to transmit and receive data over the wireless network; and

executable network management program code stored in the memory subsystem and comprising instructions operable to cause the mobile device to perform the method of claim 35 when executed by the processing subsystem.

37. The mobile device of claim 36, wherein the wireless network is a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.

38. The mobile device of claim 37, further comprising:

a subscriber identity module (SIM) coupled to the processing subsystem and operable to store network identification information for the mobile device;

wherein the processing subsystem is operable to retrieve the network identification information stored in the SIM.

39. The mobile device of claim 36 wherein the memory subsystem includes a flash memory device and a random access memory (RAM) device.

40. The mobile device of claim 39, wherein the network management program code is stored in the flash memory device.

41. The mobile device of claim 39, wherein the data is queued in the RAM device.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the wireless network is a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the first communication link includes a general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile management (MM) context for the mobile device.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein the first communication link includes a packet data protocol (PDP) context for the mobile device.

45. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

queuing data in the mobile device relating to the second communication link.

46. The method of claim 35, wherein the instructions to establish a second communication link are received from a mobile device user.

47. The method of claim 35, wherein the instructions to establish a second communication link are received from a program executing on the mobile device.

48. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

prior to terminating the first communication link, receiving instructions to terminate the first communication link.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the instructions to terminate the first communication link are received from a mobile device user.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the instructions to terminate the first communication link are received from a program executing on the mobile device.