Method and system for coordinating necessary radio transmission events with unrelated opportunistic events to optimize battery life and network resources

• US 7,885,616 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Wirtanen, Jeffrey, Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor, Islam, Muhammad Khaledul
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SIMON
• Application Number:
  US11/464,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/69, 4553431-3434, 4554121-4141, 455/466, 455/574, 455/127.5, 370/230, 370/235, 370/311, 370/335, 370342-345
• US Class Current: 455/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sending an event from user equipment operating in a mobile network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring whether an unrelated opportunistic event has occurred; and sending said event with said unrelated opportunistic event.

Claims

1. A method for sending a necessary event from a mobile device operating in a mobile network, the method comprising:

setting an event timer to count a period of time until a next necessary event needs to be sent, the necessary event being an event required to be sent at regular intervals;

detecting by said mobile device, an unrelated opportunistic event associated with said device and sending by said mobile device said necessary event if said unrelated opportunistic event is detected; and

sending said necessary event if said detecting does not find that an unrelated opportunistic event has occurred prior to the expiration of the period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes resetting the event timer after said sending.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising checking whether a time elapsed since a previous necessary event was transmitted to a network exceeds a threshold, said checking occurring after said monitoring detects a network connection and before the transmitting, said checking blocking said transmitting if the time elapsed is below the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said necessary event is a keep alive message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said necessary event is an automated real time event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said method further includes:

setting a maximum delay timer; and

transmitting said automated real time event upon the expiration of said maximum delay timer, wherein said transmitting occurs if said monitoring does not detect an opportunistic event.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising resetting said maximum delay timer after said transmitting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the opportunistic event is an asynchronous event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the asynchronous event is one of an email or other application level message, a voice call and a short/multimedia message service being sent or received by the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the opportunistic event is the connection of the mobile device to a charger.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile network is one of a UMTS network, a GPRS network, a CDMA network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if the mobile network is the UMTS network, the sending prevents an extra network connection to a Cell_DCH or Cell_FACH state.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said opportunistic event is a transmission to the network and said necessary event is transmitted together with said opportunistic event transmission.

14. A mobile device in a mobile network configured to send a necessary event, the mobile device having a radio subsystem including a radio adapted to communicate with the mobile network;

a radio processor having a digital signal processor and adapted to interact with said radio subsystem;

memory;

a user interface;

a processor adapted to run user applications and interact with the memory, the radio and the user interface and adapted to run applications, the mobile device characterized by having means for;

setting an event timer to count a period of time until a next necessary event needs to be sent, the necessary event being an event required to be sent at regular intervals;

detecting by said mobile device, an unrelated opportunistic event associated with said device and sending by said mobile device said necessary event if said unrelated opportunistic event is detected; and

sending said necessary event if said detecting does not find that an unrelated opportunistic event has occurred prior to the expiration of the period of time.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the mobile network is one of a GPRS network, a CDMA network and a UMTS network.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the opportunistic event detected by the means for monitoring is caused by a protocol message being sent from the mobile device.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the protocol message is one of a routing area update, a location area update, or a universal terrestrial radio access network area update.

18. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the opportunistic event detected by the means for monitoring is caused by one of an email or other application level message, a voice call and a short/multimedia message service being sent or received by the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the means for monitoring is adapted to monitor whether the mobile device is connected to a charger, and if yes, the means for monitoring is adapted to send the message to the network.

20. The mobile device of claim 14, further characterized by means for:

setting an event timer; and

said sending of said necessary event if an unrelated opportunistic event is not detected prior to the expiration of the event timer.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, further characterized by means for checking whether a time elapsed since a previous necessary event was transmitted to a presence agent exceeds a threshold, said means for checking adapted to block the transmitting of the message if the time elapsed is below the threshold.

22. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said necessary event is an automated real time event.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising means for resetting said maximum delay timer.

24. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the opportunistic event is an asynchronous event.

25. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein said opportunistic event is a transmission to the network and said necessary event is transmitted together with said opportunistic event transmission.