Adaptive data delivery

• US 8,121,069 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lewis, Allan David, Mousseau, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US11/236,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20070070931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and a method for a wireless communication system (700) for adaptively delivering data to a wireless mobile communication device (702) based upon an availability status of the mobile device (702) in the wireless communication system (700) are disclosed. The wireless communication system (700) includes a host service (704) having data for the mobile device (702); a wireless router system (710) coupled to the host service (704) for determining the availability status of the mobile device (702) in the wireless communication system (700); and a wireless network (724) coupling the wireless router system (710) and the mobile device (702). The host service (704) transmits the data for the mobile device (702) if the availability status of the mobile device (702) is available, and queues the data in the host service (704) if the availability status of the mobile device (702) is unavailable until the availability status of the mobile device (702) becomes available.

Claims

1. A method for use in delivering data from the host service to a wireless mobile communication device operative in a wireless communication network, the host service being configured to maintain in a host memory an availability status indicative of the availability of the mobile device in the wireless communication network, the method comprising:

generating the data at the host service;

identifying whether the availability status of the mobile device in the host memory is known;

if the availability status is known at the host service, then;

transmitting the data from the host service to a wireless router system if the known availability status at the host service equals available, so that the wireless router system is able to send the data to the wireless communication network for transmission to the mobile device;

queuing the data at the host service without transmission to the wireless router system if the known availability status equals unavailable;

wherein the cached availability status in the cache memory of the wireless router system is set based on an indication signal from the mobile device, the indication signal indicating one or more functional states or parameter levels of the mobile device;

when the cached availability status in the cache memory equals to available;

in response to the wireless router system failing to receive the indication signal from the mobile device within a predetermined interval, or in response to the wireless router system identifying that one or more functional states or parameter levels of the indication signal are indicative of unavailability;

changing the cached availability status from available to unavailable and transmitting the changed availability status from the wireless router system to the host service;

when the cached availability status in the cache memory equals to unavailable;

in response to the wireless router system receiving the indication signal from the mobile device where the one or more functional states or parameter levels of the indication signal are indicative of availability;

changing the cached availability status from unavailable to available and transmitting the changed availability status from the wireless router system to the host service; and

setting, as the known availability status at the host service, the cached availability status received from the wireless router system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device if the known availability status at the host service equals available.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless router system is coupled to the wireless communication network through a communication network comprising the Internet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the data at the host service includes:

generating the data in response to receiving corresponding data; and

queuing the data at the host service.

5. The method of claim 4, after queuing the data at the host service, further comprising:

updating the cached availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory to available if the wireless router system receives the indication signal;

transmitting the updated cached availability status of available to the host service from the wireless router system;

transmitting the queued data from the host service to the wireless router system; and

purging the queued data from the host service if the transmission to the mobile device is successful.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one of:

setting the availability status in the host memory to unknown if there is no stored availability status at the host service;

setting the availability status in the host memory to unknown if a predetermined time period has passed since storing the availability status;

or

setting the availability status in the host memory to unknown if a connection between the host service and the wireless router system is lost.

7. The method of claim 5, after transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device, further comprising:

determining whether the data transmission from the wireless router system to the mobile device has been successful based upon a confirmation signal transmitted from the mobile device in response to successfully receiving the data;

re-determining the availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory based upon the confirmation signal; and

updating the cached availability status in the cache memory with the re-determined availability status.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the data transmission from the wireless router system to the mobile device has been successful based upon the confirmation signal transmitted from the mobile device in response to successfully receiving the data includes:

receiving the confirmation signal within a predetermined time period after transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device; and

if the wireless router system fails to receive the confirmation signal within the predetermined time period, re-transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device until predetermined re-try logic is exhausted.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined re-try logic includes at least one of:

a maximum number of re-transmissions,

a maximum overall time of re-transmissions, and

a maximum back-off time.

10. The method of claim 9, if the wireless router system fails to receive the confirmation signal after the predetermined re-try logic is exhausted, further comprising:

updating the cached availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory to unavailable;

transmitting the updated availability status of unavailable to the host service from the wireless router system; and

queuing the data at the host service.

11. The method of claim 5, after transmitting the data from the host service to the wireless router system, further comprising:

evaluating the cached availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory;

if the evaluated cached availability status is equal to available,

transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device;

re-determining the cached availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory based upon a confirmation signal from the mobile device of successful reception of the transmitted data; and

updating the cached availability status in the cache memory with the re-determined availability status; and

if the evaluated cached availability status is equal to unavailable;

updating the availability status of the mobile device in the host memory based upon the evaluated cached availability status at the wireless router system; and

queuing the data at the host service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein re-determining the cached availability status of the mobile device based upon the confirmation signal from the mobile device of successful reception of the transmitted data includes:

receiving the confirmation signal within a predetermined time period after transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device; and

if the wireless router system fails to receive the confirmation signal within the predetermined time period, re-transmitting the data from the wireless router system to the mobile device until predetermined re-try logic is exhausted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined re-try logic includes at least one of:

a maximum number of re-transmissions,

a maximum overall time of re-transmissions, and

a maximum back-off time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a battery status of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a memory status of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1, maintaining communication with the wireless router system which is coupled between the host service and the wireless communication network but external to the wireless communication network.

18. A communication system configured to deliver data to a wireless mobile communication device, the communication system comprising:

a host service including a host memory, the host service being configured to maintain in the host memory an availability status indicative of the availability of the mobile device in a wireless communication network, to generate data to be delivered to the mobile device, to identify whether the availability status of the mobile device in the host memory is known;

to transmit the data to a wireless router system if the known availability status equals available so that the wireless router system is able to send the data to the wireless communication network for transmission to the mobile device, and to queue the data without transmission if the known availability status equals unavailable;

the wireless router system including a cache memory, and communicating between the host service and the wireless communication network, the wireless router system being configured to determine and cache the availability status of the mobile device in its cache memory based on an indication signal from the mobile device which is indicative of one or more functional states or parameter levels of the mobile device, to receive the data from the host service, and to transmit the data to the wireless communication network for delivery to the mobile device;

the wireless router system being further configured to, when the cache availability status in the cache memory equals to available;

in response to failing to receive the indication signal from the mobile device within a predetermined interval or in response to identifying that one or more functional states or parameter levels of the indication signal are indicative of unavailability, change the cached availability status from available to unavailable and send the changed availability status from the wireless router system to the host service;

the wireless router system being further configured to, when the cached availability status in the cache memory equals to unavailable;

in response to receiving the indication signal from the mobile device where the one or more functional states or parameter levels of the indication signal are indicative of availability, change the cached availability status from unavailable to available and send the changed availability status from the wireless router system to the host service; and

the host service being further configured to, set as the known availability status at the host service the cached availability status received from the wireless router system.

19. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the data generated includes:

the data generated in response to the host service receiving corresponding data, and

the data queued at the host service.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein, if the wireless router system receives the indication signal after the data is queued at the host service, the wireless router system is further configured to:

update the cached availability status of the mobile device to available,

transmit to the host service the updated the availability status of the mobile device,

receive the queued data from the host service, and

transmit the queued data to the mobile device.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the host service is further configured to purge the queued data if the transmission of the queued data to the mobile device is successful.

22. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the host service is further configured to set the availability status in the host memory to unknown if:

there is no stored availability status,

a predetermined time period has passed since the availability status has been stored, or

a connection between the host service and the wireless router system is lost.

23. The communication system of claim 21, wherein, after the wireless router system transmits the data to the mobile device, the wireless router system is further configured to:

determine whether the data transmission to the mobile device has been successful based upon a confirmation signal transmitted from the mobile device in response to successfully receiving the data,

re-determine the availability status of the mobile device based upon the confirmation signal, and

update the cached availability status with the re-determined availability status.

24. The communication system of claim 23, wherein the wireless router system is further configured to receive the confirmation signal within a predetermined time period after transmission of the data to the mobile device, and to re-transmit the data to the mobile device until predetermined re-try logic is exhausted if the wireless router system fails to receive the confirmation signal within the predetermined time period.

25. The communication system of claim 24, wherein the predetermined re-try logic includes at least one of:

a maximum number of re-transmissions,

a maximum overall time of re-transmissions, and

a maximum back-off time.

26. The communication system of claim 25, wherein, if the wireless router system fails to receive the confirmation signal after the predetermined re-try logic is exhausted, the wireless router system is further configured to:

update the cached availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory to unavailable,

cause the host service to update the availability status of the mobile device to unavailable, and

cause the host service to queue the data.

27. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the wireless router system is further configured to:

evaluate the cached availability status of the mobile device after the reception of the data from the host service,

if the evaluated cached availability status is equal to available,

transmit the data to the mobile device,

re-determine the cached availability status of the mobile device based upon a confirmation signal from the mobile device of successful reception of the transmitted data, and

update the cached availability status with the re-determined availability status,

if the evaluated cached availability status is equal to unavailable,

cause the host service to update the availability status of the mobile device based upon the evaluated cached availability status, and

cause the host service to queue the data.

28. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the wireless router system is further configured to receive the confirmation signal within a predetermined time period after transmission of the data to the mobile device, and to re-transmit the data to the mobile device until a predetermined re-try logic is exhausted if the wireless router system fails to receive the confirmation signal within the predetermined time period.

29. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the predetermined re-try logic includes at least one of:

a maximum number of re-transmissions,

a maximum overall time of re-transmissions, and

a maximum back-off time.

30. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a battery status of the mobile device.

31. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a memory status of the mobile device.

32. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of the mobile device.

33. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the wireless router system is external to the wireless communication network.

34. A communication system configured to adaptively deliver data to a mobile device, the communication system comprising:

a host service having a host memory for maintaining an availability status indicative of the availability of the mobile device in a wireless communication network, a data generator configured to generate data to be delivered to the mobile device, a status evaluator configured to identify whether the availability status of the mobile device in the host memory is known, a host transmitter coupled to the data generator and the status evaluator, the host transmitter configured to transmit the data to a wireless router system if the known availability status equals available so that the wireless router system is able to send the data to the wireless communication network for transmission to the mobile device, and the host service configured to queue the data in the host memory without transmission if the known availability status equals unavailable;

the wireless router system having a cache memory, and communicating between the host service and the wireless communication network, the wireless router system being configured to determine and cache the availability status of the mobile device in the cache memory based on an indication signal from the mobile device which is indicative of one or more functional states or parameter levels of the mobile device, the wireless router system being further configured to, when the cache availability status in the cache memory equals to available;

in response to failing to receive the indication signal from the mobile device within a predetermined interval or in response to identifying that one or more functional states or parameter levels of the indication signal are indicative of unavailability, change the cached availability status from available to unavailable and send the changed availability status from the wireless router system to the host service;

the wireless router system being further configured to, when the cached availability status in the cache memory equals to unavailable;

in response to receiving the indication signal from the mobile device where the one or more functional states or parameter levels of the indication signal are indicative of availability, change the cached availability status from unavailable to available and send the changed availability status from the wireless router system to the host service; and

the wireless router system further having a router receiver configured to receive the data from the host service and a router transmitter configured to transmit the data to the wireless communication network for delivery to the mobile device; and

the host service being further configured to receive the cached availability status from the wireless router system and set as the known availability status in the host memory the cached availability status received from the wireless router system.

35. The communication system of claim 34, wherein the data generated includes:

the data generated in response to the host service receiving corresponding data, and

the data queued in the host memory.

36. The communication system of claim 35, wherein the host service is further configured to set the availability status to unknown if:

there is no stored availability status,

a predetermined time period has passed since the availability status has been stored, or

if a connection between the host service and the wireless router system is lost.

37. The communication system of claim 34, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a battery status of the mobile device.

38. The communication system of claim 37, wherein the one or more functional states or parameter levels indicated in the indication signal comprises a memory status of the mobile device.

39. The communication system of claim 37, wherein the router receiver is further configured to receive a confirmation signal within a predetermined time period after the router transmitter transmits the data to the mobile device, and wherein the router transmitter is further configured to re-transmit the data to the mobile device until predetermined re-try logic is exhausted if the router receiver fails to receive the confirmation signal within the predetermined time period.

40. The communication system of claim 39, wherein the predetermined re-try logic includes at least one of:

a maximum number of re-transmissions,

a maximum overall time of re-transmissions, and

a maximum back-off time.

41. The communication system of claim 34, wherein the wireless router system is external to the wireless communication network.