Traffic monitoring for regulating states of a terminal

• US 8,260,372 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haumont, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONADO, FRANK E
• Application Number:
  US11/477,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a method comprising monitoring a traffic pattern relating to a terminal, and regulating states of the terminal according to the monitored traffic pattern. Other embodiments relate to associated apparatus, communication systems, network elements and computer program products.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) monitoring, by a node of a packet switched core network, a traffic pattern relating to a terminal; and

b) regulating states of the terminal according to the monitored traffic pattern, wherein the monitored traffic pattern comprises a keep alive message pattern relating to keep alive messages transmitted by the terminal; and

further comprising, between monitoring and regulating, detecting a keep alive pattern and deriving from the detected keep alive pattern a keep-alive profile including information about at least two of a keep alive frequency, a keep alive direction, and keep alive L3/L4 characteristics regarding an internet protocol address/port number.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of regulating states comprises setting a timer of the terminal.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the setting of the timer defines a period after which the terminal shifts to a state having a lower power consumption, if the terminal is inactive during the period.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein if a frequency of the keep alive messages decreases, a length of the period is increased.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein if a frequency of the keep alive messages increases, a length of the period is decreased.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing data indicative of the monitored traffic pattern in the node.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the node is a first controller node having a connection with the terminal.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising transmitting the data to a second controller node when the terminal establishes a connection with the second controller node.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the node is having a connection with the terminal.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the controller node sends an indication of a timer setting to the terminal in an attached accept message, a routing area accept message or a dedicated timer modification message.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring, by the node of the packet switched core network, mobility of the terminal.

13. A method according to claim 12, comprising setting a timer according to the monitored mobility of the terminal and the monitored traffic pattern of the terminal.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein if mobility of the terminal decreases, a length of a period of inactivity after which the timer expires is increased.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the monitored traffic pattern comprises a level of paging traffic associated with the terminal.

16. A method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a periodic routing area update timer for the terminal according to at least one of the monitored traffic pattern and mobility of the terminal.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the node of the packet switched core network comprises a serving general purpose radio service support node.

18. An apparatus configured to:

a) monitor a traffic pattern relating to a terminal; and

b) regulate states of the terminal according to the monitored traffic pattern, wherein the apparatus comprises a node of a packet switched core network, wherein the monitored traffic pattern comprises a keep alive message pattern relating to keep alive messages transmitted by the terminal; and

further configured, between monitoring and regulating, to detect a keep alive pattern and deriving from the detected keep alive pattern a keep-alive profile including information about at least two of a keep alive frequency, a keep alive direction, and keep alive L3/L4 characteristics regarding an internet protocol address/port number.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, which is configured to regulate states by setting a timer of the terminal.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the node of the packet switched core network comprises a serving general purpose radio service support node.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodied with a computer program comprising a set of instructions which when executed by a processor in a node of a packet switched core network of a communications system, causes the node of the packet switched core network to a) monitor a traffic pattern relating to a terminal, and b) regulate states of the terminal according to the monitored traffic pattern, wherein the monitored traffic pattern comprises a keep alive message pattern relating to keep alive messages transmitted by the terminal;

and

further between monitoring and regulating, to detect a keep alive pattern and deriving from the detected keep alive pattern a keep-alive profile including information about at least two of a keep alive frequency, a keep alive direction, and keep alive L3/L4 characteristics regarding an internet protocol address/port number.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the node of the packet switched core network comprises a serving general purpose radio service support node.

23. A method comprising:

a) monitoring. by a node of a packet switched core network, a traffic pattern relating to a terminal; and

b) regulating states of the terminal according to the monitored traffic pattern, wherein the monitored traffic pattern comprises a keep alive message pattern relating to keep alive messages transmitted by the terminal; and

further comprising, between monitoring and regulating. detecting a keep alive pattern and deriving from the detected keep alive pattern a keep-alive profile including information about at least two of a paging frequency, a keep alive direction, and keep alive L3/L4 characteristics regarding an internet protocol address/port number.