Methods and apparatus for use in communicating data packets within a data packet window having a size that is set based on quality of service (QoS) parameters

• US 8,477,618 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Martin, Daryl Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US12/837,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20120014252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370232-234, 370235-238, 709/223, 709/231
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use in communicating data packets to communication devices are described. A communication device receives one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters of a data communication session established between it and a wireless communication network. The one or more QoS parameters may be or include a bandwidth parameter. The communication device sends the bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom to a host system via the wireless communication network. The communication device then receives, from the host system via the wireless communication network, data packets via the data communication session. The data packets are communicated within a data packet window having a size that is set as a function of the bandwidth parameter. If another data communication session is established, the communication device sends an updated bandwidth parameter to the host system for receiving data packets within a data packet window having an updated size that is set in accordance with the function.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communication device configured to operate in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

sending, from the mobile communication device to the wireless communication network, one or more messages indicating a request for establishing a data communication session with the wireless communication network;

in response to the request, receiving, at the mobile communication device from the wireless communication network, one or more messages which includes a response for establishing the data communication session with the wireless communication network, the one or more messages including one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters of the data communication session, the one or more QoS parameters comprising a bandwidth parameter;

sending, from the mobile communication device, the bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom to a host server via the wireless communication network;

receiving, at the mobile communication device, from the host server via the wireless communication network, data packets via the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having a size that is set as a function of the bandwidth parameter;

after establishing an additional data communication session with the wireless communication network, sending, from the mobile communication device, an updated bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom to the host server via the wireless communication network; and

receiving, at the mobile communication device, from the host server via the wireless communication network, data packets which are communicated within a data packet window having an updated size that is set as a function of the updated bandwidth parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server is configured to provide an electronic mail (e-mail) or Internet Web browsing service for the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the data packet window is an initial size, and wherein the size is subsequently adjusted based on a round trip time of the data packets being communicated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data session comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the data packet window specifies the maximum number of data packets that are permitted to be communicated from the host server without receipt of corresponding acknowledgements before the host server is permitted to communicate any additional data packets to the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

setting, by the mobile communication device, the size of the data packet window as a function of the bandwidth parameter, and sending it to the host server via the wireless communication network as the value derived from the bandwidth parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the additional data communication session further comprises:

sending, from the mobile communication device to the wireless communication network, one or more messages indicating a request for establishing the additional data communication session with the wireless communication network; and

in response to the request, receiving, at the mobile communication device from the wireless communication network, one or more messages which includes a response for establishing the additional data communication session with the wireless communication network, the one or more messages including one or more updated QoS parameters in response to establishing the second data communication session, the one or more updated QoS parameters comprising the updated bandwidth parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for execution by one or more processors of the communication device.

9. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a controller;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the controller and operative for communications with a wireless network;

the controller being configured to;

send, to the wireless network via the RF transceiver, one or more messages indicating a request for establishing a data communication session with the wireless network;

in response to the request, receive, from the wireless network via the RF transceiver, one or more messages which includes a response for establishing the data communication session with the wireless network, the one or more messages including one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters of the data communication session, the one or more QoS parameters comprising a bandwidth parameter;

send, to a host server via the RF transceiver, the bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom;

receive, from the host server via the RF transceiver, data packets via the data communication session, the data packets which are communicated in a data packet window having a size that is set as a function of the bandwidth parameter;

after establishing an additional data communication session with the wireless communication network, send, to the host server via the RF transceiver, an updated bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom; and

receive, from the host server via the RF transceiver, data packets which are communicated within a data packet window having an updated size that is set as a function of the updated bandwidth parameter.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the host server is configured to provide an electronic mail (e-mail) or Internet Web browsing service for the mobile communication device.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further operative to set the size of the data packet window as a function of the bandwidth parameter, and send it to the host server via the wireless network as the value derived from the bandwidth parameter.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the size of the data packet window is an initial size, and the controller is further configured to:

receive, via the RF transceiver, from the host server via the wireless network, additional data packets in the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having an updated size that is adjusted based on a round trip time of the data packets being communicated.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the data session comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the host system sets the size of the data packet window as the function of the bandwidth parameter.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to establish the additional data communication session by being further configured to:

send, to the wireless network via the RF transceiver, one or more messages indicating a request for establishing the additional data communication session with the wireless network;

in response to the request, receive, from the wireless network via the RF transceiver, one or more messages which includes a response for establishing the additional data communication session with the wireless network, the one or more messages including one or more updated QoS parameters in response to establishing the second data communication session, the one or more updated QoS parameters comprising the updated bandwidth parameter.

16. A method in a host server for use in communicating data to a mobile communication device operating in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, from the mobile communication device, a bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom, the bandwidth parameter being included in one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters received by the mobile communication device in response to a data communication session being established by the mobile communication device with the wireless communication network;

selecting a size of a data packet window as a function of the bandwidth parameter or the value derived therefrom;

communicating, to the mobile communication device via the wireless communication network, data packets within the data packet window having the selected size;

receiving, from the mobile communication device, an updated bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom, the updated bandwidth parameter being included in one or more updated Quality of Service (QoS) parameters received by the mobile communication device in response to an additional data communication session being established by the mobile communication device with the wireless communication network;

selecting an updated size of the data packet window as a function of the updated bandwidth parameter or the value derived therefrom; and

communicating, to the mobile communication device via the wireless communication network, data packets within the data packet window having the selected updated size.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the function comprises a positive step function.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the selected size of the data packet window is an initial size, and the method further comprises:

adjusting the size of the data packet window based on a round trip time of the data packets being communicated.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the data session comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein sending the data packets to the mobile communication device is performed via a relay network which queues the data packets prior to sending data packets to the mobile communication device via the wireless communication network.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the bandwidth parameter which is indicative of the maximum bandwidth provided via the wireless communication network.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the size of the data packet window specifies the maximum number of data packets that are permitted to be communicated from the host system without receipt of corresponding acknowledgements before the host system is permitted to communicate any additional data packets to the communication device.

23. The method of claim 16, which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for execution by one or more processors of the host system.

24. A method in a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters of a first data communication session established between the communication device and a wireless communication network, the one or more QoS parameters comprising a bandwidth parameter;

sending the bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom to a host system via the wireless communication network; and

receiving, from the host system via the wireless communication network, data packets via the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having a size that is set as a function of the bandwidth parameter;

establishing a second data communication session in the wireless communication network;

receiving one or more updated QoS parameters of the first data communication session in response to establishing the second data communication session, the one or more updated QoS parameters comprising an updated bandwidth parameter;

sending the updated bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom to the host system via the wireless communication network; and

receiving, from the host system via the wireless communication network, data packets in the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having an updated size that is set as a function of the updated bandwidth parameter.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the function comprises a positive step function.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the size of the data packet window is an initial size, and wherein the size is subsequently adjusted based on a round trip time of the data packets being communicated.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the data session comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the size of the data packet window specifies the maximum number of data packets that are permitted to be communicated from the host system without receipt of corresponding acknowledgements before the host system is permitted to communicate any additional data packets to the communication device.

29. A mobile communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and operative for communications with a wireless communication network;

the one or more processors being configured to;

receive via the wireless transceiver one or more Quality of Service (QoS) parameters of a first data communication session established between the mobile communication device and a wireless communication network, the one or more QoS parameters comprising a bandwidth parameter;

send, to the host system via the wireless transceiver, the bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom;

receive, from the host system via the wireless transceiver, data packets via the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having a size that is set as a function of the bandwidth parameter;

establish a second data communication session in the wireless communication network;

receive, from the wireless communication network via the wireless transceiver, one or more updated QoS parameters of the first data communication session in response to establishing the second data communication session, the one or more updated QoS parameters comprising an updated bandwidth parameter;

send, to the host system via the wireless transceiver, the updated bandwidth parameter or a value derived therefrom; and

receive, via the wireless transceiver from the host system, data packets in the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having an updated size that is set as a function of the updated bandwidth parameter.

30. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the function is a positive step function.

31. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to set the size of the data packet window as a function of the bandwidth parameter, and send the size of the data packet window to the host system via the wireless communication network as the value derived from the bandwidth parameter.

32. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the size of the data packet window is an initial size, and the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive, from the host system via the wireless communication network, additional data packets in the data communication session, the data packets being communicated within a data packet window having an updated size that is adjusted based on a round trip time of the data packets being communicated.

33. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the data session comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context.