Dormancy timer adjustment in a wireless access node based on wireless device application status

• US 8,667,513 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Shah, Maulik K., Sigg, Jason Peter, Bhan, Ashish, Singh, Jasinder Pal
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US13/074,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 719/330
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for adjusting a dormancy timer in a wireless access node based on wireless device application status. In a particular embodiment, a method provides monitoring Application Programming Interface (API) calls from applications running on a wireless communication device for user interface functions and monitoring status of user interface components. The method further provides processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set a dormancy timer threshold. The method further provides transferring the dormancy timer threshold to a wireless communication network that releases a wireless link to the wireless communication device if a dormancy timer for the wireless communication device reaches the dormancy timer threshold.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device that executes applications that require wireless communications, the method comprising:

monitoring Application Programming Interface (API) calls from the applications for user interface functions and monitoring status of user interface components;

processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set a dormancy timer threshold, wherein processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold comprises lowering the dormancy timer threshold if the applications do not make the API calls for the user interface functions;

transferring the dormancy timer threshold to a wireless communication network that releases a wireless link to the wireless communication device if a dormancy timer for the wireless communication device reaches the dormancy timer threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold comprises lowering the dormancy timer threshold if the status is off for the user interface components that are associated with the API calls for the user interface functions.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold comprises increasing the dormancy timer threshold if one of the applications has makes one of the API calls for the user interface functions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold comprises increasing the dormancy timer threshold if one of the applications has makes one of the API calls for the user interface functions and if the status is on for the one of the user interface components that is associated with the one API call.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold comprises setting the dormancy timer threshold to zero.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication network initiates the dormancy timer after the wireless communications with the wireless communication device terminate.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface functions comprise playing audio and displaying graphics.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface components comprise a speaker and a graphic display.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the applications comprise a messaging application and an internet browsing application.

10. A wireless communication device that executes applications that require wireless communications, comprising:

a processing circuitry configured to monitor Application Programming Interface (API) calls from the applications for user interface functions and monitoring status of user interface components and process the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set a dormancy timer threshold, wherein the processing system is configured to process the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold by lowering the dormancy timer threshold if the applications do not make the API calls for the user interface functions;

a communication interface configured to transfer the dormancy timer threshold to a wireless communication network that releases a wireless link to the wireless communication device if a dormancy timer for the wireless communication device reaches the dormancy timer threshold.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to process the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold by lowering the dormancy timer threshold if the status is off for the user interface components that are associated with the API calls for the user interface functions.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to process the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold by increasing the dormancy timer threshold if one of the applications makes one of the API calls for the user interface functions.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to process the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold by increasing the dormancy timer threshold if one of the applications makes one of the API calls for the user interface functions and if the status is on for the one of the user interface components that is associated with the one API call.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to process the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set the dormancy timer threshold by setting the dormancy timer threshold to zero.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the wireless communication network initiates the dormancy timer after the wireless communications with the wireless communication device terminate.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the user interface functions comprise playing audio and displaying graphics.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the user interface components comprise a speaker and a graphic display.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the applications comprise a messaging application and an internet browsing application.