Mobile device requests of non-communication time periods to a wireless communication network

• US 8,725,145 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mutya, Subbarayudu, Sanka, Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US13/089,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20120190362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 455/436, 455/458, 455/574, 455/115, 455/517, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/127, 455/519, 455/518, 455/41.2, 455/169, 455/563.1, 455/522, 370/516, 370/311, 370/318, 370/343, 370/338, 370/493, 370/574, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A particular method includes sending a request from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions to a wireless communication network. The request indicates a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period of the wireless communication network with respect to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending a request from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions to a wireless communication network, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period wherein the wireless communication network is requested to refrain from wirelessly communicating with the mobile device;

wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless communication network during the non-communication time period and return to wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication network after the non-communication time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a starting index of the time period, a length of the time period, a periodicity of the time period, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the time period at the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time period is identified at the mobile device based on paging cycle information of another wireless communication network, a discontinuous transmission (DTX) schedule of the wireless communication network, a discontinuous reception (DRX) schedule of the mobile device, a measurement period of the mobile device, an application quality of service (QoS), or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement message indicating a grant by the wireless communication network of the time period as the requested non-communication time period.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending a second request to the wireless communication network to update at least one of a start of the non-communication time period, an end of the non-communication time period, and a length of the non-communication time period.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising tuning the mobile device from the wireless communication network to the second wireless communication network in response to a start of the non-communication time period.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising tuning the mobile device from the second wireless communication network to the wireless communication network in response to an end of the non-communication time period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted via a dynamic layer-1 or layer-2 communication session.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dynamic layer-1 or layer-2 communication session has a duration of approximately ten milliseconds.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted via a layer-3 communication session.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the layer-3 communication session has a duration greater than or equal to one hundred milliseconds.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a first subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a first subscription, a second subscriber identity module associated with a second subscription, and a receive/transmit (RX/TX) chain shared by the first SIM and the second SIM.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first subscription and the second subscription is a global systems for mobile communications (GSM) subscription, a general packet radio service (GPRS) subscription, an enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) subscription, a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) subscription, a generic radio access network (GRAN) subscription, an evolution-data optimized (1×

/DO) subscription, a long term evolution (LTE) subscription, a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) subscription, or any combination thereof.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIM) interfaces, each SIM interface configured to receive a SIM;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to send a request from the mobile device to a wireless communication network, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period wherein the wireless communication network is requested to refrain from wirelessly communicating with the mobile device;

wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless communication network during the non-communication time period and return to wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication network after the non-communication time period.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, further comprising:

a first SIM coupled to a first SIM interface, the first SIM representing a first subscription;

a second SIM coupled to a second SIM interface, the second SIM representing a second subscription; and

a receive/transmit (RX/TX) chain shared by the first SIM and the second SIM and configured to communicate via the wireless communication network.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

send a request from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions to a wireless communication network, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period wherein the wireless communication network is requested to refrain from wirelessly communicating with the mobile device;

wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless communication network during the non-communication time period and return to wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication network after the non-communication time period.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to identify the time period at the mobile device.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying at least one time period requested as a non-communication time period of a wireless communication network with respect to a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions; and

means for sending a request to the wireless communication network indicating the at least one identified time period, wherein the wireless communication network is requested to refrain from wirelessly communicating with the mobile device during the non-communication time period;

wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless communication network during the non-communication time period and return to wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication network after the non-communication time period.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising tuneaway means for switching tuning of the mobile device from the wireless communication network to at least a second wireless communication network.

21. A method comprising:

receiving a request at a wireless communication network from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period of the wireless communication network with respect to the mobile device;

wherein the wireless communication network is configured to, in response to the request, refrain from communicating with the mobile device during the non-communication time period and resume wirelessly communicating with the mobile device after completion of the non-communication time period.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to receiving the request.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein preventing communication from the wireless communication network to the mobile device during the non-communication time period comprises not transmitting data to the mobile device during the non-communication time period.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising preventing communication between the wireless communication network and the mobile device during a compressed mode period that is scheduled by the wireless communication network independent of the request.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the mobile device is scheduled to perform signal measurement during the compressed mode period.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising updating a discontinuous transmission/discontinuous reception (DTX/DRX) schedule of the wireless communication network based on the request.

27. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to;

receive a request at a wireless communication network from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period of the wireless communication network with respect to the mobile device; and

send an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to receiving the request;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to prevent transmission of wireless communications from the wireless communication network to the mobile device during the non-communication time period and to resume transmission of wireless communications to the mobile device after completion of the non-communication time period.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to prevent communication between the wireless communication network and the mobile device during a compressed mode period that is scheduled by the wireless communication network independent of the request.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a request at a wireless communication network from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period of the wireless communication network with respect to the mobile device;

wherein the wireless communication network is configured to, in response to the request, refrain from communicating with the mobile device during the non-communication time period and resume wirelessly communicating with the mobile device after completion of the non-communication time period.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

transmit an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to receiving the request.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a request at a wireless communication network from a mobile device associated with a plurality of subscriptions, the request indicating a time period requested by the mobile device as a non-communication time period of the wireless communication network with respect to the mobile device; and

means for preventing transmission of wireless communications from the wireless communication network to the mobile device during the non-communication time period and resuming transmission of wireless communications to the mobile device after completion of the non-communication time period.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for sending an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to receiving the request.