Methods and apparatus for preserving battery resources in a mobile communication device

• US 8,744,534 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Shiehlie, Juang, Ben-Heng
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLEMING-HALL, ERICA L
• Application Number:
  US12/788,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/574, 370/311, 370/477, 370/252
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Preserving battery resources in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network by dynamically aligning a RRC connection status of a mobile wireless communication device in communication with a wireless network with a data traffic profile. The data traffic profile indicating a pattern of data transfer between the mobile wireless communication device and the wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of conserving battery power of a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining a current operating state and an anticipated operating state of the wireless device;

determining a data traffic pattern required to adequately service the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network;

generating a plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers in accordance with preserving battery power based upon the current operating state, the anticipated operating state, and the data traffic pattern, wherein each of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers indicates an amount of elapsed time of data inactivity at the wireless device required before a connection state of the wireless device is changed; and

sending a wireless device connection state change request to the wireless network, the wireless device connection state change request including at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers,

wherein when the wireless network recognizes the wireless device connection state change request, the wireless network issues an instruction to change the wireless device'"'"'s connection state according to a requested wireless device connection state transition timer, otherwise, the wireless network issues instructions to the wireless device to change the wireless device'"'"'s connection state according to a network default connection state transition timer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the anticipated operating state comprises an anticipated data traffic pattern.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending the wireless device connection state change request to the wireless network comprises:

sending a change in a radio resource control (RRC) connection request by the wireless device to the wireless network;

causing a RRC connection state of the wireless device to change by the wireless network in response to the RRC connection request; and

sending a RRC connection change acknowledgement message by the wireless device to the wireless network, wherein the RRC connection change acknowledgement message comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a RadioBearerRelease message, the wireless device responds with a RadioBearerReleaseComplete message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a RadioBearerReconfiguration message, the wireless device responds with a RadioBearerReconfigurationComplete message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a TransportChannelReconfiguration message, the wireless device responds with a TransportChannelReconfigurationComplete message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a PhysicalChannelReconfiguration message, the wireless device responds with a PhysicalChannelReconfigurationComplete message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein either a HandoverToUTRANComplete message or a CellChangedOrderFromUTranFailure message comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a UTRANMobilityInformation network message, the wireless device responds with a UTRANMobilityInformationConfirm message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to any of a CellUpdate network message and a URAUpdate network message, the wireless device responds with a UTRANMobilityInformationConfirm message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a RRC Connection Reestablishment message, the wireless device responds with a RRCConnectionReestablishmentComplete message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, the wireless device responds with a RRCConnectionReconfigureationComplete message that comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

13. A method of conserving battery power of a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining a current operating state and an anticipated operating state of the wireless device;

determining a data traffic pattern required to adequately service the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network;

determining a preferred wireless device connection state for the wireless device based upon the current operating state, the anticipated operating state, and the data traffic pattern; and

sending a wireless device connection state change request instruction (SCRI) to the wireless network, the SCRI indicating the preferred wireless device connection state, wherein the wireless network responds by sending a state change command that causes the wireless device to transition from a current wireless device connection state to the preferred wireless device connection state.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the SCRI indicates that the preferred device wireless connection state is CELL_PCH or URA_PCH, the wireless network causes the wireless device to transition to the CELL_PCH connection state or the URA_PCH connection state.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the SCRI indicates that the preferred device wireless connection state is IDLE, the wireless network responds with a RRC_Connection_Release command that causes the wireless device to transition to the IDLE state.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the SCRI indicates that the preferred wireless device connection state is CELL_FACH, the wireless network causes the wireless device to transition to the CELL_FACH connection state.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising in response to the wireless device determining an increase in data traffic, the wireless device determines that the preferred wireless device connection state is CELL_DCH and sends the SCRI requesting that the wireless network change the wireless device'"'"'s connection state from the CELL_FACH connection state to the CELL_DCH connection state.

29. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the anticipated operating state comprises an anticipated data traffic pattern.

18. A wireless device in communication with a wireless network, the wireless device comprising:

a processor;

a battery; and

a wireless transceiver arranged to facilitate communication with the wireless network, wherein the processor acts to conserve battery power by;

determining a current operating state and an anticipated operating state of the wireless device;

determining a data traffic pattern required to adequately service the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network;

generating a plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers in accordance with preserving battery power based upon the current operating state, the anticipated operating state, and the data traffic pattern, wherein each of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers indicates an amount of elapsed time of data inactivity at the wireless device required before a connection state of the wireless device is changed; and

sending a wireless device connection state change request to the wireless network, the wireless device connection state change request including at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers,

wherein when the wireless network recognizes the wireless device connection state change request, the wireless network issues an instruction to update a wireless device connection state transition timer to a requested wireless device connection state transition timer, otherwise, the wireless network issues instructions to the wireless device to update the wireless device connection state transition timer to a network default connection state transition timer.

19. The wireless device as recited in claim 18, wherein the anticipated operating state comprises an anticipated data traffic pattern.

20. The wireless device as recited in claim 18, wherein sending the wireless device connection state change request to the wireless network comprises:

sending a change in a radio resource control (RRC) connection request by the wireless device to the wireless network;

causing a RRC connection state of the wireless device to change by the wireless network in response to the RRC connection request; and

sending a RRC connection change acknowledgement message by the wireless device to the wireless network, wherein the RRC connection change acknowledgement message comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

21. A wireless device in communication with a wireless network, the wireless device comprising:

a processor;

a battery; and

a wireless transceiver arranged to facilitate communication with the wireless network, wherein the processor acts to conserve battery power by;

determining a current operating state and an anticipated operating state of the wireless device;

determining a data traffic pattern required to adequately service the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network;

determining a preferred wireless device connection state for the wireless device based upon the current operating state, the anticipated operating state, and the data traffic pattern; and

sending a wireless device connection state change request instruction (SCRI) to the wireless network, the SCRI indicating the preferred wireless device connection state, wherein the wireless network responds by sending a state change command that causes the wireless device to transition from a current wireless device connection state to the preferred wireless device connection state.

22. The wireless device as recited in claim 21, wherein when the SCRI indicates that the preferred wireless device connection state is CELL_PCH or URA_PCH, the wireless network causes the wireless device to transition to the CELL_PCH connection state or the URA_PCH connection state.

23. The wireless device as recited in claim 21, wherein when the SCRI indicates that the preferred wireless device connection state is IDLE, the wireless network responds with a RRC_Connection_Release command that causes the wireless device to transition to the IDLE state.

24. The wireless device as recited in claim 21, wherein when the SCRI indicates that the preferred wireless device connection state is CELL_FACH, the wireless network causes the wireless device to transition to the CELL_FACH connection state.

25. The wireless device as recited in claim 24, wherein, in response to the wireless device determining an increase in data traffic, the wireless device determines that the preferred wireless device connection state is CELL_DCH and sends the SCRI requesting that the wireless network change the wireless device'"'"'s connection state from the CELL_FACH connection state to the CELL_DCH connection state.

30. The wireless device as recited in claim 21, wherein the anticipated operating state comprises an anticipated data traffic pattern.

26. A non-transitory computer program product for storing executable computer code for conserving battery power of a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:

computer code for determining a current operating state and an anticipated operating state of the wireless device;

computer code for determining a data traffic pattern required to adequately service the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network;

computer code for generating a plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers in accordance with preserving battery power based upon the current operating state, the anticipated operating state, and the data traffic pattern, wherein each of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers indicates an amount of elapsed time of data inactivity at the wireless device required before a connection state of the wireless device is changed; and

computer code for sending a wireless device connection state change request to the wireless network, the wireless device connection state change request including at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers,

wherein when the wireless network recognizes the wireless device connection state change request, the wireless network issues an instruction to update a wireless device connection state transition timer to a requested wireless device connection state transition timer, otherwise, the wireless network issues instructions to the wireless device to update the wireless device connection state transition timer to a network default connection state transition timer.

27. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the anticipated operating state comprises an anticipated data traffic pattern.

28. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein sending the wireless device connection state change request to the wireless network comprises:

sending a change in a radio resource control (RRC) connection request by the wireless device to the wireless network;

causing a RRC connection state of the wireless device to change by the wireless network in response to the RRC connection request; and

sending a RRC connection change acknowledgement message by the wireless device to the wireless network, wherein the RRC connection change acknowledgement message comprises an indication of the at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.