Communication terminal and application control method

• US 8,874,096 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US13/641,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20130053015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/572, 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A communication terminal includes: an application control unit that controls execution of an application; a communication control unit that controls a communication unit to establish communication with a communication network, and a suspension control unit that, after detecting a terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application, transmits a suspend command to suspend the application that is running to the application control unit. The suspension control unit is, in response to the terminal operation thus detected, capable of selecting a keep-alive state for transmitting the suspend command to the application control unit without disconnecting communication connection with the communication network by the communication unit. The communication terminal prevents unnecessary disconnection of communication by a suspend operation and improving convenience and comfortableness of application operation.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

circuitry configured to

control execution of an application;

control a communication device to establish communication with a communication network and execute a communication function of an application after the application including a communication function is executed;

suspend the application after detecting a terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application without disconnecting a communication connection with the communication network by the communication device;

retain data corresponding to the application received from the communication network via the communication device while the application is suspended;

resume the application after detecting an end of the terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application; and

provide the retained data to the application upon resuming the application.

2. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to select a preservation state for maintaining communication connected with the communication network by the communication device when a state of the communication terminal transitions to out of service while the application is suspended.

3. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

retain a disconnection notification indicating that communication has been disconnected when the communication with the communication network by the communication device is disconnected while the application is suspended; and

provide the disconnection notification to the communication function of the application when the suspended application is resumed.

4. The communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

retain the data corresponding to the application received from the communication network without retaining the disconnection notification before the communication with the communication network by the communication device is disconnected while the application is suspended; and

provide the retained data to the application upon resuming the application.

5. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

retain information indicating that communication has been disconnected in a case that the communication function of the application is not executed when the application is suspended and the communication with the communication network by the communication device is disconnected while the application is suspended; and

provide the disconnection notification to the application when the communication function is executed after the suspended application is resumed.

6. A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising:

executing an application;

establishing, via a communication device of the electronic device, communication with a communication network and executing a communication function of an application after the application including a communication function is executed;

suspending the application after detecting a terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application without disconnecting a communication connection with the communication network by the communication device;

retaining data corresponding to the application received from the communication network via the communication device while the application is suspended;

resuming the application after detecting an end of the terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application; and

providing the retained data to the application upon resuming the application.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions, which when executed by an information processing device, cause the information processing device to:

execute an application;

establish, via a communication device of the electronic device, communication with a communication network and executing a communication function of an application after the application including a communication function is executed;

suspend the application after detecting a terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application without disconnecting a communication connection with the communication network by the communication device;

retain data corresponding to the application received from the communication network via the communication device while the application is suspended;

resume the application after detecting an end of the terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application; and

provide the retained data to the application upon resuming the application.