Power consumption reduction in a user terminal

• US 8,971,820 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Yeung, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/808,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20130122821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A data communication emulating unit (18) in a user terminal (10) or a proxy device monitors communication between an application unit (16) in the user terminal and a proxy unit of the proxy device, which communication employs requests (REQ) and responses (RES) based on a data communication protocol. The data communication emulating unit then determines a communication pattern of the monitored communication, evaluates if the communication is efficient or not based on the communication pattern and changes communication strategy if the communication pattern is found to be inefficient. Change in strategy is performed through disrupting communication between the application unit and the proxy unit using the data communication protocol and instead ensuring that communication between the proxy unit and application unit is performed based on a signalling protocol via a signalling communication unit (20).

Claims

1. A method for reducing the power consumption of a user terminal in a communication network, said method being performed in a data communication emulating unit located in the user terminal or in a proxy device of the communication network and comprising the steps of:

monitoring communication between an application unit in the user terminal and a proxy unit in the proxy device, said communication employing requests and responses based on a data communication protocol,

determining a communication pattern of the monitored communication,

evaluating if the communication is efficient or not based on the communication pattern, and

changing communication strategy if the communication pattern is found to be inefficient through performing the further steps of

disrupting communication between the application unit and the proxy unit using the data communication protocol and enabling communication between the proxy unit and application unit based on a signalling protocol.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data communication emulating unit is provided at one end of a communication link between the user terminal and the proxy device and the step of changing communication strategy further comprises notifying the change to the corresponding data communication emulating unit at the opposite end of the communication link.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the providing includes notifying the communication pattern.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring comprises detecting at least one request (REQ) for data sent by the application unit, said request being intended for a content providing device via the proxy unit of the proxy device, the step of determining the communication pattern comprises determining the length of time between a first request and a response (RES) on the communication link, and the step of evaluating if the communication is efficient or not comprises comparing said length of time (T) with a threshold (TH), where the communication is found to be inefficient if the threshold is exceeded.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of detecting at least one request comprises detecting an indication (KAI) in said request (REQ) that the communication link between the application unit and the proxy unit is to be kept open for several requests and responses.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring comprises detecting requests (REQ) for data sent by the application unit as well as detecting responses to these requests sent by said proxy unit to the application unit, said requests being intended for content providing devices and the responses originating from content providing devices via the proxy unit of the proxy device, and the step of determining the communication pattern comprises investigating the requests and responses and the communication is found to be inefficient if the same response is received to requests intended for the same content providing device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said data communication emulating unit is a first data communication emulating unit in the user terminal and further comprising the step of copying the responses received by the application unit and when, after a change of communication strategy has been made, a new request destined to the content providing device is being sent by the application unit, responding to the request with a copy of a previous response while stopping the request from being sent to the proxy device.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said data communication emulating unit is a second data communication emulating unit in the proxy device and further comprising the step of copying the request sent by the application unit and sending, after a change of communication strategy has been made, request copies to the content providing device according to the communication pattern while stopping responses from reaching the user terminal.

9. A communication device for reducing the power consumption of a user terminal in a communication network, comprising:

a data processing unit communicating with another data processing unit employing requests and responses based on a data communication protocol, where one of the data processing units is an application unit in the user terminal and the other is a proxy unit in a proxy device of the communication network,

a signalling communication unit for communicating with entities in the network using a signalling protocol, and

a data communication emulating unit configured to;

monitor said communication between the application unit and the proxy unit,

determine a communication pattern of the monitored communication,

evaluate if the communication is efficient or not based on the communication pattern, and

change communication strategy if the communication pattern is found to be inefficient through further configuring the data communication emulating unit to;

disrupt communication between the application unit and the proxy unit using the data communication protocol and enable communication between the proxy unit and application unit based on the signalling protocol.

10. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium, for reducing power consumption of a user terminal in a communication network comprising computer program code which when run on a data communication emulating unit located in the user terminal or in a proxy device of the communication network causes said data communication emulating unit to:

monitor communication between an application unit in the user terminal and a proxy unit in the proxy device, said communication employing requests and responses based on a data communication protocol, determine a communication pattern of the monitored communication, evaluate if the communication is efficient or not based on the communication pattern, and change communication strategy if the communication pattern is found to be inefficient through further performing disrupting of communication between the application unit and the proxy unit using the data communication protocol and enabling communication between the proxy unit and application unit based on a signalling protocol.

11. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer program according to claim 10 and a computer readable medium on which the computer program is stored.

12. A method for assisting in the reduction of the power consumption of a user terminal in a communication network, said method being performed in a data communication emulating unit located in the user terminal or in a proxy device of the network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a notification of a change of communication strategy from a corresponding data communication emulating unit of a corresponding communication device, said communication strategy concerning communication between an application unit in the user terminal and a proxy unit in the proxy device, said communication employing requests and responses based on a data communication protocol, and

changing communication strategy based on the received notification through disrupting data communication between the proxy unit and the application unit using the data communication protocol, and

enabling communication between the application unit and proxy unit based on a signalling protocol.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the corresponding data communication emulating unit is a first data communication emulating unit in the user terminal and said data communication emulating unit is a second data communication emulating unit in the proxy device also communicating with a content providing device using requests and responses based on a data communication protocol and further comprising the step of retaining said communication with the content providing device.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of sending, after a change of communication strategy has been made, copies (REQ′

) of requests (REQ) to the content providing device according to the communication pattern while stopping responses from reaching the user terminal.

15. A communication device for assisting in the reduction of the power consumption of a user terminal in a communication network and comprising:

a data processing unit communicating with a further data processing unit of a further communication device employing requests and responses based on a data communication protocol, where one of the data processing units is an application unit in the user terminal and the other is a proxy unit in a proxy device of the communication network,

a signalling communication unit for communicating with entities in the network using a signalling protocol, and

a data communication emulating unit configured to;

receive a notification of a change of communication strategy from a corresponding data communication emulating unit of the further communication device, said communication strategy concerning the communication between the application unit and the proxy unit, and

change communication strategy based on the received notification through disrupting data communication between the proxy unit and the application unit using the data communication protocol, and

enabling communication between the application unit and proxy unit based on the signalling protocol.

16. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium, for assisting in the reduction of the power consumption of a user terminal in a communication network, said computer program comprising computer program code, which when run on a data communication emulating unit located in a user terminal or in a proxy device of the communication network causes said data communication emulating unit to

receive a notification of a change of communication strategy from a corresponding data communication emulating unit of a corresponding communication device, said communication strategy concerning communication between an application unit in the user terminal and a proxy unit in the proxy device, said communication employing requests and responses based on a data communication protocol, and

change communication strategy based on the received notification through disrupting data communication between the proxy unit and the application unit using the data communication protocol, and

enabling communication between the application unit and proxy unit based on a signalling protocol.

17. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer program according to claim 16 and a computer readable medium on which the computer program is stored.