Network-initiated data transfer in a mobile network

• US 9,001,746 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Backholm, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/860,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 455/510
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method for IP [=Internet Protocol] communication to/from a mobile terminal via a network element in a mobile network. The mobile terminal uses an in-band trigger for establishing an IP connection. The network element uses an out-band trigger (3-8) for initiating IP connection establishment. The mobile terminal responding to the out-band trigger by using an in-band trigger for establishing the IP connection (3-10). After the data transfer (3-12), the mobile terminal and the network element maintain the IP connection for a predetermined time after the latest transaction (3-14).

Claims

1. A method of transferring data from a network element to a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining if there is a mechanism available to initiate an IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device;

if the mechanism is available to initiate the IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device, causing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device wherein the IP connection is established between the network element and the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the out of band trigger;

if the mechanism is not available to initiate the IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device, establishing an IP connection with the mobile device in response to detecting a polling operation generated by the mobile device, wherein the polling operation generated by the mobile device initiates the IP connection;

maintaining the IP connection for a predetermined amount of time, the maintaining including;

initiating operation of a first timer, the first timer terminating its operation after a first timer period;

initiating operation of a second timer, the second timer terminating its operation after a second timer period, wherein the second timer period is greater than the first timer period;

(a) sending a keep alive message after expiration of the first timer period;

(b) reinitiating the operation of the first timer;

repeating (a) and (b) until expiration of the second timer period;

wherein, the sending of a keep alive message is terminated after expiration of the second timer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring the data to the mobile device using the established IP connection; and

maintaining the IP connection for an amount of time after transfer of data,

the amount of time determined based on operator-defined policies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first timer and the second timer are physical timers or logical timers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, the IP connection is maintained for a predetermined amount of time after the transfer of data, wherein the data includes email messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the out of band trigger is sent via a short message service message to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP connection is terminated after expiration of an amount of time that is greater than the second timer period and is equal to an integral number of first timer periods.

7. An apparatus for transferring data from a network element to a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a data storage device coupled to the processor, the data storage device having instructions stored thereon;

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to;

determine if there is an active IP connection between the network element and the device;

determine if there is a mechanism available for initiating an IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available;

when the mechanism for initiating the IP connection is available and no active IP connection is available,

direct an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device, and

establish an IP connection between the network element and the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the out of band trigger,

wherein the out of band trigger initiates the IP connection;

when the mechanism for initiating the IP connection is not available and no active IP connection is available,

establishing an IP connection between the network element and the mobile device in response to the network element detecting a polling operation from the mobile device,

where the polling operation is generated by the mobile device to initiate the IP connection;

maintain the IP connection for an amount of time after transfer of the data, determined from operator-defined policies;

wherein maintaining the IP connection for the amount of time after transfer of the data comprises;

initiating operation of a first timer, the first timer terminating its operation after a first timer period;

initiating operation of a second timer, the second timer terminating its operation after a second timer period, wherein the second timer period is greater than the first timer period; and

terminating the IP connection after expiration of an amount of time that is greater than the second timer period and is equal to an integral number of first timer periods;

(a) send a keep alive message after expiration of the first timer period;

(b) reinitiate the operation of the first timer;

repeat (a) and (b) until expiration of the second timer period;

terminate sending of a keep alive message after expiration of the second timer; and

terminate the IP connection.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions, executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:

transfer the data from the network element to the mobile device using the established IP connection.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first timer and the second timer are physical timers.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first timer and the second timer are logical timers.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein directing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device when a mechanism for initiating the IP connection is available comprises sending a short message service message to the mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the data is one or more mail messages.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein directing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device when a mechanism for initiating the IP connection is available comprises sending a multimedia message to the mobile device.

14. A method of transferring data from a network element to a mobile device, comprising:

determining if there is not a mechanism available to initiate an IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device;

wherein, if there is a mechanism available to initiate the IP connection with the mobile device and no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device,

generating by the network element, an out of band trigger to initiate the IP connection, and

sending the out of band trigger to the mobile device to activate the IP connection with the mobile device

wherein, the out of band trigger generated by the network element initiates the IP connection; and

wherein, the IP connection is established between the network element and the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the out of band trigger;

wherein, if there is not a mechanism available to initiate the IP connection with the mobile device and no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device,

establishing an IP connection between the network element and the mobile device in response to receiving a polling operation generated by the mobile device,

wherein, the polling operation is generated by the mobile device to initiate the IP connection;

maintaining the IP connection for an amount of time, determined based on operator-defined policies;

maintaining the IP connection for a predetermined amount of time, the maintaining including;

initiating operation of a first timer, the first timer terminating its operation after a first timer period;

initiating operation of a second timer, the second timer terminating its operation after a second timer period, wherein the second timer period is greater than the first timer period;

(a) sending a keep alive message after expiration of the first timer period;

(b) reinitiating the operation of the first timer;

repeating (a) and (b) until expiration of the second timer period;

wherein, the sending of a keep alive message is terminated after expiration of the second timer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the out of band trigger is sent via a short message service message to the mobile device.

16. A network element comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory unit having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network element to;

determine if there is a mechanism available to initiate an IP connection with a mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device;

if the mechanism is available to initiate the IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device,

cause an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device,

wherein the IP connection is established between the network element and the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the out of band trigger;

if the mechanism is not available to initiate the IP connection with the mobile device when no active IP connection is available between the network element and the mobile device,

establish an IP connection with the mobile device in response to detecting a polling operation generated by the mobile device,

wherein the polling operation generated by the mobile device initiates the IP connection

wherein maintaining the IP connection for the amount of time after transfer of the data comprises;

initiating operation of a first timer, the first timer terminating its operation after a first timer period;

initiating operation of a second timer, the second timer terminating its operation after a second timer period, wherein the second timer period is greater than the first timer period; and

terminating the IP connection after expiration of an amount of time that is greater than the second timer period and is equal to an integral number of first timer periods;

(a) send a keep alive message after expiration of the first timer period;

(b) reinitiate the operation of the first timer;

repeat (a) and (b) until expiration of the second timer period;

terminate sending of a keep alive message after expiration of the second timer; and

terminate the IP connection.