Batching communication events

• US 9,282,047 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Bryan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Hong
• Application Number:
  US14/102,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20140161009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/245 using preemption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Approaches for aggregating data prior to a transmission of the data to an external system are disclosed. The method includes receiving a data bag. The data bag including data packets destined to be transmitted to an external system. A timer even is then attached to the received data bag and the received data bag is temporarily stored in a data store. The timer event associated with the received data bag is then overridden based on the timer event associated with another data bag in the data store.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a data bag, the data bag including data packets destined to be transmitted to an external system;

attaching a timer event to the received data bag that indicates a defined period of time to retain the received data bag before transmission;

temporarily storing the received data bag; and

overriding the timer event and upgrading a transmission mode to enable transmitting of the received data bag together with at least one other data bag prior to expiration of the defined period based on another timer event associated with the at least one other data bag that indicates another defined period of time that expires before the defined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer event defines a maximum time for which the received data bag is retained in a data store prior to a transmission of the received data bag to the external system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein upgrading the transmission mode includes automatically powering on a selected data connection mode, wherein the selected data connection mode is turned off after all data bags in the data store are transmitted to their respective destinations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selected data connection mode is at least one of a Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth or a 4G data connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the overriding includes disregarding the timer event associated with the received data bag and transmitting the received data bag according to the other timer event associated with the at least one other data bag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other data bag is received prior to the data bag.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the overriding further includes disregarding the timer event and transmitting all data stored in the data store to their respective destinations upon receiving the at least one other data bag from the external system.

8. A computer program product comprising program code stored in a computer readable storage device, the program code being executable by a processor of a mobile device to cause the mobile device to implement an operation, the operation comprising:

receiving a data bag, the data bag including data packets destined to be transmitted to an external system;

attaching a timer event to the received data bag that indicates a defined period of time to retain the received data bag before transmission;

temporarily storing the received data bag; and

overriding the timer event and transmitting the received data bag together with at least one other data bag prior to expiration of the defined period based on another timer event associated with the at least one other data bag that indicates another defined period of time that expires before the defined period of time.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the timer event defines a maximum time for which the received data bag is retained in a data store prior to a transmission of the received data bag to the external system.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the received data bag to an external system includes automatically powering on a selected data connection mode, wherein the selected data connection mode is turned off after all data bags in the data store are transmitted to their respective destinations.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the timer event is defined according to a preconfigured energy saver profile.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the overriding includes disregarding the timer event associated with the received data bag and transmitting the received data bag according to the other timer event associated with the at least one other data bag.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the at least one other data bag is received prior to the data bag.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the at least one other data bag is received after the data bag.

15. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the overriding further includes disregarding the timer event and transmitting all data stored in the data store to their respective destinations upon receiving the at least one other data bag from the external system.

16. A device, comprising:

a data manager configured to;

i) receive a data bag, the data bag includes data packets destined to be transmitted to an external system;

ii) attach a timer event to the received data bag;

a data store configured to temporarily store the received data bag; and

a processor configured to;

override the timer event based on at least one other time event associated with another data bag;

power on a selected data connection mode to transmit the received data bag to an external system along with the another data bag responsive to the at least one other time event; and

power off the selected data connection mode after transmission of said data bags to their respective destinations.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the timer event defines a maximum time for which the received data bag is retained in a data store prior to a transmission of the received data bag to the external system.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein powering on the selected data connection mode comprises switching to a higher data connection mode that increases bandwidth.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the overriding includes disregarding the timer event associated with the received data bag.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to disregard the timer event and transmit all data stored in the data store to their respective destinations upon receiving a data bag from the external system associated with a retention time that expires prior to occurrence of the timer event.