Modem assisted contention handling of multiple active connections in wireless communications

• US 9,344,914 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soriaga, Joseph, Hu, Jun, Lou, Huang, Sun, Jing, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US14/284,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/63.1, 455/417
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide wireless communication devices and methods configured to operate with multiple active connections. A user equipment establishes a first active connection associated with a first subscription. The user equipment also establishes a second active connection, simultaneous to the first active connection, associated with a second subscription. The user equipment provides modem information corresponding to connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, to an operating system of the user equipment. Furthermore, the user equipment mitigates contention between the first active connection and second active connection by degrading at least one of the first active connection or second active connection in accordance with a decision given by the operating system based on the modem information.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication operable at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

establishing a first active connection;

establishing a second active connection, simultaneous to the first active connection;

providing, from a modem, modem information corresponding to connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, to an operating system of the UE via a modem application program interface (API), wherein the operating system is configured to provide services to user applications running on the UE; and

degrading at least one of the first active connection or second active connection in accordance with a decision given by the operating system based on the modem information, to mitigate contention between the first active connection and second active connection,

wherein the modem information comprises at least one of error rates, requested data rate, available data rate, receive power, transmit power headroom, or round trip times corresponding to the first connection or the second connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user of the UE with information about the first active connection and second active connection;

receiving an input from the user regarding which of the first and second active connections to be degraded; and

making the decision for mitigating contention in accordance with the input from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mitigating contention comprises at least one of:

prioritizing one of the first active connection or second active connection over the other;

throttling data of at least one of the first active connection or second active connection;

or

putting at least one of the first active connection or second active connection on hold.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first active connection comprises a first voice call, and the second active connection comprises a second voice call, and

wherein the mitigating contention comprises putting one of the first voice call or second voice call on hold by:

transmitting at a data rate lower than that of an active voice call;

transmitting periodic tones;

or

forgoing transmission of data except keep-alive data.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first active connection comprises a voice call and the second active connection comprises a data call, and

wherein the mitigating contention comprises:

if the data call is a foreground application relative to the voice call, throttling the data call or putting the voice call on hold, based on respective connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection; and

if the voice call is a foreground application relative to the data call, suspending or throttling the data call based on respective connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first active connection is associated with a first subscription, and

wherein the second active connection is associated with a second subscription.

6. A method of wireless communication operable at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

establishing a first active connection;

establishing a second active connection, simultaneous to the first active connection;

providing, from a modem, modem information corresponding to connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, to an operating system of the UE via a modem application program interface (API), wherein the modem information comprises at least one of error rates, requested data rate, available data rate, receive power, transmit power headroom, or round trip times;

providing, utilizing the operating system, information about the connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, to a user;

making a decision for mitigating contention between the first active connection and second active connection in accordance with an input from the user; and

degrading at least one of the first active connection or second active connection in accordance with the decision, to mitigate contention between the first active connection and second active connection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mitigating contention comprises at least one of:

prioritizing one of the first active connection and second active connection over the other;

throttling at least one of the first active connection or second active connection;

or

putting at least one of the first active connection or second active connection on hold.

8. The method of claim 6,

wherein the first active connection comprises a first voice call, and the second active connection comprises a second voice call,

wherein the mitigating contention comprises putting one of the first voice call or second voice call on hold by:

transmitting at a data rate lower than that of an active voice call;

transmitting periodic tones;

or

forgoing transmission of data except keep-alive data.

18. The method of claim 6,

wherein the first active connection is associated with a first subscription, and

wherein the second active connection is associated with a second subscription.

9. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

a first access circuitry configured to establish a first active connection;

a second access circuitry configured to establish a second active connection, simultaneous to the first active connection;

a modem circuitry configured to provide modem information corresponding to connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, to an operating system of the UE via a modem application program interface (API), wherein the operating system is configured to provide services to user applications running on the UE; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive the modem information from the modem circuitry; and

degrade at least one of the first active connection or second active connection in accordance with a decision given by the operating system based on the modem information, to mitigate contention between the first active connection and second active connection,

wherein the modem information comprises at least one of error rates, requested data rate, available data rate, receive power, transmit power headroom, or round trip times corresponding to the first connection or the second connection.

10. The user equipment of claim 9, further comprising a user control circuitry configured to:

provide a user of the UE with information about the first active connection and second active connection; and

receive an input from the user regarding which of the first and second active connections to be degraded,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

make the decision for mitigating contention in accordance with the input from the user.

11. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to mitigate contention by at least one of:

prioritizing one of the first active connection or second active connection over the other;

throttling data of at least one of the first active connection or second active connection;

or

putting at least one of the first active connection or second active connection on hold.

12. The user equipment of claim 9,

wherein the first active connection comprises a first voice call, and the second active connection comprises a second voice call, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to put one of the first voice call or second voice call on hold by:

transmitting at a data rate lower than that of an active voice call;

transmitting periodic tones;

or

forgoing transmission of data except keep-alive data.

13. The user equipment of claim 9,

wherein the first active connection comprises a voice call and the second connection comprises a data call, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

if the data call is a foreground application relative to the voice call, throttle the data call or put the voice call on hold, based on respective connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection; and

if the voice call is a foreground application relative to the data call, suspend or throttle the data call based on respective connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection.

19. The UE of claim 9,

wherein the first active connection is associated with a first subscription, and

wherein the second active connection is associated with a second subscription.

14. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

a first access circuitry configured to establish a first active connection;

a second access circuitry configured to establish a second active connection, simultaneous to the first active connection;

a modem circuitry configured to provide modem information corresponding to connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, to an operating system of the UE via a modem application program interface (API), wherein the modem information comprises at least one of error rates, requested data rate, available data rate, receive power, transmit power headroom, or round trip times;

at least one processor configured to, utilizing the operating system, provide a user with information about the connection qualities of the first active connection and second active connection, and make a decision for mitigating contention between the first active connection and second active connection in accordance with an input from the user,

wherein the modem circuitry is configured to degrade at least one of the first active connection or second active connection in accordance with the decision, to mitigate contention between the first active connection and second active connection.

15. The user equipment of claim 14, wherein the modem circuitry is further configured to mitigate contention by at least one of:

prioritizing one of the first active connection and second active connection over the other;

throttling at least one of the first active connection or second active connection;

or

putting at least one of the first active connection or second active connection on hold.

16. The user equipment of claim 14,

wherein the first active connection comprises a first voice call, and the second active connection comprises a second voice call,

wherein the modem circuitry is further configured to put one of the first voice call or second voice call on hold by:

transmitting at a data rate lower than that of an active voice call;

transmitting periodic tones;

or

forgoing transmission of data except keep-alive data.

20. The UE of claim 14,

wherein the first active connection is associated with a first subscription, and

wherein the second active connection is associated with a second subscription.