Dormancy timer adjustment in a wireless access node based on wireless device application status

• US 9,345,033 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Shah, Maulik K., Sigg, Jason Peter, Bhan, Ashish, Singh, Jasinder Pal
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US14/150,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 709/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless communication device determines user interface activity initiated by a user application. The wireless communication device determines a timer setting based on the user interface activity initiated by the user application. The wireless communication device wirelessly transfers the timer setting to a wireless communication network. The wireless communication device exchanges wireless communications initiated by the user application with the wireless communication network. The wireless communication network uses a dormancy timer based on the user interface activity initiated by the user application.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

determining user interface activity initiated by a user application;

determining a timer setting based on the user interface activity initiated by the user application;

wirelessly transferring the timer setting to a wireless communication network; and

exchanging wireless communications initiated by the user application with the wireless communication network, wherein the wireless communication network uses the timer setting to set a dormancy timer based on the user interface activity initiated by the user application, wherein the dormancy timer controls release of a wireless access link between the wireless communication network and the wireless communication device;

wherein determining the timer setting based on the user interface activity comprises selecting the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer in response to a level of user interface activity below a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the timer setting based on the user interface activity comprises selecting the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer to zero in response to a level of user interface activity below a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the timer setting based on the user interface activity comprises selecting the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer if the user interface activity indicates the user application is running in a background.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the timer setting based on the user interface activity comprises selecting the timer setting to increase the dormancy timer in response to a level of user interface activity above a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the timer setting based on the user interface activity comprises selecting the timer setting to increase the dormancy timer if the user interface activity indicates the user application is running in a foreground.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface activity comprises audio component usage.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface activity comprises video component usage.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications comprise Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication network uses the dormancy timer to terminate a communication channel to the wireless communication device.

10. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor,

a processing system configured to determine user interface activity initiated by a user application and determine a timer setting based on the user interface activity initiated by the user application; and

a communication interface configured to wirelessly transfer the timer setting to a wireless communication network and to exchange wireless communications initiated by the user application with the wireless communication network, wherein the wireless communication network uses the timer setting to set a dormancy timer based on the user interface activity initiated by the user application, and wherein the dormancy timer controls release of a wireless access link between the wireless communication network and the wireless communication device;

wherein determining the timer setting based on the user interface activity comprises selecting the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer in response to a level of user interface activity below a threshold.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to select the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer in response to a level of user interface activity below a threshold.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to select the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer to zero in response to a level of user interface activity below a threshold.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to select the timer setting to reduce the dormancy timer if the user interface activity indicates the user application is running in a background.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to select the timer setting to increase the dormancy timer in response to a level of user interface activity above a threshold.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to select the timer setting to increase the dormancy timer if the user interface activity indicates the user application is running in a foreground.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the user interface activity comprises audio component usage.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the user interface activity comprises video component usage.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the wireless communications comprise Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 10 wherein the wireless communication network uses the dormancy timer to terminate a communication channel to the wireless communication device.