Electronic devices for receiving pushed data

• US 9,521,625 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fiennes, Hugo
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US12/210,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,011 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/318, 455/574, 455/343.2, 455/343.3, 455/343.4, 455/343.5, 455/13.4, 455/522, 455/127.1, 455/127.5, 455/573, 4553431-3436, 340/7.32, 340/7.33, 340/7.34, 340/7.37, 340/7.38, 713/300, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323, 713/324, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• 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: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Mobile devices such as cellular telephones are provided that communicate with wireless networks. Cellular telephone network equipment may communicate with a cellular telephone over a data connection. The cellular telephone may have an internet protocol (IP) address that allows data to be provided to the cellular telephone over the data connection. To conserve resources and release unused IP addresses, the cellular telephone network equipment may deactivate inactive data connections after a period of inactivity. A baseband processor within a mobile device may periodically send User Datagram Protocol (UDP) keep-alive packets over the data connection to ensure that the data connection remains active. The keep-alive packets may be directed to a packet sink server or may be associated with a black hole route. An applications processor in the telephone may remain in sleep mode during keep-alive packet transmission to conserve power.

Claims

1. A method of using a mobile device to communicate with a cellular network, the mobile device comprising a baseband processor and an applications processor, the method comprising:

by the applications processor;

generating a keep-alive packet;

providing the keep-alive packet to the baseband processor; and

entering a sleep mode to conserve power of the mobile device, wherein the baseband processor is configured to send the keep-alive packet over a data connection between the mobile device and the cellular network while the applications processor is in the sleep mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive packet generated by the applications processor includes an internet protocol address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseband processor sends the keep-alive packet multiple times while the applications processor is in the sleep mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the keep-alive packet comprises a User Datagram Protocol keep-alive packet.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the applications processor determines contents for the keep-alive packet before providing the keep-alive packet to the baseband processor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while the data connection is active, exiting the sleep mode; and

receiving push data after the baseband processor receives an indication over the data connection that the push data is available.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive packet includes an address of a packet server to which the baseband processor sends the keep-alive packet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device has an associated internet protocol (IP) address with which data is received over the data connection.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a push server in response to receipt of the keep-alive packet by the push server, push email over the data connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive packet generated by the applications processor is associated with a transmission control protocol (TCP) that causes an acknowledgement packet to be sent by a packet server in response to the packet server receiving the keep-alive packet from the baseband processor.

11. A mobile device comprising:

circuitry that includes at least one radio-frequency amplifier and at least one antenna;

an application processor configured to;

generate a keep-alive packet,

provide the keep-alive packet to a baseband processor of the mobile device, and

enter a sleep mode; and

the baseband processor configured to send the keep-alive packet over a data connection between the mobile device and a cellular network when the application processor is in the sleep mode.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the keep-alive packet is generated by the applications processor to include an internet protocol address for use by the baseband processor.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the baseband processor sends the keep-alive packet multiple times while the applications processor is in the sleep mode.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein generating the keep-alive packet, by the applications processor, includes addressing the keep-alive packet to a packet server before providing the keep-alive packet to the baseband processor.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the application processor is further configured to wake up and receive push data (i) when the data connection is active and (ii) after the baseband processor receives an indication from a push server that the push data is available.

16. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to receive a notification of push data over the data connection (i) when the application processor is in the sleep mode or (ii) in response to a packet server receiving the keep-alive packet over the data connection.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a first processor; and

a second processor, the second processor configured to perform steps that include;

generating a keep-alive packet,

providing the keep-alive packet to the first processor, and

entering a sleep mode to conserve power, wherein the first processor is configured to send the keep-alive packet over a data connection between the apparatus and a cellular network while the second processor is in the sleep mode.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the keep-alive packet generated by the second processor includes an internet protocol address.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein generating the keep-alive packet, by the second processor, includes addressing the keep-alive packet to a packet server before providing the keep-alive packet to the first processor.