Method and apparatus for negotiating “keep-alive” message frequencies of applications running on a mobile station

• US 9,832,101 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dong, Lijun, Starsinic, Michael F., Ding, Zongrui, Wang, Chonggang, Li, Qing
• Primary Examiner(s): DAYA, TEJIS A
• Application Number:
  US14/437,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20150282177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/026 Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for negotiating “keep-alive” message frequencies of applications running on a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). A node may include a negotiation and synchronization function (NSF) configured to collect information including frequencies of keep-alive messages required by application servers for different applications running on the WTRU, and send a keep-alive message frequency negotiation request message to the application servers to negotiate for a more proper frequency for each application on behalf of the WTRU. The node may further include a buffering and caching function (BCF) configured to cache and buffer application specific attributes including an indication of whether each of the applications needs to send periodic keep-alive messages to an associated application server. The node may be a packet data network gateway, a negotiation and caching gateway, or a serving gateway.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a node in a core network, of negotiating keep-alive message frequencies with application servers associated with respective applications, the method comprising:

the node sending mobile-originated (MO) keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages to a plurality of application servers to negotiate frequencies of keep-alive messages sent by applications running on a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and associated with the application servers, wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages includes a message identifier field, a WTRU identifier field, and a field indicating a number of applications;

the node receiving MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation response messages from the application servers; and

the node sending a message to the WTRU, the message requesting the WTRU to send a keep-alive message at a frequency lower than a negotiated frequency and indicating how long the keep-alive message is valid for.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the node is one of a packet data network gateway, a negotiation and caching gateway, or a serving gateway.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the node includes a buffer configured to classify application messages targeted to the WTRU into different types with priorities or weights.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the application servers agree to a common MO keep-alive message frequency, and the applications send the keep-alive messages at the agreed MO keep-alive message frequency.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages further includes a plurality of application identifier fields, a plurality of keep-alive message frequency fields and a proposed frequency field.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation response messages includes a message identifier field, at least one application identifier field, at least one keep-alive message frequency field, and a field indicating a proposed frequency range.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation response messages further includes a code field indicating whether an application frequency is valid or not valid.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the node further includes a buffer configured to buffer keep-alive messages and status update messages sent by the application servers to the WTRU.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the node sending MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation confirmation messages to the application servers indicating an agreed frequency.

10. A method, performed by a node in a core network, of negotiating keep-alive message frequencies, the method comprising:

the node performing a comparison of a new frequency of keep-alive messages sent by a new application, initiated to begin running on a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), to a common frequency of keep-alive messages sent by a group of applications currently running on the WTRU; and

determining whether to add the new application to the group of applications or to establish a first application group associated with the common keep-alive message frequency and a second application group associated with the new application keep-alive message frequency.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the node is one of a packet data network gateway, a negotiation and caching gateway, or a serving gateway.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the node includes a buffer configured to classify application messages targeted to the WTRU into different types with priorities or weights.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the node is configured to send a message to the WTRU, the message requesting the WTRU to send a keep-alive message at a frequency lower than a negotiated frequency and indicating how long the keep-alive message is valid for.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the node sending mobile-originated (MO) keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages, including a proposed frequency field indicating the new keep-alive message frequency, to a plurality of application servers supporting the group of applications currently running on the WTRU; and

the node sending an MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation request message including a proposed frequency field indicating the common keep-alive message frequency to an application server supporting the new application, on a condition that all of the application servers supporting the group of applications currently running on the WTRU did not agree to the new keep-alive message frequency.

15. A node comprising:

an antenna operatively coupled to at least one circuit;

the at least one circuit configured to send mobile-originated (MO) keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages to a plurality of application servers to negotiate frequencies of keep-alive messages sent by applications running on a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and associated with the application servers, wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages includes a message identifier field, a WTRU identifier field, and a field indicating a number of applications;

the at least one circuit configured to receive MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation response messages from the application servers; and

the at least one circuit configured to send a message to the WTRU, the message requesting the WTRU to send a keep-alive message at a frequency lower than a negotiated frequency and indicating how long the keep-alive message is valid for.

16. The node of claim 15 wherein the node is one of a packet data network gateway, a negotiation and caching gateway, or a serving gateway.

17. The node of claim 15 wherein the node includes a buffer configured to classify application messages targeted to the WTRU into different types with priorities or weights.

18. The node of claim 15 wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation request messages further includes a plurality of application identifier fields, a plurality of keep-alive message frequency fields and a proposed frequency field.

19. The node of claim 15 wherein each of the MO keep-alive message frequency negotiation response messages includes a message identifier field, at least one application identifier field, at least one keep-alive message frequency field, and a field indicating a proposed frequency range.