Application driven fast dormancy

• US 9,838,964 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Singhai, Sandeep, Singh, Anurag, Kalla, Naveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US13/739,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20140199979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 455574, 455418, 370252, 370241
• 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 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a user equipment, an RNC, or an application operable in a wireless communications network and methods in which the user equipment can be transitioned into a dormant state controlled by an application driven scheme. According to the application driven scheme, a request is received from an active process at an application server to trigger a wireless device to enter a dormant state, and network traffic information corresponding to a time interval is received from a wireless device. If the network traffic information indicates that the active process is solely responsible for network traffic at a transport layer of the wireless device during the time interval, one or more commands are transmitted to the wireless device such that the wireless device enters the dormant state. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

Claims

1. A method of operating a controller in wireless communication with a wireless device and an application server, comprising:

receiving, at a dormancy manager of the controller, a request from an active process running at the application server to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

obtaining, in response to the request from the active process, network traffic information from the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number; and

when the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period, transmitting from the dormancy manager one or more commands to the wireless device such that the wireless device enters the dormant state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network traffic comprises TCP traffic, UDP traffic, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network traffic information is dynamically updated in accordance with the network traffic during the configurable time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the configurable time period based on a previous successful request to enter the dormant state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more commands are adapted to trigger the wireless device to transition from a first state to the dormant state, and wherein power consumption of the wireless device at the dormant state is less than that of the first state.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_DCH state, a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, and a URA_PCH state.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the dormant state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, a URA_PCH state, and an idle mode.

8. A method of operating a wireless device in wireless communication with an application server and a controller, comprising:

communicating with an active process running at the application server and a dormancy manager at the controller, wherein the dormancy manager receives a request from the active process to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

storing network traffic information at the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number;

transmitting the network traffic information from the wireless device to the dormancy manager in response to receiving a request from the dormancy manager, wherein the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period; and

entering the dormant state in response to receiving one or more commands from the dormancy manager.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network traffic information comprises port activity at a transport layer of the wireless device during the configurable time period.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the network traffic comprises TCP traffic, UDP traffic, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising dynamically updating the network traffic information in accordance with the network traffic at the wireless device during the configurable time period.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting the configurable time period based on a previous successful request to enter the dormant state.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising transitioning from a first state to the dormant state in response to the one or more commands, wherein power consumption of the wireless device at the dormant state is less than that of the first state.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_DCH state, a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, and a URA_PCH state.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the dormant state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, a URA_PCH state, and an idle mode.

16. A controller operable to wirelessly communicate with an application server and a wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving, at a dormancy manager of the controller, a request from an active process at the application server to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

means for obtaining, in response to the request from the active process, network traffic information from the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number; and

means for when the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period, transmitting from the dormancy manager one or more commands to the wireless device such that the wireless device enters the dormant state.

17. A wireless device operable to wirelessly communicate with an application server and a controller, comprising:

means for communicating with an active process running at the application server and a dormancy manager at the controller, wherein the dormancy manager receives a request from the active process to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

means for storing network traffic information at the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number;

means for transmitting the network traffic information from the wireless device to the dormancy manager in response to receiving a request from the dormancy manager, wherein the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period; and

means for entering the dormant state in response to receiving one or more commands from the dormancy manager.

18. A controller operable to wirelessly communicate with an application server and a wireless device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

receive, at a dormancy manager of the controller, a request from an active process running at the application server to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

obtain, in response to the request from the active process, network traffic information from the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number; and

when the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period, transmit from the dormancy manager one or more commands to the wireless device such that the wireless device enters the dormant state.

19. The controller of claim 18, wherein the network traffic comprises TCP traffic, UDP traffic, or a combination thereof.

20. The controller of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically update the network traffic information in accordance with the network traffic during the configurable time period.

21. The controller of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the configurable time period based on a previous successful request to enter the dormant state.

22. The controller of claim 18, wherein the one or more commands are adapted to trigger the wireless device to transition from a first state to the dormant state, and wherein power consumption of the wireless device at the dormant state is less than that of the first state.

23. The controller of claim 22, wherein the first state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_DCH state, a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, and a URA_PCH state.

24. The controller of claim 22, wherein the dormant state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, a URA_PCH state, and an idle mode.

25. A wireless device operable to wirelessly communicate with an application server and a controller, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

communicate with an active process running at the application server and a dormancy manager at the controller, wherein the dormancy manager receives a request from the active process to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

store network traffic information at the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number;

transmit the network traffic information from the wireless device to the dormancy manager in response to receiving a request from the dormancy manager, wherein the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period; and

enter the dormant state in response to receiving one or more commands from the dormancy manager.

26. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the network traffic information comprises port activity at a transport layer of the wireless device during the configurable time period.

27. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the network traffic comprises TCP traffic, UDP traffic, or a combination thereof.

28. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically update the network traffic information in accordance with the network traffic during the configurable time period.

29. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the configurable time period based on a previous successful request to enter the dormant state.

30. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the one or more commands are adapted to trigger the wireless device to transition from a first state to the dormant state, and wherein power consumption of the wireless device at the dormant state is less than that of the first state.

31. The wireless device of claim 30, wherein the first state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_DCH state, a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, and a URA_PCH state.

32. The wireless device of claim 30, wherein the dormant state is one selected from the group consisting of a Cell_FACH state, a Cell_PCH state, a URA_PCH state, and an idle mode.

33. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code for causing a wireless device in wireless communication with an application server and a controller to;

communicate with an active process running at the application server and a dormancy manager at the controller, wherein the dormancy manager receives a request from the active process to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

store network traffic information at the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number;

transmit the network traffic information from the wireless device to the dormancy manager in response to receiving a request from the dormancy manager, wherein the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period; and

enter the dormant state in response to receiving one or more commands from the dormancy manager.

34. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code for causing a controller in wireless communication with an application server and a wireless device to;

receive, at a dormancy manager of the controller, a request from an active process running at the application server to trigger the wireless device to enter a dormant state;

obtain, in response to the request from the active process, network traffic information from the wireless device, wherein the network traffic information comprises a plurality of data entries, each of the data entries comprises a port number for the wireless device and a timestamp, and the timestamp corresponds to the time a data packet last sent or received by the wireless device at a port identified by the port number; and

when the network traffic information indicates that the active process is the only process that generates network traffic at the wireless device during a configurable time period, transmit from the dormancy manager one or more commands to the wireless device such that the wireless device enters the dormant state.