Dynamic adjustment of keep-alive messages for efficient battery usage in a mobile network

• US 10,548,180 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2019
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Backholm, Ari, Tervahauta, Mikko, Salorinne, Seppo, Ahonen, Jukka, Daavittila, Mikko, Everitt, Andrew, Vuornos, Lauri
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US16/245,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20190208566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 370311
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/44 in connection with interruption of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for IP [=Internet Protocol] communication between a mobile terminal and its correspondent node in a mobile radio network. The method comprises establishing an IP connection between the mobile terminal and its correspondent node. After detecting a period of inactivity in the IP connection, keep-alive messages are sent via the IP connection at predetermined intervals, which are varied. The method comprises monitoring the lengths of several periods of inactivity at which the mobile radio network disconnects the IP connection.

Claims

1. A method for network communication between a mobile terminal and a remote entity in a communications network, the method comprising:

establishing a first connection over a network between a mobile terminal and a remote entity;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the first connection based on periods of inactivity of the first connection;

wherein the first connection is disconnected after a first period of inactivity;

establishing a second connection over the network between the mobile terminal and the remote entity;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the second connection based on periods of inactivity of the second connection;

wherein the second connection is disconnected after a second period of inactivity; and

sending, from the mobile terminal, keep-alive messages at a safe interval via a subsequent connection over the network based on inactivity in the subsequent connection, wherein the safe interval is based on the first disconnection and the second disconnection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second connections is a TCP/IP connection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a network-specific safe interval with the network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the network-specific safe interval is used for sending keep-alive messages when re-entering the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the safe interval is less than the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity by at least a safety margin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the safe interval is based on the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are about a same length of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the safe interval is greater than a period of inactivity at which the first connection was not disconnected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are greater than a predetermined period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the safe interval is between a period of inactivity at which the first and second connections of the network were not disconnected and the first and second periods of inactivity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the safe interval is based on a number of periods of inactivity at which a connection is disconnected.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the safe interval is based on reducing battery consumption of the mobile terminal.

13. A method for network communication between a mobile terminal and a remote entity in a communications network, the method comprising:

establishing a first connection over a network between a mobile terminal and a remote entity;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the first connection based on periods of inactivity of the first connection;

wherein the first connection is disconnected after a first period of inactivity;

establishing a second connection over the network between the mobile terminal and the remote entity;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the second connection based on periods of inactivity of the second connection;

wherein the second connection is disconnected after a second period of inactivity; and

receiving, from the mobile terminal, keep-alive messages at a safe interval via a subsequent connection over the network based on inactivity in the subsequent connection, wherein the safe interval is based on the first disconnection and the second disconnection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second connections is a TCP/IP connection.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising associating a network-specific safe interval with the network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the network-specific safe interval is used for sending keep-alive messages when re-entering the network.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the safe interval is less than the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity by at least a safety margin.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the safe interval is based on the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are about a same length of time.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the safe interval is greater than a period of inactivity at which the first connection was not disconnected.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are greater than a predetermined period.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the safe interval is between a period of inactivity at which the first and second connections of the network were not disconnected and the first and second periods of inactivity.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the safe interval is based on a number of periods of inactivity at which a connection is disconnected.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the safe interval is based on reducing battery consumption of the mobile terminal.

25. A mobile terminal comprising:

a communications interface;

a battery;

the mobile terminal in conjunction with the communications interface is configured for;

establishing a first connection over a network between a mobile terminal and a remote entity;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the first connection based on periods of inactivity of the first connection;

wherein the first connection is disconnected after a first period of inactivity;

establishing a second connection over the network between the mobile terminal and the remote entity;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the second connection based on periods of inactivity of the second connection;

wherein the second connection is disconnected after a second period of inactivity; and

sending, from the mobile terminal, keep-alive messages at a safe interval via a subsequent connection over the network based on inactivity in the subsequent connection, wherein the safe interval is based on the first disconnection and the second disconnection.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second connections is a TCP/IP connection.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 25, further comprising associating a network-specific safe interval with the network.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the network-specific safe interval is used for sending keep-alive messages when re-entering the network.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the safe interval is less than the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity by at least a safety margin.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the safe interval is based on the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are about a same length of time.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the safe interval is greater than a period of inactivity at which the first connection was not disconnected.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are greater than a predetermined period.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the safe interval is between a period of inactivity at which the first and second connections of the network were not disconnected and the first and second periods of inactivity.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the safe interval is based on a number of periods of inactivity at which a connection is disconnected.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the mobile terminal in conjunction with the communications interface is configured for reducing battery consumption.

37. A server comprising:

a communications interface;

the server in conjunction with the communications interface is configured for;

establishing a first connection over a network between a mobile terminal and the server;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the first connection based on periods of inactivity of the first connection;

wherein the first connection is disconnected after a first period of inactivity;

establishing a second connection over the network between the mobile terminal and the server;

exchanging keep-alive messages at varying intervals over the second connection based on periods of inactivity of the second connection;

wherein the second connection is disconnected after a second period of inactivity; and

receiving, from the mobile terminal, keep-alive messages at a safe interval via a subsequent connection over the network based on inactivity in the subsequent connection, wherein the safe interval is based on the first disconnection and the second disconnection.

38. The server of claim 37, wherein at least one of the first and second connections is a TCP/IP connection.

39. The server of claim 37, further comprising associating a network-specific safe interval with the network.

40. The server of claim 39, wherein the network-specific safe interval is used for sending keep-alive messages when re-entering the network.

41. The server of claim 37, wherein the safe interval is less than the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity by at least a safety margin.

42. The server of claim 39, wherein the safe interval is based on the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity.

43. The server of claim 37, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are about a same length of time.

44. The server of claim 37, wherein the safe interval is greater than a period of inactivity at which the first connection was not disconnected.

45. The server of claim 37, wherein the first period of inactivity and the second period of inactivity are greater than a predetermined period.

46. The server of claim 37, wherein the safe interval is between a period of inactivity at which the first and second connections of the network were not disconnected and the first and second periods of inactivity.

47. The server of claim 37, wherein the safe interval is based on a number of periods of inactivity at which a connection is disconnected.

48. The server of claim 37, wherein the safe interval is based on reducing battery consumption of the mobile terminal.