NETWORK-INITIATED DATA TRANSFER IN A MOBILE NETWORK

• US 20110047232A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Backholm, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method for IP [=Internet Protocol] communication to/from a mobile terminal via a network element in a mobile network. The mobile terminal uses an in-band trigger for establishing an IP connection. The network element uses an out-band trigger (3-8) for initiating IP connection establishment. The mobile terminal responding to the out-band trigger by using an in-band trigger for establishing the IP connection (3-10). After the data transfer (3-12), the mobile terminal and the network element maintain the IP connection for a predetermined time after the latest transaction (3-14).

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method of transferring data from a network element to a mobile device, comprising:

determining if there is an active IP connection between the network element and the device;

determining if a mechanism is available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available;

causing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device when a mechanism is available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available;

establishing an IP connection between the network element and the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the out of band trigger and initiating the IP connection;

transferring the data to the mobile device using the established IP connection; and

maintaining the IP connection for a predetermined amount of time after transfer of the data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein maintaining the IP connection for a predetermined amount of time after transfer of the data further comprises:

initiating the operation of a first timer, the first timer terminating its operation after a first timer period;

initiating the operation of a second timer, the second timer terminating its operation after a second timer period, wherein the second timer period is greater than the first timer period; and

terminating the IP connection after expiration of an amount of time that is greater than the second timer period and is equal to an integral number of first timer periods.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(a) sending a keep alive message after expiration of the first timer period;

(b) reinitiating the operation of the first timer;

repeating (a) and (b) until expiration of the second timer period;

terminating sending of a keep alive message after expiration of the second timer; and

terminating the IP connection.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a polling operation initiated by the mobile device if a mechanism is not available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available; and

establishing an IP connection in response to detecting the polling operation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first timer and the second timer are physical timers.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first timer and the second timer are logical timers.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein causing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device when a mechanism is available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available further comprises sending a short message service message to the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the data is one or more mail messages.

19. An apparatus for transferring data from a network element to a mobile device, comprising:

an electronic processor programmed to execute a set of instructions;

a data storage device coupled to the processor; and

the set of instructions contained in the data storage device, wherein when the set of instructions are executed by the processor, the apparatus transfers the data from the network element to the mobile device by

determining if there is an active IP connection between the network element and the device;

determining if a mechanism is available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available;

causing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device when a mechanism is available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available;

establishing an IP connection between the network element and the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the out of band trigger and initiating the IP connection;

transferring the data to the mobile device using the established IP connection; and

maintaining the IP connection for a predetermined amount of time after transfer of the data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein maintaining the IP connection for a predetermined amount of time after transfer of the data further comprises:

initiating the operation of a first timer, the first timer terminating its operation after a first timer period;

initiating the operation of a second timer, the second timer terminating its operation after a second timer period, wherein the second timer period is greater than the first timer period; and

terminating the IP connection after expiration of an amount of time that is greater than the second timer period and is equal to an integral number of first timer periods.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions which when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to

(a) send a keep alive message after expiration of the first timer period;

(b) reinitiate the operation of the first timer;

repeat (a) and (b) until expiration of the second timer period;

terminate sending of a keep alive message after expiration of the second timer; and

terminate the IP connection.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions which when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to

detect a polling operation initiated by the mobile device if a mechanism is not available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available;

and

establish an IP connection in response to detecting the polling operation.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first timer and the second timer are physical timers.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first timer and the second timer are logical timers.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein causing an out of band trigger to be sent to the mobile device when a mechanism is available for sending an out of band trigger to the mobile device when no active IP connection is available further comprises sending a short message service message to the mobile device.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the data is one or more mail messages.