INVASIVE SOCKET MANAGER

• US 20130282911A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Meylan, Arnaud, Goel, Satashu, Craig, David William
• Granted Patent: US 9,351,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/32 Release of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

A server initiating shut down of a transport control protocol (TCP) connection when a radio connection is terminated is problematic because a new radio connection must be established for the sole purpose of shutting down the TCP connection. Hence, network and terminal resources for establishing the radio connection are wasted. Accordingly, a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for initiating a closing of a transport layer connection at a client are provided. The apparatus determines whether a functionality associated with the transport layer connection satisfies at least one criterion, and closes the transport layer connection when the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion while a radio layer connection is available. As a result, the TCP connection is shut down by the client before the server can activate a new radio connection for the sole purpose of terminating the TCP connection.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a closing of a transport layer connection at a client, comprising:

determining whether a functionality associated with the transport layer connection satisfies at least one criterion; and

closing the transport layer connection when the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion while a radio layer connection is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is previously pathologically closed a predetermined number of times.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the previous transport layer connection is pathologically closed when at least one of the following conditions is met:

another transport layer connection similar to the previous transport layer connection is not created within a predetermined amount of time after the closing of the previous transport layer connection;

or

a control message for closing the previous transport layer connection initiated a radio layer connection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the control message for closing the previous transport layer connection is determined to initiate the radio layer connection when:

the radio layer connection is initiated by downlink traffic;

a time at which the transport layer connection is closed is near a time at which the radio layer connection is initially available;

or

a command to close the previous transport layer connection is received from a higher layer at the client while the radio layer connection is not available.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is determined to be terminated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the previous transport layer connection is determined to be terminated when no traffic is exchanged over the previous transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining a history of transport layer connections that are pathologically closed a number of times;

determining which presently open transport layer connections having a match in the history are to be terminated; and

closing each presently open transport layer connection that is determined to be terminated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a transport layer connection having a match in the history is determined to be terminated when:

a destination address or port or host name of the transport layer connection is in the history; and

no traffic is exchanged over the transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

9. An apparatus for initiating a closing of a transport layer connection, comprising:

means for determining whether a functionality associated with the transport layer connection satisfies at least one criterion; and

means for closing the transport layer connection when the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion while a radio layer connection is available.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is previously pathologically closed a predetermined number of times.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the previous transport layer connection is pathologically closed when at least one of the following conditions is met:

another transport layer connection similar to the previous transport layer connection is not created within a predetermined amount of time after the closing of the previous transport layer connection;

or

a control message for closing the previous transport layer connection initiated a radio layer connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control message for closing the previous transport layer connection is determined to initiate the radio layer connection when:

the radio layer connection is initiated by downlink traffic;

a time at which the transport layer connection is closed is near a time at which the radio layer connection is initially available;

or

a command to close the previous transport layer connection is received from a higher layer at the apparatus while the radio layer connection is not available.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is determined to be terminated.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the previous transport layer connection is determined to be terminated when no traffic is exchanged over the previous transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for maintaining a history of transport layer connections that are pathologically closed a number of times;

means for determining which presently open transport layer connections having a match in the history are to be terminated; and

means for closing each presently open transport layer connection that is determined to be terminated.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a transport layer connection having a match in the history is determined to be terminated when:

a destination address or port or host name of the transport layer connection is in the history; and

no traffic is exchanged over the transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

17. An apparatus for initiating a closing of a transport layer connection, comprising:

a processing system configured to;

determine whether a functionality associated with the transport layer connection satisfies at least one criterion; and

close the transport layer connection when the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion while a radio layer connection is available.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is previously pathologically closed a predetermined number of times.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the previous transport layer connection is pathologically closed when at least one of the following conditions is met:

another transport layer connection similar to the previous transport layer connection is not created within a predetermined amount of time after the closing of the previous transport layer connection;

or

a control message for closing the previous transport layer connection initiated a radio layer connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control message for closing the previous transport layer connection is determined to initiate the radio layer connection when:

the radio layer connection is initiated by downlink traffic;

a time at which the transport layer connection is closed is near a time at which the radio layer connection is initially available;

or

a command to close the previous transport layer connection is received from a higher layer at the apparatus while the radio layer connection is not available.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is determined to be terminated.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the previous transport layer connection is determined to be terminated when no traffic is exchanged over the previous transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, the processing system further configured to:

maintain a history of transport layer connections that are pathologically closed a number of times;

determine which presently open transport layer connections having a match in the history are to be terminated; and

close each presently open transport layer connection that is determined to be terminated.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein a transport layer connection having a match in the history is determined to be terminated when:

a destination address or port or host name of the transport layer connection is in the history; and

no traffic is exchanged over the transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

25. A computer program product for initiating a closing of a transport layer connection at a client, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

determining whether a functionality associated with the transport layer connection satisfies at least one criterion; and

closing the transport layer connection when the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion while a radio layer connection is available.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is previously pathologically closed a predetermined number of times.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the previous transport layer connection is pathologically closed when at least one of the following conditions is met:

another transport layer connection similar to the previous transport layer connection is not created within a predetermined amount of time after the closing of the previous transport layer connection;

or

a control message for closing the previous transport layer connection initiated a radio layer connection.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the control message for closing the previous transport layer connection is determined to initiate the radio layer connection when:

the radio layer connection is initiated by downlink traffic;

a time at which the transport layer connection is closed is near a time at which the radio layer connection is initially available;

or

a command to close the previous transport layer connection is received from a higher layer at the client while the radio layer connection is not available.

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein:

the functionality satisfies the at least one criterion when a previous transport layer connection similar to the transport layer connection is determined to be terminated.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the previous transport layer connection is determined to be terminated when no traffic is exchanged over the previous transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.

31. The computer program product of claim 26, the computer-readable medium further comprising code for:

maintaining a history of transport layer connections that are pathologically closed a number of times;

determining which presently open transport layer connections having a match in the history are to be terminated; and

closing each presently open transport layer connection that is determined to be terminated.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein a transport layer connection having a match in the history is determined to be terminated when:

a destination address or port or host name of the transport layer connection is in the history; and

no traffic is exchanged over the transport layer connection for a predetermined amount of time.