Network-initiated data transfer in a mobile network

• US 7,904,101 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks International Oy (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Backholm, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chakour, Issam
• Application Number:
  US11/471,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 455/510
• US Class Current: 455/510
• 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. A method for Internet Protocol communication from a communications server to a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving data for communication to the mobile terminal, the data received at the communications server;

identifying the unavailability of an Internet Protocol connection with the mobile terminal;

initiating the delivery of an outbound trigger for establishing an Internet Protocol connection with the mobile network to the mobile terminal in response to the determination that an Internet Protocol connection is unavailable;

establishing an Internet Protocol connection with the mobile terminal via the mobile network, the Internet Protocol connection established in response to the mobile terminal having responded to the outbound trigger through use of an inbound trigger;

transferring the data for communication to the mobile terminal to the mobile terminal;

commencing a first timer at the communications server following transfer of the data to the mobile terminal;

sending a keep-alive message over the Internet Protocol connection following expiration of the first timer at the communications server;

recommencing the first timer at the communications server following the sending of the keep-alive message;

commencing a second timer operating independent of the first timer at the communications server;

terminating sending of keep-alive messages upon expiration of the second timer; and

disconnecting from the Internet Protocol connection following expiration of the first timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outbound trigger is sent from a short messaging service center in response to instructions from the communications server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the outbound trigger is a short message service message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second timers are physical.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second timers are logical.