Method, apparatus and system for battery resource management via traffic steering

• US 8,131,325 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Slack, Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Vibol
• Application Number:
  US12/394,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 4553431-3435, 455/572, 455/574, 370/311
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Battery resources in a wireless device are managed in the present specification by traffic steering. A wireless device is configured to request content from an intermediation server, which is configured to analyze the requested content and send an indication to the wireless device as to which bearer path is to be selected based on which bearer path is battery-life optimized.

Claims

1. A method of managing battery resources in a wireless device connected to a network via a plurality of bearer paths, said method comprising:

receiving, at a first intermediation server, a content request from said wireless device via one of said bearer paths;

performing, at a first intermediation server, an analysis of content associated with said content request;

sending analysis results from said first intermediation server to a second intermediation server;

determining, at said second intermediation server, a battery-optimized bearer path based on said analysis results;

said battery-optimized bearer path determined according to which of said bearer paths consumes less battery resources of said wireless device than another one of said bearer paths, and which is also capable of fulfilling said content request;

sending, from said second intermediation server, an indication of said battery-optimized bearer path to said wireless device via one of said bearer paths.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving said indication at said wireless device and selecting said battery-optimized bearer path.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving said content at said wireless device via said battery-optimized bearer path.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending said content to said wireless device via said battery-optimized bearer path.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising optimizing said content according to the hardware constraints of said wireless device prior to sending said content via said battery-optimized bearer path.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said content is at least one of web-pages, email, audio media, video media, streaming media, instant messaging, mapping services, voice-over-Internet-protocol communications, and social networking services.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said analysis comprises analyzing complexity of embedded graphics or media within said content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said analysis comprises an examination of traffic profiles associated with said content request based on real-time analysis.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said analysis comprises an examination of traffic profiles associated with said content request based on predetermined ranking ordered by the most optimal according to battery resource consumption of said device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a first one of said bearer paths is based on EDGE, and a second of said bearer paths is based on 3G.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting said content at said first intermediation server for decryption by said wireless device.