Method for operating a terminal device

• US 9,986,508 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ljung, Rickard
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Guang W
• Application Number:
  US14/771,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating a terminal device configured to establish a data communication upon receiving a request for establishing the data communication from a base station of a telecommunication network. According to the method, a usage state of the terminal device is determined. The usage state indicates a current usage of at least one function or application of the terminal device. Depending on the determined usage state a data traffic inactivity signal is sent to the base station. The data traffic inactivity signal instructs the base station to avoid sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A method for operating a terminal device, the terminal device being configured to establish a data communication upon receiving a request for establishing the data communication from a base station of a telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, by a transceiver activity control unit of the terminal device, a usage state of the terminal device, the usage state indicating a current usage of at least one function or application of the terminal device,

sending a data traffic inactivity signal from the terminal device to the base station depending on the determined usage state, the data traffic inactivity signal instructing the base station to avoid sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for a predetermined amount of time, and

sending a configuration information comprising a data traffic inactivity timer value from the terminal device to the base station, the data traffic inactivity timer value indicating the predetermined amount of time for avoiding sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the usage state with a user defined setting,

wherein the step of sending the data inactivity signal comprises sending the data traffic inactivity signal depending on the comparison.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the usage state of the terminal device comprises determining, when at least one running function or application of the terminal device requires a real time data communication.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data traffic inactivity signal comprises a data traffic inactivity timer value indicating the predetermined amount of time for avoiding sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises a transceiver unit for establishing the data communication, wherein the method comprises:

powering down the transceiver unit upon sending the data traffic inactivity signal to the base station.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of time is within the range of 1 to 60 minutes.

7. A method for operating a base station of a telecommunication network, the base station being configured to send a request for establishing a data communication to a terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the terminal device a data traffic inactivity signal, the data traffic inactivity signal instructing the base station to avoid sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for a predetermined amount of time,

receiving from the terminal device a configuration information comprising a data traffic inactivity timer value, the data traffic inactivity timer value indicating the predetermined amount of time for avoiding sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device, and

upon receiving the data traffic inactivity signal and the data traffic inactivity timer value, inhibiting sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for the predetermined amount of time.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request for establishing a data communication from the terminal device during the predetermined amount of time after receiving the data traffic inactivity signal from the terminal device, and

upon receiving the request for establishing a data communication from the terminal device, aborting the step of inhibiting sending the request for establishing the data communication.

9. A terminal device, comprising:

a transceiver unit for establishing a data communication between the terminal device and a base station of a telecommunication network, and

a processing unit configured to execute at least one function or application, and

a transceiver activity control unit configured to determine a usage state of the terminal device, the usage state indicating a current usage of the at least one function or application, to send a data traffic inactivity signal to the base station depending on the determined usage state, the data traffic inactivity signal instructing the base station to avoid sending a request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for a predetermined amount of time, and to send a configuration information comprising a data traffic inactivity timer value to the base station, the data traffic inactivity timer value indicating the predetermined amount of time for avoiding sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the terminal device is configured to compare the usage state with a user defined setting, and wherein the transceiver activity control unit sends the data traffic inactivity signal depending on the comparison.

11. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the terminal device comprises a portable battery powered device.

12. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the terminal device comprises at least one device of a group consisting of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a mobile music player, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a navigation system.

13. A base station of a telecommunication network, comprising:

a transceiver unit for establishing a data communication between a terminal device and the base station, and

a processing unit configured to receive from the terminal device a data traffic inactivity signal, the data traffic inactivity signal instructing the base station to avoid sending a request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for a predetermined amount of time to receive from the terminal device a configuration information comprising a data traffic inactivity timer value, the data traffic inactivity timer value indicating the predetermined amount of time for avoiding sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device, and, upon receiving the data traffic inactivity signal and the data traffic inactivity timer value to inhibit sending the request for establishing the data communication to the terminal device for the predetermined amount of time.

14. The base station according to claim 13, wherein the base station is configured to receive a request for establishing a data communication from the terminal device during the predetermined amount of time after receiving the data traffic inactivity signal from the terminal device and, upon receiving the request for establishing a data communication from the terminal device, to abort the inhibiting of the sending of the request for establishing the data communication.