Network Keep-Alive Mediator for Mobile Battery Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile environments, the constant transmission of keep-alive messages by mobile devices to maintain connections with application servers depletes battery life and consumes network resources, especially when multiple connections are maintained separately with different timing mechanisms, leading to reduced battery life and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system and method where a network element, such as a GPRS gateway serving node or a standalone keep-alive network element, transmits keep-alive messages on behalf of the mobile device, allowing the device to stop sending these messages and reducing the need for continuous battery consumption and network resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile devices continuously transmit keep-alive messages to maintain connections with application servers, then connection reliability is improved, but battery life is depleted
Solution Approach 1:
A network element (GGSN or standalone keep-alive network element) is introduced as an intermediary to transmit keep-alive messages on behalf of the mobile device. The mobile device sends keep-alive messages to the network element, which then forwards them to the application server, eliminating the need for the mobile device to maintain continuous transmissions and thus conserving battery life while maintaining connection reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If mobile devices transmit keep-alive messages frequently to maintain multiple connections, then connection stability is improved, but network resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple keep-alive message transmissions for different application servers are merged into a single network element. The network element consolidates these transmissions and forwards them efficiently, reducing the overall number of messages traversing the network and conserving network resources while maintaining connection stability for multiple applications.
3Productivity
If mobile devices maintain constant connections to multiple application servers, then service availability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network element acts as a mediator that handles keep-alive message transmissions for multiple application servers. The mobile device only needs to communicate with the network element, which then manages communications with multiple servers, maintaining service availability across multiple applications while significantly reducing the mobile device's power consumption.
4Reliability
If conventional systems require mobile devices to send keep-alive messages, then connection maintenance is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The keep-alive message transmission function is extracted from the mobile device and relocated to the network element. The mobile device's role is reduced to simply sending messages to the network element, which then handles the complex task of maintaining connections with multiple application servers, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining connection maintenance reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of maintaining an always-on application client communication is provided. An application programming interface implemented on a device hosting an always-on application client determines if network-based keep-alive functionality exists in a network where the device operates. If network-based keep-alive functionality exists, a network element is instructed to transmit keep-alive messages to the application server on behalf of the device. The network element can be implemented in or as a variety of existing network elements, e.g., as a GPRS gateway serving node or a standalone keep-alive network element. Alternatively, an application server communicatively connected to the always-on application client may query whether network-based keep-alive functionality exists. If network-based keep-alive functionality exists, the application server negotiates with the always-on application client to determine an application-specific mechanism for implementing the network-based keep-alive functionality. When an application server queries for network-based keep-alive functionality, an application programming interface need not be utilized.