Management of a connectivity of a mobile device

A method for controlling connectivity of a mobile device being connected to a first network through a first radio communication interface. The method includes triggering the mobile device to adopt a power saving mode with respect to the first network; and in response to the triggering of the adoption of the power saving mode, generating a signal for activating a second radio communication interface in order to establish a connection to a second network. A mobile device that performs the method and a computer program product with program code, that when executed on at least one processor of a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to perform the method.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns in general the technical field of mobile communications. More particularly, the invention concerns a management of a connectivity of a mobile device.

BACKGROUND

Use of mobile devices has increased tremendously during the last decades. The users of the mobile devices want to use their devices in continuous manner for varied purposes. This is continuously increasing due to more sophisticated mobile devices and applications developed thereto. One factor affecting the use of the mobile devices is a limited amount of energy that is possible to arrange in the mobile terminals. In other words, in order to maintain the mobility of the devices a trade-off between the size of the device (i.e. a battery) and the battery life for supplying energy to the device is to be made.

There has been developed several solutions for improving an operating time of the mobile device. Naturally, at least in some cases, it is possible to replace a battery of the mobile device with another battery having a bigger capacity than the original one. There are also introduced arrangements which enable setting up the device to a so called power save mode. The power save mode may, for example, optimize statuses of applications and other device settings, such as optimizing a brightness of a display, in order to control the use of energy so that the operating time of the mobile device may be increased.

Moreover, some 3GPP telecommunication specifications define so called UE power saving mode (PSM) for reducing its energy consumption. The power saving mode is similar to power-off, but the UE remains registered with the network and there is no need to re-attach or re-establish PDN connections. A UE in PSM is not immediately reachable for mobile terminating services i.e. the UE does not respond paging or any other network signaling. A UE using PSM is available for mobile terminating services during the time it is in connected mode and for the period of an Active Time that is after the connected mode. The connected mode is caused by a mobile originated event like data transfer or signaling, e.g. after a periodic TAU/RAU procedure. PSM is therefore intended for UEs that are expecting only infrequent mobile originating and terminating services and that can accept a corresponding latency in the mobile terminating communication. Basically, in the PSM both the UE and the network maintain all UE states, including Radio Bearers, registration state, and temporary identities, but the paging does not happen.

The prior art solutions for controlling of a connectivity of a mobile device in view of energy consumption of the mobile device are applicable as such, but there is continuous need to find further developments in the area.

SUMMARY

An objective of the invention is to present a method, a mobile device and a computer program product for managing a connectivity of the mobile device in a sophisticated way. Another objective of the invention is that the method, the mobile device and the computer program product for managing the connectivity is made so that a reachability of the user of the mobile device is maintained.

The objectives of the invention are reached by a method, a mobile device and a computer program product as defined by the respective independent claims.

According to a first aspect, a method for controlling a connectivity of a mobile device being connected to a first network through a first radio communication interface is provided, the method comprising: triggering the mobile device to adopt a power saving mode with respect to the first network; in response to the triggering of the adoption of the power saving mode generating a signal for activating a second radio communication interface in order to establish a connection to a second network.

The method may further comprise: receiving an indication of a predetermined event occurred in the first network; triggering the mobile device to return back from the power saving mode with respect to the first network; and deactivating the second radio communication interface. The predetermined event occurred in the first network may e.g. be a connection request to the mobile device over the first network.

The triggering to adopt the power saving mode may be performed in response to a detection that energy of a battery in the mobile device is below a predetermined limit.

The second radio communication interface may be selected so that it consumes less energy from the battery of the mobile device than the first radio communication interface when an activated mode.

According to a second aspect, a mobile device for controlling a connectivity of the mobile device being connected to a first network (110) through a first radio communication interface is provided, the mobile device comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile device to perform: trigger the mobile device to adopt a power saving mode with respect to the first network; and in response to the triggering of the adoption of the power saving mode generate a signal for activating a second radio communication interface in order to establish a connection to a second network.

The mobile device may further be caused to perform: receive an indication of a predetermined event occurred in the first network; trigger the mobile device to return back from the power saving mode with respect to the first network; and deactivating the second radio communication interface. The mobile device may further be caused to detect, as the predetermined event occurred in the first network, a connection request to the mobile device over the first network.

The mobile device may also be caused to perform the triggering to adopt the power saving mode in response to a detection that energy of a battery in the mobile device is below a predetermined limit.

The mobile device may comprise the second radio communication interface that consumes less energy from the battery of the mobile device than the first radio communication interface when an activated mode.

According to a third aspect, a computer program product comprising computer readable program code tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium is provided, the program code configured to cause performing the method as described above when run on a computing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS

The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

FIG. 1illustrates schematically an example of an environment in which at least some embodiments of the invention may be implemented to. Within an area there are at least two communication networks110,120capable of serving wirelessly a mobile device130. Each communication network comprises necessary network entities, such as radio access network and core network, by means of which the wireless network service may be offered to mobile devices residing within the service area of the network in question. The radio access network may e.g. comprise base stations112,122and controllers thereto and the core network may e.g. comprise a central control unit114,124and necessary registers accessible at least by the central control unit114,124in question. Naturally, the implementation of the networks is dependent on the network technology used. As said the implementation inFIG. 1is a non-limiting example for a purpose to describe aspects of the present invention. For example, the mentioned network elements in one network may be configured so that they implement two different network technologies for the purpose of the present invention.

FIG. 2illustrates schematically an example of the method according to the invention. As a starting point for the invention a mobile device130is connected to use one or more services provided by a first communication network110, which in this case is a mobile communication network implementing a certain network technology, such as 3G or 4G, wherein the network technology is such that it may implement the power saving mode (PSM). As already mentioned in the background part the power saving mode is similar to power-off, but the mobile device130remains registered with the network and there is no need to re-attach or re-establish PDN connections. The mobile device in PSM is not immediately reachable for mobile terminating services.

From the mobile device130point of view the communication interface, such as a radio modem, implementing the corresponding network technology is activated and active, and it is controlled by a processing unit of the mobile device130and, thus, used for any communication with the first communication network110. At some point the mobile device may request an adoption of the PSM210triggered by a predetermined event. For example, the predetermined event may relate to a monitoring of a battery residing in the mobile terminal. The operation may be arranged so that the mobile device130is configured to determine a value representing an energy level of the battery residing in the mobile device130. The determination may be arranged with known methods, such as directly based on a voltage measurement of the battery or some battery fuel gauge arrangement. The outcome of the determination is a value based on which it is possible to derive information on the status of the battery charge. In other words, according to an example of the method according to the invention an energy level of the battery residing in the mobile device may be monitored by determining a value representing, either directly or indirectly, the energy level of the battery and to compare the value to a predetermined comparison value. The comparison value may be stored in a memory of the mobile device or it may be obtained from a network, such as from the first network, through an inquiry. It may turn out that the energy level of the battery has reached a predetermined level and in response to this the mobile device130is configured to generate a signal that activates an adoption of the PSM by requesting it from the first network110. The request may be performed e.g. during an attach or tracking area updating procedure, in at least some network technology. The triggering of the PSM mode in relation to the energy level in the battery of the mobile device is a non-limiting example and the triggering may be based in any other event. For example, it may be arranged that the user of the mobile terminal may manually instruct the mobile device130to adopt the PSM which causes the mobile device to generate a signal for requesting the PSM from the first network.

According to the present invention the mobile device130is configured to, in response to the activation of the PSM with respect to the first network110, to generate a signal220for activating a second radio communication interface in order to establish a connection to a second network120. The second radio communication interface may e.g. be a low power radio communication interface. The low power radio communication interface implementing a network technology of the second network120may, according to an embodiment of the present invention, be such that it consumes less energy of the battery than the communication with the first network, preferably less than the consumption of energy at the PSM. An example of an applicable network technology for the second network is so called LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) network technology, which is designed for machine-to-machine networking environments. In the LPWA network data transfer rate is very low, as is the energy consumption of the devices that are connected to the LPWA network.

The generation of the signal that activates the low power radio communication interface and that causes the establishment of connection, e.g. through an attachment procedure specific to the second network, with the second network120is dependent on the activation procedure of the PSM with respect to the first network110. The activation procedure of the PSM may in this context cover any function that causes the mobile device130to enter the PSM. These may be, but are not limited to an internal or external trigger to request an adoption the PSM, a delivery of the request to the first network110, an acknowledgement from the first network110of the PSM, and so on.

The result of the method, as schematically illustrated inFIG. 2, is that the mobile terminal is in the PSM with respect to the first network110and in active connection over the second network120. In other words, the mobile terminal is available over the first network110for mobile terminating services during the time it is in connected mode and for the period of an Active Time that is after the connected mode. The connected mode is caused by a mobile originated event like data transfer or signaling, e.g. after a periodic TAU/RAU procedure. On the other hand the mobile terminal110is available with a limited communication capability through the second network120, such as LPWA network. The described solution enables maintaining the user of the mobile device130reachable even if the first network connection is in PSM mode, wherein the reachability is achieved with reduced energy consumption. This is advantageous e.g. in a situation in which the battery of the mobile device130is running out of energy.

The second network120is advantageously configured to provide at least some communication services to the mobile device130, when the connection to the second network120is established. A non-limiting example of the network service which may be provided by the second network120, such as LPWA network, is simple voice call and messaging services as e.g. defined by 3GPP, by means of which it is possible to deliver information on events, such as call connection attempts. An example of such an event is disclosed inFIG. 3for describing some further aspects of the invention. In the example ofFIG. 3the first network110is a 4G mobile communication network and the second network120is LPWA network, and the mobile device130is in the power saving mode in the first network110and connected to second network120as described above. Prior to steps as illustrated inFIG. 3a party has set up a call connection to the mobile device130. In response to the call setup the first network110performs predetermined operations, such as a location inquiry of the destination party, i.e. the mobile device130, to one or more registers, such as HLR or VLR. According to some embodiment of the invention the register may also store indication that the mobile device130is in the PSM and is served by the second network120that information may be returned as a response to the inquiry. In response to a receipt of the described information with respect to the mobile device130the first network110, i.e. the network node managing the call connection, may be configured to establish and deliver a signal130to a network node, such a control unit, of the second network120and indicate that a call attempt to the mobile device130is initiated in the first network110. In response to the receipt of the signal310the control unit of the second network120may be configured to page315the mobile device130residing in the operational area of the second network130and in response to the paging the mobile device130attaches320to the second network120in order to receive service from the second network120. Now, as the mobile device130is in active communication connection to the second network120a notification325is delivered from the control unit, or any other network element, through a radio access part of the second network120to the mobile device130wherein the notification carries indication to the mobile device130that there is a mobile terminating call to the mobile device130in the first network. Additionally, the notification may carry further information relating to the incoming call, such as the caller information. In response to the receipt of the notification the mobile device130may be configured to activate330the communication connection with respect to the first network110, i.e. return the mobile device130from PSM to a normal mode.

In response to the activation of the normal mode with respect to the first network110the mobile device130is configured to request an attachment335to the first network110and the first network110acknowledges the attachment340. Next, the mobile device130indicates to the network that it accepts the call345from the caller and the call is setup350. In case the attachment of the mobile device130to the first network takes so long that the caller has ended the call attempt, the first network, i.e. an applicable network node, may be configured to, in response to a receipt of the indication to accept the call345, to initiate a call towards the caller, and in that manner establishing a call connection between the parties. At some point the call over the first network110ends and the mobile device130is configured to initiate a return to PSM. First, it signals a detach request to the first network355that causes the first network110to provide services to the mobile device130even though the mobile device130remains registered in the first network110. The first network may acknowledge360the detachment to the mobile device130. The mobile device130may return to the PSM365in order to limit the use of energy in response to the detachment and, as a result, it remains registered in the first network110with PSM and is connected to the second network120.

In the example ofFIG. 3, as mentioned above, the first network is 4G wireless network and the second network is LPWA network. However, the mentioned network technologies are examples for a purpose to describe the present inventive idea. Any other network technologies that provide the described advantages may be used in the context of the present invention within the limits defined in the patent claims.

FIG. 4depicts, as a block diagram, some components of a mobile device130performing the present invention at least partly. The mobile device130may comprise further components or portions in addition to those shown inFIG. 4. For example, the mobile device130may comprise sensors configured to monitor one or more parameters having possible relation, or impact, to an operation of the mobile device130.

The mobile device130ofFIG. 4comprises a processor410and a memory420for storing data and computer program code425. The mobile device130may further comprise user I/O (input/output) components470that may be arranged, possibly together with the processor410and at least a portion of the computer program code425, to provide a user interface (UI) for receiving input from a user of the mobile device130and/or providing output to the user of the mobile device130. The user I/O components470may comprise hardware components such as a display, a touchscreen, a touchpad, a mouse, a keyboard, and/or an arrangement of one or more keys or buttons, etc. The processor410may be arranged to control operation of the primary monitoring device130e.g. in accordance with a portion of the computer program code425stored in the memory420and possibly further in accordance with the user input received via the user I/O components480and/or in accordance with information received via a communication portion430comprising at least a first and a second radio communication interfaces435,437. The memory420and a portion of the computer program code425stored therein may be further arranged to, with the processor410, to provide a control portion or a control function for controlling operation of radio communication interfaces of the communication portion430, possibly together with a control portion or a control function that may be provided within the respective radio communication interface of the communication portion430. These control functions may be, separately or jointly, referred to as control means. Moreover, the mobile device130may comprise a smart card460, such as a subscriber identity module. The smart card460may store information regarding to mobile network access, among other.

The references to the processor410of the mobile device130should not be understood to encompass only programmable processors, but also dedicated circuits such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), application specific circuits (ASIC), signal processors, etc. Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described.

The communication portion430, as already mentioned, comprises at least a first radio communication interface435for wireless communication with a first communication network, which first radio communication interface435may be employed to establish the wireless link that enables wireless connection to the first communication network110. The communication portion430may further comprise a second radio communication interface437for wireless communication, which second radio communication interface437employs a wireless communication technique different from that employed by the first radio communication interface435and which second communication apparatus is useable for establishing the wireless link102that enables communication with the second communication network120. The communication portion430may comprise one or more further communication apparatuses for wireless and/or wired communication with other devices. The first and second and any further radio communication interfaces comprises necessary devices and means for performing operations as described. For example, the radio communication interfaces may perform, e.g. under a control of the processor410, operations implementing e.g. modem function towards corresponding network110,120, among other tasks. For the purpose of the communication the mobile device130may comprise one or more antennas440dedicated to the radio communication interfaces implemented in the mobile device130.

The mobile device130may also comprise a battery450for providing energy for the operation of the device as described. Moreover, the mobile device130may comprise arrangements and devices to monitor an energy level of the battery for the purpose of some embodiment of the invention, as described earlier. The processor410may e.g. be responsible of obtaining a value from which it is possible to derive the energy level of the battery450and on that basis take further measures according to some embodiment of the present invention.

For sake of clarity although at least some of the components in the mobile device are illustrated as single components, any of the components may, however, be implemented as respective one or more separate components, some or all of which may be integrated/removable. Hence, the number of physical and operational components within each block may vary from the illustration.

Some aspects of the present invention may relate to a computer program product425stored in the memory420wherein the computer program product comprises computer-executable instructions that control the operation of the respective mobile device130when loaded into the respective processor410. As an example, the computer program425may include one or more sequences of one or more instructions. The computer program425may be provided as a computer program code. The processor410is able to load and execute the computer program425by reading the one or more sequences of one or more instructions included therein from the memory420. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured to, when executed by the processor410, cause the mobile device130to carry out operations, procedures and/or functions described in the foregoing. Hence, the mobile device130may comprise at least one processor410and at least one memory420including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory420and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor410, cause the mobile device130to perform operations, procedures and/or functions described in the foregoing. The computer program code may be embodied in at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium which is accessible at least by the at least one processor410of the mobile device130. The computer-readable non-transitory medium may comprise a memory device or a record medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc or another article of manufacture that tangibly embodies the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to reliably transfer the computer program.