Abstract:
The mobile station includes a system for using open channel time not needed during access to the wireless web. The mobile station monitors the use of the channel, and determines when the user is no longer transmitting or receiving information. Until the current network session terminates, the mobile station may operate in the background to either send or receive information with the network. Any action taken by the user would take priority over the background operations.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to wireless Internet access, and more particularly to enhancing connection time during wireless Internet use. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The Internet is a rapidly growing communication network of interconnected computers and computer networks around the world. Together, these millions of connected computers form a vast repository of hyperlinked information that is readily accessible by any of the connected computers from anywhere at any time. To provide mobility and portability of the Internet, wireless Internet computing devices were introduced and are capable of communicating, via wireless data networks, with the computers on the Internet. With the wireless data networks, people, as they travel or move about, are able to perform, through the wireless computing devices, exactly the same tasks they could do with computers on the Internet. 
     Regular mobile phones can return calls, check voice mail or enable users to be available for teleconferences anywhere at any time. However, new two-way interactive communication devices, such as mobile devices or mobile phones, would meld voice, data, and personal digital assistants (PDA) functionality into a single portable equipment that is not just reactive to calls but also proactive, through a proxy computer, accessing a myriad of public and enterprise information services in the Internet. For example, a traveler may request the departure time of a next available flight when on the way to an airport, or a trader may purchase shares of stock at a certain price. The pertinent information from these requests or transactions may include the airline and the flight number for the traveler, as well as the stock name, the number of shares and the price being purchased for the trader. To be timely and periodically informed, one way is to electronically communicate the information requests into a mobile device that is connected to a wireless data network. The wireless data network, for example, connects, through a proxy server, to a flight information server or stock quote server from which the desired flight information or the current stock price can be retrieved by the mobile device on demand. 
     In a circuit-switched network, such as CDMA, a mobile device must establish a circuit in a carrier infrastructure via a wideband channel before communicating with any server on the network. Although the connection may only be needed for a few seconds, many cellular service providers keep the channel open, and bill, in minute increments. Thus, there are often large blocks of time when the channel is available, but no data is being transmitted over the channel. What is needed is a system that enhances the amount of data sent over any open channels. 
     SUMMARY 
     The mobile station includes a system for using open channel time not needed during access to the wireless web. The mobile station monitors the use of the channel, and determines when the user is no longer transmitting or receiving information. Until the current network session terminates, the mobile station may operate in the background to either send or receive information with the network. Any is action taken by the user would take priority over the background operations. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates components of a wireless communication system appropriate for use with an embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing features of a mobile station according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the process of utilizing the network resources by a mobile station according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates components of a wireless communication system  100 . A mobile switching center  102  communicates with a base station  104 . The base station  104  broadcasts data to and receives data from mobile stations  106  within a cell  108 . The cell  108  is a geographic region, roughly hexagonal, having a radius of up to 35 kilometers or possibly more. The base station  104  may also communicate with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)  110 . The ISP  110  provides an interface between the wireless communication system  100  and the world wide web, or Internet. In some embodiments, the mobile station  106  communicates with the ISP  110  through the base station  104 . However, it can be appreciated that the mobile station  106  may directly communicate with the ISP  110 . 
     The mobile station  106  is capable of receiving data from and transmitting data to a base station  104 . Additional cells adjacent to the cell  108  permit mobile stations  106  to cross cell boundaries without interrupting communications. This is because base stations  104  in adjacent cells assume the task of transmitting and receiving data for the mobile stations  106 . The mobile switching center  102  coordinates all communication to and from mobile stations  106  in a multi-cell region, thus the mobile switching center  102  may communicate with many base stations  104 . 
     The mobile stations  106  may move about freely within the cell  108  while communicating either voice or data. The mobile stations  106  not in active communication with other telephone system users may, nevertheless, scan base station  104  transmissions in the cell  108  to detect any telephone calls or paging messages directed to the mobile station  106 . 
     One example of such a mobile station  106  is a cellular telephone used by a pedestrian who, expecting a telephone call, powers on the cellular telephone while walking in the cell  108 . The cellular telephone synchronizes communication with the base station  104 . The cellular telephone then registers with the mobile switching center  102  to make itself known as an active user within the wireless network. 
     The mobile station  106  scans data frames broadcast by the base station  104  to detect any telephone calls or paging messages directed to the cellular telephone. In this call detection mode, the mobile station  106  receives, stores and examines paging message data, and determines whether the data contains an identifier matching an identifier of the mobile station  106 . If a match is detected, the mobile station  106  establishes a call with the mobile switching center  102  via the base station  104 . If no match is detected, the mobile station  106  enters an idle state for a predetermined period of time, then exits the idle state to receive another transmission of paging message data. 
     FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the mobile station  106  and the processing that occurs in that mobile station  106 . A processor  205  is driven by programs stored in a memory  210 . Any information received by the mobile station  106  may be stored in the memory  210  or a buffer  215 . The buffer  215  may store information obtained from the Internet service provider  110 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the process  300  according to one embodiment of utilizing the network resources by a mobile station  106 . The process  300  begins at a START block  305 . Proceeding to block  310 , the mobile station  106  initiates a network connection with the ISP  110 . The network connection may be opened as the result of a user requesting information from the network, such as the latest stock prices or sports scores. As stated above, the mobile station  106  communicates within the wireless communication system  100  with the ISP  110 . Many ISPs provide connections in set time intervals, such as one minute. If the requested information from the user is successfully transferred in less than a whole time interval, the network connection may remain open for the remainder of the time interval. For example, if an ISP provides connections in one minute intervals, a user request that takes one minute, five seconds to complete will leave fifty-five seconds of a time interval unused. Typically, the network connection may remain open for the remaining fifty-five seconds awaiting further user requests. However, the user may choose to manually terminate the connection. If the connection is not manually terminated, the mobile station  106  may use a timer, such as a linger timer, to determine when to terminate the connection. The linger timer may count down the remaining amount of unused time in a time interval, and if no further requests are made during that period, the mobile station  106  may automatically terminate the connection at the expiration of the linger timer. Because the ISP bills in whole time intervals, no additional charges are incurred by waiting for the expiration of the linger timer, whether or not data is transmitted along the network connection. 
     Proceeding to block  315 , the process  300  determines whether all of the user network requests have been completed. If the requests are still being processed, the mobile station  106  proceeds along the NO branch in a loop back to block  315 . Thus, the mobile station  106  may continually monitor the status of the user requests to be able to determine when all the requests have been satisfied. 
     Once the requests have been completed, the process  300  proceeds along the YES branch to block  320 . In block  320 , the mobile station  106  determines whether the network connection is still available. If the user requests took up the substantial portion of the time interval, there may not be a sufficient amount of useful time remaining. Further, after completing all the requests, the user may have manually terminated the network connection. If no network connection is available, the process  300  proceeds along the NO branch to terminate in END block  340 . 
     Returning to block  320 , if the network connection remains available, the process  300  proceeds along the YES branch to block  325 . In block  325 , the mobile station  106  interfaces with the network in the background. The mobile station  106  may take advantage of this connection time to download information that may be accessed later by the user or used by the mobile station  106 . For example, the mobile station  106  may retrieve updated billing information from the network. This information may be saved within the memory  210  of the mobile station  106 , along with the time the information was obtained. Thus, if the user later checks the memory  210  of the mobile station  106 , the latest billing data would be available. The ISP  110  may also use this time to update the mobile station  106  about network information, such as the appropriate address needed to retrieve e-mail or other information. The mobile station  106  may also transmit information during this time period. For example, the mobile station  106  may transmit data to the network regarding the user profile, and whether particular directed advertisements were viewed or deleted. Of course, the user may have the option to disable any of these features through a menu in the mobile station  106 . 
     Proceeding to block  330 , the mobile station  106  continually checks for a network connection interrupt while performing the background interfacing. Typically, the background interfacing has the lowest priority, and is stopped if any other activity is requested. Further, the processing of information during the time interval does not reset the linger timer. The interrupt activities may include an additional user request, expiration of the linger timer requiring termination of the network connection, or a network request. In no network interrupt is detected, the process  300  proceeds along the NO branch back to block  325  to continue with the background interface. If a network interrupt is detected, the process  300  proceeds along the YES branch to block  335 . 
     In block  335 , the mobile station  106  handles the activity required by the interrupt request. If the interrupt request was initiated by expiration of the linger timer, the activity required would be to terminate the network connection. If the interrupt request was initiated by an additional user request, the mobile station  106  would transmit the request along the network connection. Of course, an additional user request along the network connection may reset the linger timer. After the activity requested by the interrupt is completed, the process  300  returns to block  320  to determine if the network connection  320  remains available. If the linger timer has expired and the network connection terminated, the process  300  will proceed along the NO branch and terminate in END block  340 . If the network connection remains available, the process  300  may proceed along the YES branch for further background processing in block  325 . 
     Numerous variations and modifications of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics.