Method and apparatus for handling a critical application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11272383-B2
Application number	US-201816965451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2018
Priority date	Mar 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A critical application system includes a wireless device, an application and a network device. The network device is configured to: receive a command from the at least one wireless device through a first application protocol interface; monitor the connection to the at least one wireless device; determine whether a change in connectivity through the connection occurs, and if so, send information regarding the change in connectivity to the application device through a second application protocol interface. The application device controller is configured to: receive information regarding a change in connectivity to at least one of the at least one wireless device through the second application protocol interface, and determine an action to take; and send a command to at least one of the at least one wireless device through a third application protocol interface, where the controller is configured to: receive the command and execute the associated action.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A critical application system comprising at least one wireless device comprising a first controller, a first memory and a first communication interface and an application device comprising a second controller, a second memory and a second communication interface, the at least one wireless device and the application device being configured to execute a critical application utilizing a connection to a communication network,
the critical application system further comprising a software module comprising computer-readable instructions being associated with the critical application, and wherein the communication network comprises a network device, the network device comprising a third controller and a third memory, the network device being configured to receive the software module from the critical application system and to execute the software module and thereby being configured to:
receive a command from the at least one wireless device through a first application protocol interface;
monitor the connection to the at least one wireless device;
determine whether a change in connectivity through the connection occurs, and if so,
send information regarding the change in the connectivity to the application device through a second application protocol interface, wherein the second controller of the application device is configured to:
receive information regarding the change in the connectivity to at least one of the at least one wireless device through the second application protocol interface, and in response thereto
determine an action to take; and
send a command associated with the action to at least one of the at least one wireless device through a third application protocol interface,
wherein the first controller of the at least one wireless device is configured to:
receive the command associated with the action; and
execute the action.

2. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first application protocol interface and the second application protocol interface is implemented as a web application interface.

3. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first application protocol interface and the second application protocol interface is implemented as a non-access stratum protocol.

4. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions of the software module comprises
computer-readable instructions that when loaded into and executed by a controller, causes the controller to execute the software module as a standalone device having an Internet Protocol address.

5. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions of the software module comprises computer-readable instructions that when loaded into and executed by a controller, causes the controller to monitor the connectivity by receiving information regarding the connection being monitored from network controllers.

6. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the connection between the at least one wireless device and the communication network is a wireless multiple beam connection.

7. The critical application system according to claim 6 , wherein the change in the connectivity includes a change in a number of beam connections in the wireless multiple beam connection, loss of connectivity, reduced redundancy in the wireless multiple beam connection and/or a change in bandwidth.

8. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the network device is a network server.

9. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the network device is a base station.

10. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the first application protocol interface comprises at least one instruction of an instruction set comprising {start tracking a wireless device's connectivity, stop tracking a wireless device's connectivity}.

11. The critical application system according to claim 1 , wherein the application device is configured to, upon receiving the information on the change in the connectivity:
determine that an other of the at least one wireless device should take action, and sending information regarding the action to the other of the at least one wireless device accordingly, causing the other of the at least one wireless device to perform such action;
determine that a failsafe operation should be initiated, and sending information of the failsafe operation to the other of the at least one wireless device accordingly, causing the other of the at least one wireless device to initiate such failsafe operation;
determine that critical data residing in the at least one wireless device experiencing the change in the connectivity should be moved, and sending information regarding the critical data to the at least one wireless device accordingly, causing the at least one wireless device to move such data; and/or
determine that a change of connection should be performed, and sending information regarding the change of the connection to the at least one wireless device accordingly, causing the at least one wireless device to change the connection.

12. A method for operating a critical application system comprising at least one wireless device and an application device, the at least one wireless device and the application device executing a critical application utilizing a connection to a communication network,
the critical application system further comprising a software module being associated with the critical application, and wherein the communication network comprises a network device, the method comprising in the network device receiving the software module from the critical application system and executing the software module, thereby:
receiving a command from the at least one wireless device through a first application protocol interface;
monitoring the connection to the at least one wireless device;
determining whether a change in connectivity through the connection occurs, and if so,
sending information regarding the change in the connectivity to the application device through a second application protocol interface, wherein the method further comprises in the application device:
receiving information regarding the change in the connectivity to at least one of the at least one wireless device through the second application protocol interface, and in response thereto
determining an action to take; and
sending a command associated with the action to at least one of the at least one wireless device through a third application protocol interface,
wherein the method further comprises in the at least one wireless device:
receiving the command associated with the action; and
executing the action.

13. An application device arranged to be used in a critical application system comprising at least one wireless device and said application device, the application device being configured to execute a critical application utilizing a connection to a communication network, the application device comprising a controller, a memory and a communication interface, the controller being configured to
receive information regarding a change in connectivity to at least one of the at least one wireless device through a second application protocol interface from a software module comprising computer-readable instructions being associated with the critical application, and in response thereto
determine an action to take; and
send a command associated with the action to at least one of the at least one wireless device through a third application protocol int

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Arkko Jari

Classifications

• H04W36/08

  Reselecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W36/14

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W24/04

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title

• H04L69/329

  in the application layer [OSI layer 7] · CPC title