Data connection recovery for electronic devices in a wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11540345-B2
Application number	US-202117176888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2021
Priority date	Feb 16, 2021
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A data connection recovery system is disclosed that includes a data connection management platform configured to monitor a status of a data connection of a wireless communication device with a wireless network. In response to a determination that the data connection is nonfunctional, the data connection management platform is configured to initiate a command to the wireless communication device via a control plane of the wireless network commanding the wireless communication device to switch to a different network slice in a user plane of the wireless network. The system also includes a remote device manager on the wireless communication device configured to receive the command and to initiate establishment of a new data connection with the wireless network via the different network slice in response to the command. The wireless communication device transmits data via the new data connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data connection recovery system, comprising:
a data connection management platform comprising a non-transitory memory and a processor, the data connection management platform configured to:
monitor a status of a data connection of a wireless communication device with a wireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises a 5G wireless network, and wherein the data connection management platform monitors the status of the data connection by communicating with an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the 5G wireless network via an application programming interface, and
in response to a determination that the data connection is nonfunctional, initiate a command to the wireless communication device via a control plane of the wireless network commanding the wireless communication device to switch to a different network slice in a user plane of the wireless network; and

a remote device manager stored in a non-transitory memory of the wireless communication device that when executed by a processor of the wireless communication device:
receives the command, and
in response to the command, initiates establishment of a new data connection with the wireless network via the different network slice, wherein the wireless communication device transmits data via the new data connection.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data connection management platform monitors the status of the data connection in response to a trigger.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the remote device manager is further configured to initiate a ping test with the wireless network and transmit a notification to the data connection management platform based on an outcome of the ping test, and wherein the trigger is receipt of the notification.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the remote device manager is further configured to determine that a timeout error has been received by the wireless communication device and transmit a notification to the data connection management platform in response to the timeout error, and wherein the trigger is receipt of the notification.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the remote device manager is further configured to determine that a response has not been received by the wireless communication device within a predetermined amount of time and transmit a notification to the data connection management platform in response to the determination, and wherein the trigger is receipt of the notification.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data connection is determined to be nonfunctional when there is no data connection to the wireless network or when there is intermittent data connection to the wireless network.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the different network slice comprises an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) network slice or a massive machine-type communications (mMTC) network slice.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is a user equipment (UE) that is a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable computer, a headset computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, or an Internet of things (IoT) device.

9. A data connection recovery method, comprising:
monitoring, by a data connection management platform stored in a non-transitory memory and executable by a processor, a status of a data connection of a wireless communication device with a 5G wireless network;
in response to a determination that the data connection is nonfunctional, initiating, by the data connection management platform, a command to the wireless communication device via a control plane of the 5G wireless network commanding the wireless communication device to switch to a different network slice in a user plane of the 5G wireless network;
receiving, by a remote device manger stored in a non-transitory memory of the wireless communication device and executable by a processor of the wireless communication device, the command;
in response to the command, initiating, by the remote device manager, establishment of a new data connection with the 5G wireless network via the different network slice; and
in response to a determination that the new data connection is nonfunctional and to receipt of direction from the data connection management platform, transmitting, by the wireless communication device, data via the control plane to a database for storage and later transmission to an intended destination.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the different network slice comprises an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) network slice or a massive machine-type communications (mMTC) network slice.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the data connection or the new data connection is determined to be nonfunctional when there is no data connection to the 5G wireless network or when there is intermittent data connection to the 5G wireless network.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
initiating, by the remote device manager, a ping test with the 5G network; and
transmitting, by the remote device manager, a notification to the data connection management platform based on an outcome of the ping test, wherein receipt of the notification by the data connection management platform triggers the monitoring of the status of the data connection.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, by the remote device manager, that a timeout error has been received by the wireless communication device; and
transmitting, by the remote device manager, a notification to the data connection management platform in response to the timeout error, wherein receipt of the notification by the data connection management platform triggers the monitoring of the status of the data connection.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, by the remote device manager, that a response has not been received by the wireless communication device within a predetermined amount of time; and
transmitting, by the remote device manager, a notification to the data connection management platform in response to the determination, wherein receipt of the notification by the data connection management platform triggers the monitoring of the status of the data connection.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring comprises communicating, by the data management platform via an application programming interface, with an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the 5G wireless network.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the data is transmitted via the control plane to the database after attempting to establish a data connection with the 5G network via each different available network slice.

17. A data connection recovery method, comprising:
monitoring, by a data connection management platform stored in a non-transitory memory and executable by a processor, a status of a data connection of a wireless communication device with a 5G wireless network;
in response to a determination that the data connection is nonfunctional, initiating, by the data connection management platform, a command to the wireless communication device via a control plane of the 5G wireless network commanding the wireless communication device to switch to a different network slice in a user plane of the 5G wireless network;
receiving, by a remote device manger stored in a non-transitory memory of the wireless communication device and executable by a processor of the wireless communication device, the command;
in response to the command, initiating, by the remote device manager, establishment of a new data connecti

Assignees

• T Mobile Innovations Llc
• Sprint Communications Company Lp

Inventors

• Paczkowski Lyle W
• Parsel William M

Classifications

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W76/19 Primary

  Connection re-establishment · CPC title

• G06F11/1469

  Backup restoration techniques · CPC title