# US 10,771,597 B2 · Synchronized connection closing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,597 B2 - Document ID: US10771597B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/069,108 - Filed: 2016-01-11 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-11 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Johan Kölhi; John Orre; Robert Skog - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771597B2 ## CPC - H04L 69/163: In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures - H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route - H04L 67/143: Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session - H04L 67/145: avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session - H04W 76/25: Maintenance of established connections - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method for a network element in a network, through which network element a communications device can communicate with the network via one or more connections, the method comprising: detecting traffic for the one or more connections from the communications device; in response to no traffic being detected on a connection for a first time period, closing each connection for which no traffic has been detected for a second time period, among the one or more connections. Corresponding network element is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a network element in a network, wherein a communications device can communicate with the network via the network element, the method comprising: detecting traffic for a first connection established by the communication device; detecting traffic for a second connection established by the communication device; and in response to no traffic being detected on the first connection, the second connection, or another connection established by the communication device for a first time period, a) determining, at the end of a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period, whether or not to close the first connection and b) separately determining, at the end of the second time period, whether or not to close the second connection, wherein determining whether or not to close the first connection comprises determining whether the first connection was idle during the entire second time period, determining whether or not to close the second connection comprises determining whether the second connection was idle during the entire second time period, and the method further comprises: closing the first connection if it was determined that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period, otherwise refraining from closing the first connection; and closing the second connection if it was determined that the second connection was idle during the entire second time period, otherwise refraining from closing the second connection. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein closing the first connection comprises sending a first close request to the communications device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period; determining that the second connection was not idle during the entire second time period; closing the first connection as a result of determining that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period; and refraining from closing the second connection as a result of determining that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second connections are Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the close request comprises a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) FIN message. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the close request comprises a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) RST message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection has a first keep alive interval, the second connection has a second keep alive interval the second keep alive interval is not greater than the first keep alive interval, and the second time period has the same duration as the second keep alive interval. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: allowing the communications device to establish a plurality of new connections for at least part of the connection-closed applications with the communications device simultaneously after closings of connections. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network element is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) proxy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining that the second keep alive interval is not greater than the first keep alive interval, and as a result of determining that the second keep alive interval is not greater than the first keep alive interval, configuring the second time period to have the same duration as the second keep alive interval. ### Claim 11 A network element in a network, through which network element a communications device can communicate with the network via one or more connections, the network element comprising: a memory; and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, wherein the network element is configured to: detect traffic for a first connection established by the communication device; detect traffic for a second connection established by the communication device; and in response to no traffic being detected on the first connection, the second connection, or another connection established by the communication device for a first time period, a) determine, at the end of a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period, whether or not to close the first connection and b) separately determine, at the end of the second time period, whether or not to close the second connection, wherein the network element is configured to determine whether or not to close the first connection by performing a process that comprises determining whether the first connection was idle during the entire second time period, the network element is configured to determine whether or not to close the second connection by performing a process that comprises determining whether the second connection was idle during the entire second time period, and the network element is further configured to: close the first connection if it was determined that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period, otherwise refraining from closing the first connection; and close the second connection if it was determined that the second connection was idle during the entire second time period, otherwise refraining from closing the second connection. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the network element is configured to close a connection by sending a close request to the communications device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the network element is further configured to: close the first connection as a result of determining that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period; and refrain from closing the second connection as a result of determining that the first connection was idle during the entire second time period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the first and second connections are Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the close request comprises a Transmission Control Protocol FIN message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the close request comprises a Transmission Control Protocol RST message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the first connection has a first keep alive interval, the second connection has a second keep alive interval the second keep alive interval is not greater than the first keep alive interval, and the second time period has the same duration as the second keep alive interval. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the network element is further configured to allow the communications device to establish a plurality of new connections for at least part of the connection-closed applications with the communications device simultaneously after closings of connections. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The network element of claim 11, wherein the network element is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) proxy. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The network element of claim 17, wherein the network element is further configured to: determine whether the second keep alive interval is not greater than the first keep alive interval, and as a result of determining that the second keep alive interval is not greater than the first keep alive interval, configure the second time period to have the same duration as the second keep alive interval. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A network element in a network, through which network element a communications device can communicate with the network via one or more connections, the network element comprising: a memory, adapted to store data and instructions therein; and a processing system, adapted to perform the steps of claim 1. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The network element of claim 21, wherein the network element is a TCP proxy.