Network Connection and Maintenance
AssigneeArm Cloud Technology, Inc.
InventorVishal Bhargava
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for network connection and maintenance having reduced connection time, increased probability of successful connection, and increased reliability once connected. A second communication protocol is added to network devices, so that two connection-related operations are performed during overlapping periods of time, thereby reducing required connection time while increasing probability of successful connection. Once a device is connected to the network, network maintenance messages, including re-keying requests and “keep-alive” messages, may be sent via the second communication protocol during periods of network congestion, increasing network reliability.
Claims19
An apparatus to remain connected to a communication network, the apparatus comprising:
- a first timeout timer of a first communication protocol;
- a transmitter of a first node of the communication network, coupled to the first timeout timer, configurable to transmit signals compatible with a second communications protocol;
- a second timeout timer of the first communication protocol;
- and
- a receiver of a second node of the communication network, coupled to the second timeout timer, configurable to receive signals compatible with the second communications protocol,
- the transmitter further configurable to transmit, responsive to an expiration of the first timeout timer, a keep-alive message of the first communication protocol via the second communication protocol, and
- the second timeout timer further configurable to reset, responsive to reception by the receiver of the keep-alive message of the first communication protocol via the second communication protocol.
A method for connecting to a communication network, comprising:
- transmitting a first connection message of a first communication protocol via the first communication protocol;
- and
- transmitting a second connection message of the first communication protocol via a second communication protocol,
- the transmitting the first connection message and the transmitting the second connection message occurring prior to connection to the communication network.
A method to remain connected to a communication network, comprising:
- responsive to an expiration of a first timeout timer of a first communication protocol, transmitting, by a first node of the communication network, a keep-alive message via a second communication protocol;
- and
- responsive to reception of the keep-alive message by a second node of the communication network, resetting a second timeout timer of the first communication protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.