System and method for supporting a keep alive mechanism in a wireless communications system

A method for communications device operation, the method comprising:

• (a) establishing simultaneous communications sessions in current and alternate wireless communications networks;
• (b) updating a timer that maintains an elapsed time since a last transmission by a communications device;
• (c) determining if the communications device is operating in a first priority state;
• (d) when the communications device is operating in the first priority state and when the communications device is in an idle state in the current wireless communications network, initiating a keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications network;
• (e) when the communications device is operating in the first priority state and when the communications device is not in an idle state in the current wireless communications network, not initiating the keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications network;
• (f) determining if the communications device is operating in a second priority state;
• and
• (g) when the communications device is operating in the second priority state, initiating the keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications network.

A communications device comprising:

• a receiver to be coupled to an antenna, the receiver configured to receive signals detected by the antenna;
• a transmitter to be coupled to the antenna, the transmitter configured to transmit signals using the antenna;
• a timer configured to measure elapsed time;
• and
• a controller coupled to the receiver, to the transmitter, and to the timer, the controller configured to
• establish simultaneous communications sessions in current and alternate wireless communications networks, and
• initiate a communications device initiated keep alive procedure in accordance with the elapsed time measured by the timer, wherein the procedure comprises
• when the elapsed time is less than a first time, not initiate a keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications system,
• when the communications device is greater than the first time and less than a second time, and when the communications device is in the idle state in the current wireless communications system, initiate the keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications system,
• when the communications device is greater than the first time and less than the second time, and when the communications device is not in the idle state in the current wireless communications system, not initiate the keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications system, and
• when the elapsed time greater than the second time, initiate the keep alive procedure in the alternate wireless communications system.