Method and apparatus for maintaining one or more communication sessions

{
  "publication_number": "US2013103844A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Method and apparatus for maintaining one or more communication sessions",
  "abstract": "An approach is provided for establishing one or more communication sessions in a cloud computing environment and maintaining the establishment of the one or more communication sessions while managing system resource and power resource consumption. The approach involves causing, at least in part, an establishment of one or more communication sessions between at least one device and one or more other devices, wherein the communication sessions convey, at least in part, one or more notification messages. The approach also involves processing and/or facilitating a processing of device resource information, device capability information, network resource information, or a combination thereof to determine one or more parameters for generating one or more heartbeat signals to maintain the one or more communication sessions.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following: an establishment of one or more communication sessions between at least one device and one or more other devices, wherein the communication sessions convey, at least in part, one or more notification messages; and a processing of device resource information, device capability information, network resource information, or a combination thereof to determine one or more parameters for generating one or more heartbeat signals to maintain the one or more communication sessions. 2. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication sessions supports bi-directional communications, multi-directional communications, or a combination thereof between the at least one device and the one or more other devices. 3. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: at least one determination of the one or more notification messages to be successful; and a confirmation of successful delivery of the one or more notification messages to be conveyed to one or more of the at least one device and the one or more other devices. 4. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: at least one determination of one or more events upon which the establishment of the one or more communication sessions is based, wherein the determination of the one or more events causes, at least in part, an application configured to establish the one or more communication sessions to be activated. 5. A method of claim 4, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: a subscription to the one or more notification messages by way of another application; and a delivery of the one or more notifications to the another application based, at least in part, on a determination of the conveyance of the one or more notification messages and the subscription. 6. A method of claim 4, wherein the one or more events are one or more of an incoming network request, an outgoing network request, a response message, a timed event, and a keep-alive request. 7. A method of claim 6, wherein a first iteration of the keep-alive request has a maximum payload of a predetermined number of bytes up and down, and the first iteration of the keep-alive request occurs at a predetermined time interval. 8. A method of claim 7, wherein a next iteration of the keep-alive request is by way of a TCP handshake, and the next iteration of the keep-alive request occurs at another predetermined time interval. 9. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: an occurrence of the one or more heartbeat signals at a first time interval; at least one determination that one or more of the established one or more communication sessions have ceased; and an occurrence of the one or more heartbeat signals at a second time interval that is greater in frequency than the first time interval. 10. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: an occurrence of the one or more heartbeat signals at a first time interval; a determination that one or more of the established one or more communication sessions have ceased; and an occurrence of the one or more heartbeat signals at a second time interval that lesser in frequency than the first time interval. 11. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: at least one determination of one or more available communication networks; at least one determination of one or more estimated power consumption values for the one or more communication sessions conducted over the one or more available communication networks; a ranking of the one or more estimated power consumption values in order of magnitude; and an establishment of the one or more communication sessions over the communication network having the lowest magnitude of estimated power consumption. 12. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more heartbeat signals communicate one or more commands to the at least one of the at least one device and the one or more other devices, and the one or more heartbeat signals communicate one or more responses to the one or more commands, and the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: at least one determination that one or more of the one or more heartbeat signals have ceased; a queuing and ranking of one or more commands based on a predetermined priority; a communication of the one or more commands in order of the ranking upon reading-establishment of the one or more heartbeat signals; and a deletion of one or more of the commands determined to be in the queue for a period of time greater than a threshold value. 13. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, cause, at least in part, an establishment of one or more communication sessions between at least one device and one or more other devices, wherein the communication sessions convey, at least in part, one or more notification messages; and process and/or facilitate a processing of device resource information, device capability information, network resource information, or a combination thereof to determine one or more parameters for generating one or more heartbeat signals to maintain the one or more communication sessions. 14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more communication sessions supports bi-directional communications, multi-directional communications, or a combination thereof between the at least one device and the one or more other devices. 15. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine the one or more notification messages to be successful; and cause, at least in part, a confirmation of successful delivery of the one or more notification messages to be conveyed to one or more of the at least one device and the one or more other devices. 16. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine one or more events upon which the establishment of the one or more communication sessions is based, wherein the determination of the one or more events causes, at least in part, an application configured to establish the one or more communication sessions to be activated. 17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: cause, at least in part, a subscription to the one or more notification messages by way of another application; and cause, at least in part, the one or more notifications to be delivered to the another application based, at least in part, on a determination of the conveyance of the one or more notification messages and the subscription. 18. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: cause, at least in part, the one or more heartbeat signals to occur at a first time interval; determine one or more of the established one or more communication sessions have ceased; and cause, at least in part, the one or more heartbeat signals to occur at a second time interval that is greater in frequency than the first time interval. 19. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine one or more available communication networks; determine one or more estimated power consumption values for the one or more communication sessions conducted over the one or more available communication networks; cause, at least in part, a ranking of the one or more estimated power consumption values in order of magnitude; and cause, at least in part, the one or more communication sessions to be established over the communication network having the lowest magnitude of estimated power consumption. 20. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more heartbeat signals communicate one or more commands to the at least one of the at least one device and the one or more other devices, and the one or more heartbeat signals communicate one or more responses to the one or more commands, and the apparatus is further caused to: determine one or more of the one or more heartbeat signals have ceased; cause the one or more commands to be queued and ranked based on a predetermined priority; cause, at least in part, the one or more commands to be communicated in order of the ranking upon reading-establishment of the one or more heartbeat signals; and cause, at least in part, deletion of one or more of the commands determined to be in the queue for a period of time greater than a threshold value. 21 - 52. (canceled)"
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Service providers and device manufacturers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling network services. One area of interest relates to cloud computing services. For example, users may have multiple devices that are associated with a cloud computing environment. The devices may have established communication sessions through which messages may be sent. Conventional cloud computing service providers are continually challenged with the task of maintaining the established communication sessions while conserving power and/or system resources of the various devices.\n\nTherefore, there is a need for an approach for establishing one or more communication sessions in a cloud computing environment and maintaining the establishment of the one or more communication sessions while managing system resource and power resource consumption.\n\nAccording to one embodiment, a method comprises causing, at least in part, an establishment of one or more communication sessions between at least one device and one or more other devices, wherein the communication sessions convey, at least in part, one or more notification messages. The method also comprises processing and/or facilitating a processing of device resource information, device capability information, network resource information, or a combination thereof to determine one or more parameters for generating one or more heartbeat signals to maintain the one or more communication sessions.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 4/60",
    "H04L 67/145"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 15/16",
    "H04W 4/60",
    "H04L 29/08"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Nokia Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Serdar Bulut",
    "David Berkowitz",
    "Wei-Meng Chee"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2011-10-21",
  "publication_date": "2013-04-25",
  "priority_date": "2011-10-21",
  "application_number": "US-201113278981-A",
  "family_id": "48136923",
  "cited_by_count": 47,
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}