The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to generating heartbeat signals within wireless communication systems.
In wireless communication systems, for example, cellular communication networks, a plurality of communication channels are provided for communicating information between communication devices. Each of the communication channels provide a certain amount of bandwidth that may be shared by multiple communication devices. In order to communicate on a particular channel a device establishes a link using the channel. Continued access to the channel by the device requires that the device indicate to the network that the device is still using the channel. If the network does not receive an indication from the device that the device is still accessing the channel, the system will end the connection. Thus, in certain networks the device sends a heartbeat signal to maintain connection to a channel.
In some wireless networks, such as in a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, different connections are available. For example, a circuit switched connection is available between two end-points in the network, such as between two communication devices. A packet data connection for communicating cellular digital packet data is also available. These different connections may provide different latency. In order to maintain the packet data connection, heartbeat signals must be transmitted by a device using the packet data connection. If heartbeat signals are not sent at predetermined time periods of nonuse of the packet data connection (as determined by the network), the connection can timeout and the device can lose the packet data connection (because the connection is shared). Access to the packet data connection may be regained, but typically only after a time period, thereby adding latency to the communication.
Thus, heartbeat signals between devices and the system are required to maintain a system's data link connection with the devices. The frequency of the required heartbeat signals is a system setting. Known systems for setting heartbeat signal requirements and methods for generating heartbeat signals are typically static and inflexible, which results in an inefficient use of system resources.