Dynamically adjusting a network inactivity timer during user endpoint mobility states

Abstract

Dynamic adjustment of a network inactivity timer during user endpoint mobility states is disclosed. An example system includes a radio network including one or more base nodes, a network controller and network resources allocable to user endpoints and communications therewith. The system further including a first one of the user endpoints co-located with a vehicle and configured to determine mobility state information in correspondence with travel of the vehicle and of the first one of the user endpoints, the first one of the user endpoints utilizing an inactivity timer to release network resources allocated to the first one of the user endpoints. The network controller of the system is in communication with the first one of the user endpoints to update a value for the inactivity timer in correspondence with network policy data and the mobility state information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 determining, by network equipment comprising a processor, a current speed of a vehicle in which a user equipment, capable of communication via a network, is located; and   facilitating, by the network equipment, transmitting, to the user equipment, a value of an inactivity timer for the user equipment to employ to release a network resource allocated for the communication, wherein the value of the inactivity timer is selected based on the current speed of the vehicle and network policy data, and wherein the network policy data comprises a policy specifying that, in response to the current speed being indicative of the vehicle being in motion, the value for the inactivity timer is to be set to a first time value, and specifying that, in response to the current speed being indicative of the vehicle being stationary, the value for the inactivity timer is to be set to a second time value representing less time than the first time value.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the network equipment, a latency specification for the communication via the network for an application executing on the user equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the policy is a first policy, wherein the network policy data comprises a second policy specifying that a first latency specification corresponds to the value for the inactivity timer being set to a third time value, and specifying that, in response to a second latency specification corresponds to the value for the inactivity timer being set to a fourth time value for the inactivity timer representing less time than the third time value, and wherein the first latency specification specifies a higher latency than the second latency specification. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising facilitating, by the network equipment, receiving an updated value for the inactivity timer from the user equipment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining, by the network equipment, whether to approve the user equipment to employ the updated value for the inactivity timer based on current network conditions associated with the network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the current network conditions comprise measurement conditions relating to measurement of at least one of a bandwidth usage, a availability of the network resource, a network signal characteristic, or a number of connected devices via the network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the current speed of the vehicle comprises receiving the current speed of the vehicle from the user equipment. 
     
     
         8 . Network equipment, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 determining a current speed of a vehicle comprising a device capable of communication via a communication network; and 
 sending, to the device, a value of an inactivity timer for the device to use to release a network resource allocated for the communication, wherein the value of the inactivity timer is selected based on the current speed of the vehicle and network policy data, wherein the network policy data comprises a first policy specifying that the current speed being indicative of the vehicle being in motion corresponds to the value for the inactivity timer being set to a first time value, and wherein the first time value is longer than a second time value for the inactivity timer corresponding to the current speed being indicative of the vehicle being stationary. 
   
     
     
         9 . The network equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a latency requirement for the communication via the communication network for an application running on the device. 
     
     
         10 . The network equipment of  claim 9 , wherein the network policy data comprises a second policy specifying that a first latency requirement corresponds to the value for the inactivity timer being set to a third time value that is longer than a fourth time value for the inactivity timer corresponding to a second latency requirement, and wherein the first latency requirement is higher than the second latency requirement. 
     
     
         11 . The network equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving an updated value for the inactivity timer from the device. 
     
     
         12 . The network equipment of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether to approve the device to employ the updated value for the inactivity timer based on a current network condition of the communication network. 
     
     
         13 . The network equipment of  claim 12 , wherein the current network condition comprises a measured condition relating to at least one of a bandwidth usage, a network resource availability, a network signal characteristic, or a number of network connected devices. 
     
     
         14 . The network equipment of  claim 8 , wherein determining the current speed of the vehicle comprises monitoring a global positioning system information from the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 obtaining a current speed of a vehicle capable of communication via a radio network; and   communicating, to the vehicle, a value of an inactivity timer for the vehicle to use to release network resources allocated for the communication, wherein the value of the inactivity timer is selected based on the current speed of the vehicle and network policy data, wherein the network policy data specifies that, in response to determining that the current speed indicates the vehicle is moving, the value for the inactivity timer is set to a first time value, and wherein the network policy data further specifies that, in response to determining that the current speed being indicates the vehicle is not moving, the value for the inactivity timer is to be set to a second time value representing a different amount of time than the first time value.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise obtaining a latency requirement for the communication via the network for the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the network policy data further specifies that, in response to determining that a first latency requirement is applicable, the value for the inactivity timer is set to a third time value, and wherein the network policy data further specifies that, in response to determining a second latency requirement is applicable, the value for the inactivity timer is set to a fourth time value, wherein the third time value represents a different duration of time than the fourth time value, and wherein the first latency requirement is different than the second latency requirement. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving an updated value for the inactivity timer from the vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining to approve the updated value for the inactivity timer based on current network conditions on the radio network, communicating, to the vehicle, an authorization to employ the updated value for the inactivity timer. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the current network conditions comprise measured conditions based on sensor output relating to measurement of at least one of bandwidth usage, network resource availability, network signal characteristics, or a number of connected devices.