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Transcription

1 Illll Illlllll II Illlll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illll Illlll Illl Illl Illl US A1 (19) nied Saes (12) Paen Applicaion Publicaion (10) Pub. No.: S 2011/ A1 EINARSSON e al. (43) Pub. Dae: Jun. 23, 2011 (54) SYNCHRONIZATION OF SPORADIC WEB Publicaion Classificaion POLL TRAFFIC (51) In. CI. (75) Invenors: Torbj6rn EINARSSON, GO6F 15/16 ( ) Sockholm (SE); Per-Erik BRODIN, Sollenuna (SE); Per WILLARS, Vaxholm (SE) (52) U.S. CI /203; 713/323 (73) Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL), Sokholm (SE) (21) Appl. No.: 12/725,562 (22) Filed: Mar. 17, 2010 Relaed U.S. Applicaion Daa (60) Provisional applicaion No. 61/287,454, filed on Dec. 17, (57) ABSTRACT Polling performed by muliple applicaions rmning on a device is coordinaed. A cenral scheduling funcion can, for example, periodically issue polling even messages o he applicaions. The applicaions can, in urn, reques he ransmission of polling signals o heir respecive servers o reques applicaion updaes. By coordinaing ransmission of polling signals baery consumpion and nework communicaion resources can be opimized. I Appll I APP2 I I App3 I POLLING TIME NOTIFICATION FUNCTION 300 I POLL S App 4 Po,,ll SUBSCRIBE EVENTS SUBSCRIBE

2 100 \ Minues Appl : App2: App3: App4: App5: Radio aciviiy: FIG. 1 >.

3 Paen Applicaion Publicaion Jun. 23, 2011 Shee 2 of 9 US 2011/ A1 SERVER OO CLIENT SERVER SERVER SERVER5 210 SERVER4 208 FIG. 2

4 Paen Applicaion Publicaion Jun. 23, 2011 Shee 3 of 9 US 2011/ A1 I POLL SUBSCRIBE POLL EVENTS EVENTS I App3 I POLL /4 / EVT///UBSCRIBE POLLING TIME NOTIFICATION FUNCTION f300 POLL EVENTS App 4 SUBSCRIBE +0,,1T EVENTS App 5 ] SUBSCRIBE FIG. 3

5 4OO \ Minues: Appl: * * App2: * * * App3: * * * App4: * * * App5: * * * 4 Radio aciviiy: FIG. 4

6 Paen Applicaion Publicaion Jun. 23, 2011 Shee 5 of 9 US 2011/ A1 BROADCAST polltimenoificaion TO SUBSCRIBERS FIG. 5

7 Paen Applicaion Publicaion Jun. 23, 2011 Shee 6 of 9 US 2011/ A1 I I 600 APPLICATIONS SUBSCRIBE TO polltimenoificaion START SENDING 602 polltimenoificaion TO SUBSCRIBERS 1 SEND 604 polltimenoificaion TO App 1 1 SEND 606 polltimenoificaion TO App ,LATER10 MIN FIG. 6

8 Paen Applicaion Publicaion Jun. 23, 2011 Shee 7 of 9 US 2011/ A1 / O Ill O O / Z...a mo CO- m IJJ Z 0 m Ii O_ c2j ooj Iii,,< W Z IJJ CO

9 800 \,.= 801/ SERVER 820 DISKETTE L 818 USER INPUT INTERFACE "-822 lil, lilo lilo CD-ROM PLAYER 814 DISK DRIVE J= 8O8 \ [ I/0 PROCESSOR 802 I I i INTERNET RAM J 806- ROM FIG. 8 "-4

10 Paen Applicaion Publicaion Jun. 23, 2011 Shee 9 of 9 US 2011/ A RECEIVE, AT MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS WHICH ARE RUNNING SIMULTANEOUSLY ON A CLIENT DEVICE, A POLLING EVENT MESSAGE! TRANSMIT A PLURALITY OF POLLING SIGNALS FROM THE CLIENT DEVICE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS WHICH RECEIVED THE POLLING MESSAGE FIG. 9

11 US 2011/ A1 Jun. 23,2011 SYNCHRONIZATION OF SPORADIC WEB POLL TRAFFIC RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This applicaion is relaed o, and claims prioriy from, U.S. Provisional Paen Applicaion Ser. No. 61/287, 454, filed on Dec. 17, 2009, eniled "Synchronizaion of Sporadic Web Poll Traffic", he enire disclosure of which is incorporaed here by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The presen invenion generally relaes o communicaion sysems, nodes, devices, sofware and mehods and, more paricularly, o mechanisms and echniques for synchronizing updaes of clien applicaions. BACKGROUND [0003] Many applicaions which run on end-user devices (e.g., personal compuers, mobile phones, PDAs, ec.) are neworked hese days. While some applicaions require or permi user-iniiaed downloading of daa from he web, here are many applicaions ha frequenly poll servers for more daa, saus updaes, or noificaions. Such daa can also be pushed o cliens, ypically via long-hanging HTTP poll echniques, a.k.a. COMET echnology. Some such applicaions include RSS readers, Facebook cliens, insan-messaging (IM) and /pushmail cliens, jus o name a few. [0004] Typically, such neworked clien applicaions poll heir respecive servers periodically, e.g., every few minues. Ofen, he user is able o configure he poll inerval in he seings of he applicaion clien, e.g., o se he polling inerval o be every minue, every few minues, every 10 minues, ec. Ifa device is running many such clien applicaions, hen here migh be a poll reques ransmied by ha device every minue even if he polling inerval for each of he clien applicaions is greaer han 10 minues, i.e., due o he large number of applicaions polling heir respecive servers. Thus, he number of sporadic raffic evens (ransmi and receive) migh herefore be very high, even if here are relaively few saus updaes being made by he respecive services associ- aed wih he clien applicaions. [0005] As an alernaive o polling, push mechanisms using long-hanging HTTP polls or WebSockes have been suggesed and deployed, for example inapple s iphone PushNoificaion mechanism. In oher updaing echniques, only a single TCP connecion is esablished owards a gaeway. HTTP GET requess are issued, and no reurned by he server, unil here is an even on he server, or a imeou has occurred. For low aciviy raffic, his resuls in very lile sporadic raffic over he nework, and if he imeous in he operaor gaeways, firewalls and NATs are se appropriaely, one can have a sysem wih shor delivery ime, bu wih low power consumpion. However, his approach requires a cenralized server side, and changes o he clien and server proocols, and can lead o high power consumpion if here is frequen sporadic raffic. For example, an updae wih every wier wee, can lead o updaes every minue or more. [0006] For fixed Inerne connecions, he raffic paerns resuling from hese polls and pushes are normally no a problem. However, for cellular neworks and mobile end user devices, each nework aciviy ypically resuls in a corresponding drain on he device s baery as he radio is urned on and says on for some ime, which leads o a relaively high overhead in his process. For some users and Circumsances, a shor noificaion ime may be more imporan han a long baery life, bu in many cases baery life-ime is more imporan. [0007] Thus, his siuaion poses poenially significan problems when he clien device (and is muliple polling applicaions) communicae wih he various servers via an air inerface, i.e., a radio link, e.g., for mobile phones running such applicaions. For such devices, each ime he device has o "wake up" from a lower power sae o ransmi a polling reques, power is used from is baery. Moreover, he limied air inerface resources are consumed by he corresponding nework signaling associaed wih he device s wakeup. Consider FIG. 1 which depics a hisogram 100 illusraing his problem. [0008] Therein, a firs clien applicaion (Appl) has a polling periodiciy of 20 minues. Thus, for example, Appl requess he device o send a polling reques message o is respecive server a ime 1 and hen laer a ime 21. If asleep, he device ransiions from sleep mode, performs he necessary nework handshaking, ransmis a polling reques over an air inerface for Appl, poenially awais a response and hen re-eners sleep mode. App 2, App 3, App 4 and App 5 (which are also running on he same device as App 1) have polling periodiciies of en minues and perform he same operaions as described above for Appl a ime insans 3 and 13, 5 and 15, 7 and 17 and 9 and 19, respecively. Thus, as shown in he "Radio Aciviy" line of he hisogram of FIG. 1, he device s radio may be acive for five ime inervals in every 10 minues jus due o muliple clien applicaions polling heir respecive servers for updaes which may or may no be presen. [0009] Of course i will be appreciaed ha he example shown in FIG. 1 is purely illusraive and ha in operaion he pseudo-random naure of applicaion acivaion, polling periodiciy and oher facors may resul in some applicaions polling a he same ime or a nearly he same ime, i.e., he disribuion of polling requess may vary. Noneheless, he more clien applicaions which a device is running a a given ime, he more likely i is ha he device s radio ransceiver will be used more frequenly o ransmi polling requess, hereby using more baery power and nework resources. [0010] Accordingly, i would be desirable o provide devices, sysems, mehods and sofware which address his problem. SUMMARY [0011] The following exemplary embodimens provide a number of advanages and benefis relaive o exising clien applicaion updaing sofware, devices and mehods including, for example, he possibiliy o reduce he number of imes during which a device, e.g., including a radio ransceiver, is operaive o ransmi polling requess. I will be appreciaed by hose skilled in he ar, however, ha he claims are no limied o hose embodimens which produce any or all of hese advanages or benefis and ha oher advanages and benefis may be realized depending upon he paricular implemenaion. [0012] According o one exemplary embodimen, a device includes a processor configured o simulaneously execue muliple applicaions each of which periodically receive updaes from respecive servers and o execue a cenral scheduling funcion which periodically ransmis a polling even message o he muliple applicaions, and a communl-

12 US 2011/ A1 Jun. 23, caion inerface configured o ransmi, in response o he polling even message, a pluraliy of polling signals from he device, he polling signals being associaed wih he muliple applicaions which received he polling even message. [0013] According o anoher exemplary embodimen, a mehod for polling servers from a device includes he seps of receiving, a muliple applicaions which are running simulaneously on he device, a polling even message, and ransmiing, in response o he polling even message, a pluraliy of polling signals from he device, he polling signals being associaed wih he muliple applicaions which received he polling even message. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporaed in and consiue a par of he specificaion, illusrae one or more embodimens and, ogeher wih he descripion, explain hese embodimens. In he drawings: [0015] FIG. 1 is a hisogram depicing radio aciviy associaed wih muliple applicaions operaing on a single clien device requesing updaes; [0016] FIG. 2 depics muliple applicaions operaing on a single clien device communicaing wih respecive servers; [0017] FIG. 3 shows muliple applicaions subscribing o a cenral scheduling funcion, and receiving poll evens, according o an exemplary embodimen; [0018] FIG. 4 is a hisogram depicing radio aciviy associaed wih muliple applicaions operaing on a single clien device requesing updaes using synchronized polling according o an exemplary embodimen; [0019] FIGS. 5 and 6 are flow diagrams which depic mehods for synchronized updaing of applicaions according o exemplary embodimens; [0020] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary clien device on which muliple applicaions can be operaing using synchronized updaing according o an exemplary embodimen; [0021] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary server device which can send updaes o a clien device according o exemplary embodimens; and [0022] FIG. 9 is a flowchar illusraing a mehod for polling servers according o an exemplary embodimen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0023] The following descripion of he exemplary embodimens refers o he accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in differen drawings idenify he same or similar elemens. The following deailed descripion does no limi he invenion. Insead, he scope of he invenion is defined by he appended claims. The following embodimens are discussed, for simpliciy, wih regard o he erminology and srucure of presence sysems described below. However, he embodimens o be discussed nex are no limied o hese sysems bu may be applied o oher exising communicaion sysems. [0024] Reference hroughou he specificaion o "one embodimen" or "an embodimen" means ha a paricular feaure, srucure, or characerisic described in connecion wih an embodimen is included in a leas one embodimen of he presen invenion. Thus, he appearance of he phrases "in one embodimen" or "in an embodimen" in various places hroughou he specificaion are no necessarily all referring o he same embodimen. Furher, he paricular feaures, srucures or characerisics may be combined in any suiable manner in one or more embodimens. [0025] According o exemplary embodimens, a cenral updae scheduling funcion is provided wihin he clien device which synchronizes he updae raffic associaed wih clien applicaions, so ha here are relaively infrequen, bu well-used inervals when he radio is used, i.e., so ha such updae or polling raffic is less sporadic. Consider for example, an exemplary embodimen associaed wih he polling raffic in he conex of he clien device of FIG. 2. Therein, a clien device (or user equipmen) 200 is running five applicaions (Appl-App5) each of which need periodic updaes, e.g., of conen, saus, ec. These applicaions are acive a he same ime and are dependen on updaing heir sae, conen or oher daa from servers via a nework connecion. These updaes are performed by polling he server for updaed saus or new evens, and downloading corresponding daa. Thus each applicaion riggers he ransmission of a polling signal from he clien device 20 oward a respecive server [0026] In his example, he clien device 200 includes a wireless ransceiver (no shown in FIG. 2) over which o reques and/or receive such updaes, however he presen invenion is no limied o clien devices which use wireless communicaion inerfaces, bu can also be applied e.g., o hose which use wireline inerfaces o obain updaes. More deails regarding an exemplary clien device 200 are provided below wih respec o FIG. 7. [0027] In his example, each clien applicaionappl-app5 periodically requess updaes from a respecive server 202, 204, 206,208 and 210. Reques signals are ransmied wirelessly over an air inerface o a ransceiver (no shown) in he server. Responsive updaes are sen o he clien device 200 as signals over he same air inerface. More deails regarding exemplary server equipmen are provided below wih respec o FIG. 8. [0028] According o an exemplary embodimen, in order o synchronize he polling requess, each of he clien applicaions Appl-App5 subscribes o a cenral scheduling funcion, shown as he pollingtimenoificaion funcion 300 in FIG. 3, by sending a subscripion message hereo. The pollingtimenoificaion funcion 300 can, for example, be implemened as a sofware applicaion running on a processor or se of processors wihin clien device 200, e.g., he same processor(s) which also execue he clien applicaions Appl-App5. The subscripion message which is sen o he pollingtimenoificaion funcion 300 can, for example, indicae only ha he corresponding applicaion wishes o subscribe o he polling service and ha, herefore, he subscribing clien applicaion will only reques ha polling messages be sen when he subscribing clien applicaion receives permission (e.g., via a polling even signal) from he cenral scheduling funcion 300. Alernaively, he subscripion message can include oher informaion, e.g., a preferred periodiciy a which he applicaion would like o send polling requess o is corresponding server. Moreover, he subscripion aspec may be omied, e.g., polling signal conrol according o oher exemplary embodimens can be mandaory hus rendering subscripion unnecessary. [0029] As menioned above, he cenral scheduler funcion 300 can be implemened as sofware and/or hardware in he clien device 200 and, according o his exemplary embodimen, broadcass individual pollingtimenoificaion even messages a regular inervals, for example every 10 minues.

13 US 2011/ A1 Jun. 23,2011 Those skilled in he ar will appreciae ha he specific periodiciy seleced for he cenral scheduling funcion 300 o ransmi a polling even message o is subscribed clien applicaions can vary from implemenaion o implemenaion. Addiionally, he acual period used can be fixed per implemenaion, or may vary over ime per implemenaion, e.g., based on received informaion from each subscribing clien applicaion. In he laer case, he cenral scheduling funcion could selec he periodiciy based on, e.g., an average of he received preferred periodiciies received in he subscripion messages from he subscribing applicaions, a weighed average of he preferred periodiciies, he leas frequen preferred periodiciy or he mos frequen preferred periodiciy. [0030] When a subscribing applicaion receives a polling even signal or message, he noified applicaion can hen perform polling, e.g., by ransmiing a message o he clien device 200 s processor o wakeup he ransceiver (boh elemens illusraed and described below wih respec o FIG. 7) and send a polling signal over he air inerface o is respecive server, or i can wai unil he nex polling even. Using polling ime noificaions and cenral scheduling, exemplary embodimens avoid he problem of having unsynchronized evens. For example, consider he hisogram 400 in FIG. 4 in which he same five applicaions (Appl-AppS) as described above wih respec o FIG. 1 are operaing on a single clien device, excep ha in his case heir polling requess are conrolled by a cenral scheduling funcion 300. In his case, each of he five applicaions receives a polling even message a subsanially he same ime, and signals he device s processor o reques he ransmission of a polling signal o is respecive server a subsanially he same ime, resuling in synchronized polling signal ransmission. Comparing FIGS. 1 and 4, i can be seen ha many fewer radio aciviy evens occur in FIG. 4 when he polling evens are regulaed/aggregaed as compared o he case in FIG. 1 where hey are permied o occur randomly. Even if here are very frequen evens, here will no be a very high increase in power consumpion using hese exemplary embodimens, since he polling frequency does no increase. [0031] The foregoing exemplary embodimen illusraes an example of handling polling (pull) updaes. However he presen invenion is no so limied. For push noificaions, raffic aggregaion, can also be performed on he server side. [0032] As menioned above, according o an exemplary embodimen, he polltimenoificaion cener or funcion 300 noifies all subscribing applicaions abou he appropriae ime for polling. As shown in FIG. 5, afer he clien applicaions subscribe (sep 500), a polling noificaion!auhorizaion can be broadcased o all of he clien applicaions simulaneously a sep 502. Then he applicaions perform heir polling procedures/fech daa a sep 504, and he process can be repeaed, e.g., every 10 minues (sep 506). [0033] Alernaively, as shown in FIG. 6, he polling even message can be ransmied o each clien applicaion sequenially by he cenral scheduler 300. For example, afer he clien applicaions have subscribed (sep 600), he cenral scheduling funcion 300 can sar (sep 602) o send polltimenoificaions (polling messages) when he nex polling ime occurs by sending sequenial messages 604, 606, ec. o each clien applicaion auhorizing hem o sar heir polling process. This may be beneficial when, for example, here are a large number of applicaions running simulaneously on he device 200 and i is desirable o avoid a boleneck if hey should oherwise all ry o poll heir respecive servers subsanially simulaneously. The process again repeas a he deermined periodiciy a sep 608. Ye anoher alernaive, no illusraed, is an inermediae case where a pool of simul- aneous applicaion polls is made o make synchronous sequenial polls, e.g., noifying applicaions in groups raher han individually or all a once. [0034] Usage of conrolled polling mechanisms according o hese exemplary embodimens may be mandaed, e.g., each clien applicaion auomaically subscribes when i is launched, or may be opional, e.g., each user has he opion of using he cenral scheduler for a paricular applicaion or no, however i will be appreciaed ha he larges savings in erms of power and oher resources are achieved if all applicaions obey his mechanism. I may herefore be advanageous o bind his mechanism o a way of measuring and presening he nework usage, or alernaively, o he baery &cain due o nework usage of each applicaion o he user. The user can hen deec which applicaions do no behave well, and disable hese, e.g., force hem o submi o he cenral scheduler. To save even more power, he sysem can be disabled when he clien device 200 is in a sleep mode, and he cenral scheduling funcion 300 can be enabledo send polling evens only in he periods when he clien device is awake. In he Android framework, he polltimenoificaion could be realized using a broadcas Inen. [0035] According o anoher exemplary embodimen, in a browser environmen where applicaions are wrien in Java- Scrip, he polltimenoificaion service could be exposed as a global objec on which he applicaion could regiser for evens ha would be dispached when i is appropriae o poll. These evens could boh be dispached in parallel as well as in sequence (synchronously) in all acive applicaions ha have regisered for he evens. [0036] The polltimenoificaion funcion 300 can be programmed o be informed abou any oher daa ransmission/ recepion which is ongoing, e.g., from he IP sack or by direcly being informed abou he radio sae being changed o an acive sae. When deecing such an even, he polltimenoificaion funcion 300 can inform he subscribing applicaions ha i is ime o poll, even if he imer for polling has no ye expired. In his way, polling can piggy-back on oher aciviies ha awaken he radio ransceiver from a low power sleep mode ino an awakened, higher power-consuming sae. Examples of such aciviies could be he user requesing a webpage via he browser, he user saring anoher applicaion or a push-enabled applicaion receiving daa via a push channel. [0037] As menioned above, when subscribing o he poll- TimeNoificaion funcion 300, each applicaion can indicae informaion associaed wih is desired polling periodiciy, e.g., he maximum polling inerval or periodiciy wih which i would like o be updaed. The polltimenoificaion funcion 300 can hen, for example, selec a polling inerval ha is he minimum of he requesed poll inerval of all subscribing applicaions. Alernaively, a weighed mean of all he subscribing applicaions requesed poll inervals could be used as he inerval for he polltimenoificaion service polling inerval. The polltimenoificaion funcion 300 can also provide or expose a user inerface which enables he user o change he poll inerval, or he minimum allowed poll inerval, in one place for all applicaions. This can allow he user o change he rade-off beween baery saving and immediacy. A imer mainained by he polltimenoificaion funcion 300 can use a value which is esablished using any of he

14 US 2011/ A1 Jun. 23, foregoing (or oher) echniques o coun down periods beween sending polling even messages o he relevan clien applicaions. [0038] Baery drain is one of he main problems wih neworked applicaions, and wih background nework applicaions in paricular in mobile devices. On he oher hand, immediae noificaion is ofen no needed in a mobile device, since i can be hidden from view, e.g., in he user s pocke, a large par of he ime, and herefore immediae presence noificaions are no as useful as hey are on a deskop PC. Exemplary embodimens provide a means o reduce he back- ground baery consumpion by coordinaing oherwise sporadic poll raffic o occur in concenraed periods, raher han as random evens. Power savings in wireless devices occur by, for example, by reducing he overhead of seing up he radio connecion muliple imes, and saying in an acive radio sae for a while afer each connecion aciviy. [0039] To provide an incenive o use hese exemplary embodimens, a monior, can be provided e.g., displayed on a display of he clien device 20, which shows he baery drain of he nework aciviies of all applicaions. This may ake ino accoun he coordinaion effecs of using one common radio esablishmen inerval for muliple applicaions. [0040] An exemplary clien device 200 can be a mobile device such as he exemplary mobile compuing arrangemen 700 shown in FIG. 7 which may include a processing/conrol uni 702, such as a microprocessor, reduced insrucion se compuer (RISC), or oher cenral processing module. The processing uni 702 need no be a single device, and may include one or more processors. For example, he processing uni 702 may include a maser processor and associaed slave processors coupled o communicae wih he maser processor. [0041] The processing uni 702 may conrol he basic funcions of he mobile erminal as dicaed by programs available in he sorage/memory 704. Thus, he processing uni 702 may execue he funcions described above wih respec o FIGS. 2-6 o run muliple clien applicaions simulaneously and coordinae communicaions associaed wih updaing hose clien applicaions. More paricularly, he sorage/ memory 704 may include an operaing sysem and program modules for carrying ou funcions and applicaions on he mobile erminal. For example, he program sorage may include one or more of read-only memory (ROM), flash ROM, programmable and/or erasable ROM, random access memory (RAM), subscriber inerface module (SIM), wireless inerface module (WIM), smar card, or oher removable memory device, ec. The program modules and associaed feaures may also be ransmied o he mobile compuing arrangemen 700 via daa signals, such as being downloaded elecronically via a nework, such as he Inerne. [0042] One of he programs ha may be sored in he sorage/memory 704 is a specific program 706. As previously described, he specific program 706 may be a clien applicaion which ineracs wih a respecive server o obain updaes, and which can coordinae wih a cenral scheduling funcion o deermine when i can iniiae an updaing process (e.g., polling). The specific program 706 can also represen he cenral scheduling funcion iself. The program 706 and associaed feaures may be implemened in sofware and/or firmware operable by way of he processor 702. The program sorage/memory 704 may also be used o sore daa 708, such as he various auhenicaion rules, or oher daa associaed wih he presen exemplary embodimens. In one exemplary embodimen, he programs 706 and daa 708 are sored in non-volaile elecrically-erasable, programmable ROM (EE- PROM), flash ROM, ec. so ha he informaion is no los upon power down of he mobile erminal 700. [0043] The processor 702 may also be coupled o user inerface 710 elemens associaed wih he mobile erminal. The user inerface 710 of he mobile erminal may include, for example, a display 712 such as a liquid crysal display, a keypad 714, speaker 716, and a microphone 718. These and oher user inerface componens are coupled o he processor 702 as is known in he ar. The keypad 714 may include alpha-numeric keys for performing a variey of funcions, including dialing numbers and execuing operaions assigned o one or more keys. Alernaively, oher user inerface mechanisms may be employed, such as voice commands, swiches, ouchpadiscreen, graphical user inerface using a poining device, rackball, joysick, or any oher user inerface mechanism. [0044] The mobile compuing arrangemen 700 may also include a digial signal processor (DSP) 720. The DSP 720 may perform a variey of funcions, including analog-o-digi- al (A!D) conversion, digial-o-analog (D/A) conversion, speech coding/decoding, encrypion!decrypion, error deecion and correcion, bi sream ranslaion, filering, ec. The ransceiver 722, generally coupled o an anenna 724, may ransmi and receive he radio signals associaed wih a wireless device. [0045] The mobile compuing arrangemen 700 of FIG. 7 is provided as a represenaive example of a compuing environmen in which he principles of he presen exemplary embodimens may be applied. From he descripion provided herein, hose skilled in he ar will appreciae ha he presen invenion is equally applicable in a variey of oher currenly known and fuure mobile and fixed compuing environmens. For example, he specific applicaion 706 and associaed feaures, and daa 708, may be sored in a variey of manners, may be operable on a variey of processing devices, and may be operable in mobile devices having addiional, fewer, or differen supporing circuiry and user inerface mechanisms. I is noed ha he principles of he presen exemplary embodimens are equally applicable o non-mobile erminals, i.e., landline compuing sysems. [0046] An example of a represenaive compuing sysem capable of carrying ou operaions in accordance wih, for example, he servers of he exemplary embodimens is illus- raed in FIG. 8. Hardware, firmware, sofware or a combinaion hereof may be used o perform he various seps and operaions described herein. The compuing srucure 800 of FIG. 8 is an exemplary compuing srucure ha may be used in connecion wih such a sysem. [0047] The exemplary compuing arrangemen 800 suiable for performing he aciviies described in he exemplary embodimens may include server 801, which may correspond o any of servers shown in FIG. 2. Such a server 801 may include a cenral processor (CPU) 802 coupled o a random access memory (RAM) 804 and o a read-only memory (ROM) 806. The ROM 806 may also be oher ypes o f sorage media o sore programs, such as programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), ec. The processor 802 may communicae wih oher inernal and exernal compo- nens hrough inpu/oupu (I/O) circuiry 808 and bussing 810, o provide conrol signals and he like. The processor 802 carries ou a variey of funcions as is known in he ar, as dicaed by sofware and/or firmware insrucions.

15 US 2011/ A1 Jun. 23,2011 [0048] The server 801 may also include one or more daa sorage devices, including hard and floppy disk drives 812, CD-ROM drives 814, and oher hardware capable of reading and/or soring informaion such as DVD, ec. In one embodi- men, sofware for carrying ou he above discussed seps, e.g., receiving polling signals and ransmiing corresponding updaes, may be sored and disribued on a CD-ROM 816, diskee 818 or oher form of media capable of porably sor- ing informaion. These sorage media may be insered ino, and read by, devices such as he CD-ROM drive 814, he disk drive 812, ec. The server 801 may be coupled o a display 820, which may be any ype of known display or presenaion screen, such as LCD displays, plasma display, cahode ray ubes (CRT), ec. A user inpu inerface 822 is provided, including one or more user inerface mechanisms such as a mouse, keyboard, microphone, ouch pad, ouch screen, voice-recogniion sysem, ec. [0049] The server 801 may be coupled o oher compuing devices, such as he landline and/or wireless erminals and associaed wacher applicaions, via a nework. The server may be par of a larger nework configuraion as in a global area nework (GAN) such as he Inerne 828, which allows ulimae connecion o he various landline and/or mobile, clien devices such as ha illusraed in FIG. 7. [0050] Alhough he feaures and elemens of he presen exemplary embodimens are described in he embodimens in paricular combinaions, each feaure or elemen can be used alone wihou he oher feaures and elemens of he embodi- mens or in various combinaions wih or wihou oher feaures and elemens disclosed herein. The mehods or flow chars provided in he presen applicaion may be imple- mened in a compuer program, sofware, or firmware angi- bly embodied in a compuer-readable sorage medium for execuion by a general purpose compuer or a processor. For example, according o an exemplary embodimen, a mehod for polling servers from a clien device includes he seps illusraed in FIG. 9. Therein, a sep 900, a polling even message is received a muliple applicaions which are running simulaneously on he clien device. In response o he polling even, a pluraliy of polling signals are ransmied from he clien device, which polling signals are associaed wih he muliple applicaions ha received he polling even message, as shown by sep 902. [0051] According o anoher exemplary embodimen, and as described above, a scheduler operaes o rigger muliple applicaions in a synchronized (or oherwise ime-opimized) manner o perform nework access (e.g., via he Inerne) in order o reduce, for example, he oal ime of radio access and or he oal number of imes ha a radio is urned on. The nework connecion can, for example, include a nework connecion which is used o poll a server for new, available daa and hen o download ha daa. Alernaively, he nework connecion can be used o upload conen or synchronize conen wih a server, or anoher nework eniy. [0052] The above-described exemplary embodimens are inended o be illusraive in all respecs, raher han resricive, of he presen invenion. All such variaions and modificaions are considered o be wihin he scope and spiri of he presen invenion as defined by he following claims. No elemen, ac, or insrucion used in he descripion of he presen applicaion should be consrued as criical or essenial o he invenion unless explicily described as such. Also, as used herein, he aricle "a" is inended o include one or more iems. 1. A mehod for polling servers from a device comprising: receiving, a muliple applicaions which are running simulaneously on he device, a polling even message; and ransmiing, in response o he polling even message, a pluraliy of polling signals from he device, said polling signals being associaed wih said muliple applicaions which received said polling even message. 2. The mehod of claim 1, wherein each of said polling signals requess updaed daa or evens from servers which each correspond o respecive ones of said muliple applicaions. 3. The mehod of claim 1, furher comprising: subscribing, by said muliple applicaions, o a polling signal scheduling service provided by a cenral scheduling funcion. 4. The mehod of claim 3, wherein said sep of subscribing furher comprises: sending a subscripion message, from each of said muliple applicaions o said cenral scheduling funcion which is operaing on said device, said subscripion message requesing receip of said polling even message. 5. The mehod of claim 4, wherein said subscripion message includes informaion associaed wih a periodiciy a which a respecive applicaion requess o receive said polling even message. 6. The mehod of claim 1, furher comprising: deermining a periodiciy a which o send said polling even message o said muliple applicaions. 7. The mehod of claim 5, furher comprising: deermining a periodiciy a which o send said polling even message o said muliple applicaions based upon said informaion associaed wih said periodiciy a which said respecive applicaion requess o receive said polling even message. 8. The mehod of claim 7, wherein said periodiciy is deermined based on one of: (1) an average of said periodiciy a which each of said respecive applicaions requess o receive said polling even message; (2) a weighed average of said periodiciy a which each of said respecive applicaions requess o receive said polling even message, (3) a leas frequen preferred periodiciy, and (4) a mos frequen preferred periodiciy. 9. The mehod of claim 1, wherein said device includes a wireless ransceiver, and said sep of ransmiing furher comprises: exiing, by said wireless ransceiver, a low power sleep mode; and ransmiing said polling signal for each of said muliple applicaions during a ime inerval prior o re-enering said low power sleep mode. 10. The mehod of claim 9, furher comprising: disabling a cenral scheduling funcion which generaes said polling even message when said device is in said low power sleep mode. 11. The mehod of claim 9, furher comprising: informing said cenral scheduling funcion ha said wireless ransceiver has exied said low power sleep mode; and sending said polling even message o said muliple applicaions even if a imer which deermines when o send said polling even message has no ye expired.

16 US 2011/ A1 Jun. 23, The mehod of claim 1, wherein said polling even message is broadcas o said muliple applicaions a he same ime. 13. The mehod of claim 1, wherein said polling even message is sen o each of said muliple applicaions individually. 14. The mehod of claim 1, wherein said polling even message is sen o said muliple applicaions in wo or more groups separaed in ime from one anoher. 15. A device comprising: a processor configured o simulaneously execue muliple applicaions each of which periodically receive updaes from respecive servers and o execue a cenral scheduling funcion which periodically ransmis a polling even message o said muliple applicaions; and a communicaion inerface configured o ransmi, in response o he polling even message, a pluraliy of polling signals from he device, said polling signals being associaed wih said muliple applicaions which received said polling even message. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein said muliple applicaions are configured o subscribe o said cenral scheduling funcion by sending a subscripion message, from each of said muliple applicaions o said cenral scheduling funcion which is operaing on said device, wherein said subscripion message requess receip of said polling even message. 17. The device of claim 16, wherein said subscripion message includes informaion associaed wih a periodiciy a which a respecive applicaion requess o receive said polling even message. 18. The device of claim 15, wherein said cenral scheduling funcion is furher configured o deermine a periodiciy a which o send said polling even message o said muliple applicaions. 19. The device of claim 18, wherein said cenral scheduling funcion is furher configured o deermine a periodiciy a which o send said polling even message o said muliple applicaions based upon said informaion associaed wih said periodiciy a which said respecive applicaion requess o receive said polling even message. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein said periodiciy is deermined based on one of: (1) an average of said periodiciy a which each of said respecive applicaions requess o receive said polling even message, (2) a weighed average of said periodiciy a which each of said respecive applicaions requess o receive said polling even message, (3) a leas frequen preferred periodiciy, and (4) a mos frequen preferred periodiciy. 21. The device of claim 15, wherein said communicaion inerface includes a wireless ransceiver, and said wireless ransceiver is furher configured o exi a low power sleep mode, and o ransmi said polling signal for each of said muliple applicaions during a ime inerval prior o re-enering said low power sleep mode. 22. The device of claim 21, wherein said processor is furher configured o disable said cenral scheduling funcion which generaes said polling even message when said device is in said low power sleep mode. 23. The device of claim 21, wherein said processor is furher configured o inform said cenral scheduling funcion ha said wireless ransceiver has exied said low power sleep mode, and wherein said cenral scheduling funcion is furher configured o send said polling even message o said muliple applicaions even if a imer which deermines when o send said polling even message has no ye expired. 24. The device of claim 15, wherein said polling even message is broadcas o said muliple applicaions a he same ime. 25. The device of claim 15, wherein said polling even message is sen o each of said muliple applicaions individually. 26. The device of claim 15, wherein said polling even message is sen o said muliple applicaions in wo or more groups separaed in ime from one anoher. 27. The device of claim 15, furher comprising: a user inerface which enables a user of said device o conrol parameers associaed wih said cenral scheduling funcion. 28. The device of claim 27, wherein said user inerface is furher configured o display informaion regarding how conrolling polling signals associaed wih applicaions which are no currenly subscribed o said cenral scheduling funcion will impac power consumpion by said device.