Method and apparatus for dynamically configuring timing parameters for wireless data devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting timing parameters in a wireless data network is disclosed. A server system receives a set of timing statistics that may include a set of timing statistics measured by a wireless client and a set of timing statistics measured by a server device that services the wireless client. The timing statistics reflect the performance of the wireless network. Using the timing statistics and other timing related information such as the type of the wireless networks, the sever device determines a new set of timing parameters to be used by itself and the wireless client device or other client devices. Besides other functional values having impact on the performance of the wireless data network, the timing parameters include an ordered set of numbers that represents a back-off curve for message retransmission. The server device then transmits the new timing parameters respectively to one or more wireless client devices. After receiving the new set of timing parameters, a wireless client device may directly use the timing parameters or further process or readjust the timing parameters using local information so as to derive a set of locally optimized timing parameters for the wireless client device. This practically allows the server to dynamically control the timing and performance behaviors of all the mobile devices it communicate to an optimal degree with minimal efforts.