Socket management for always-on data connections

1. A method in a wireless device comprising:

maintaining information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application; and

upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, registering a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising executing the maintaining and registering for each of a plurality of PDP contexts each used by at least one always-on application.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically maintaining the PDP context associated with an always-on application;

detecting when the PDP context is no longer available; and

detecting when the PDP context is again available.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each APN-port pair of an active context maintaining a respective socket identifier; and

upon the PDP context becoming unavailable, closing the socket having the respective socket identifier for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the maintaining information comprises:

when registering a new port for a given APN, adding an APN-port pair to a list of APN-port pairs; and

when de-registering a port for a given APN, removing the APN-port pair from the list.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein upon receipt of a request to register the new port for the given APN, if the PDP context is available, applying registration for the APN-port pair.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when de-registering an entire APN, closing the socket for each APN-port pair if the PDP context is available and removing each APN-port pair from the information.

8. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless device, the instructions comprising an always-on application configured to:

maintain information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application; and

upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, register a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context.

9. A wireless device comprising:

a socket layer;

an always on application;

an automatic socket manager;

the automatic socket manager being configured to maintain in an information store information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by the always-on application; and

wherein upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, the automatic socket manager registers a socket with said socket layer for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context.

10. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein:

the information store is used to maintain information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with each of a plurality of PDP (packet data protocol) contexts used by the always-on application; and

upon one of the PDP contexts becoming available after having become unavailable, the automatic socket manager registers a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context that became unavailable.

11. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the automatic socket manager is further configured to:

for each APN-port pair of an active context, maintain a respective socket identifier; and

upon the PDP context becoming unavailable, close the socket having the respective socket identifier for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context.

12. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the information is maintained by:

when registering a new port for a given APN, adding an APN-port pair to a list of APN-port pairs; and

when de-registering a port for a given APN, removing the APN-port pair from the list.

13. The wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the automatic socket manager is further configured to:

when de-registering an entire APN, closing a socket for each APN-port pair if the PDP context is available and removing each APN-port pair from the information.

14. A wireless device comprising:

a socket layer;

an always-on application configured to:

maintain information identifying each APN (access point name)-port pair associated with a PDP (packet data protocol) context used by an always-on application; and

upon the PDP context becoming available after having become unavailable, register a socket for each APN-port pair associated with the PDP context based upon the information identifying each APN -port pair associated with a PDP context.

wherein register a socket comprises register the socket with the socket layer.

15. The wireless device of claim 14 further comprising:

at least one intermittent application.

16. A method in a wireless device comprising:

for each of at least one data service used by an always-on application, maintaining information identifying each socket used by the always-on application in using the data service; and

upon one of the data services becoming available after having become unavailable, registering a new socket for each socket used by the always-on application, based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context, in using the data service.

17. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless device, the instructions comprising an always-on application configured to:

for each of at least one data service used by an always-on application, maintain information identifying each socket used by the always-on application in using the data service; and

upon one of the data services becoming available after having become unavailable, register a new socket for each socket used by the always-on application, based upon the information identifying each APN-port pair associated with a PDP context, in using the data service.

18. A wireless device configured to:

for each of at least one data service used by an always-on application, maintain information identifying each socket used by the always-on application in using the data service; and

upon one of the data services becoming available after having become unavailable, register a new socket for each socket used by the always-on application, based upon the information identifying each APN -port pair associated with a PDP context, in using the data service.