Patent attributes
A system and method for optimizing the use of packet-resources by releasing a hanging packet-data connection when a Mobile Station (MS) performs a power-down while involved in a dormant packet-data session. A Base Station Controller (BSC) sends a message to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) indicating that the MS has powered down. The MSC determines that the packet-data session is dormant, and sends an instruction to the BSC in a class-0 connectionless transaction to release network resources associated with the packet-data session. The BSC then sends an instruction to a Packet Control Function (PCF) to tear down the associated resources, and the packet-data connection is released by a Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) in response to the tearing down of the resources by the PCF.