| CPC H04L 69/16 (2013.01) | 17 Claims |

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1. A method, comprising:
at at least a portion of a first node:
communicating a first packet including a first parameter field identifying first metadata for use in determining a second duration for detecting a first type of time period, for setting up a first connection, by: sending, from the at least portion of the first node to a second node, the first packet to provide the first metadata to the second node, for use by the second node in determining the second duration for detecting the first type of time period, after sending the first packet and without any other communication between the at least portion of the first node and the second node to set up the first connection after sending the first packet, receiving, at the at least portion of the first node from the second node, a second packet, and after receiving the second packet and without any other communication between the at least portion of the first node and the second node to set up the first connection after receiving the second packet, sending, from the at least portion of the first node to the second node, a third packet; such that the first packet is communicated for enabling, based on detecting, as a function of a first duration during at least a portion of the first connection including at least a portion of the first connection set up, a first time period of the first type of time period, at least partial closure of the first connection, where a start of the first time period is detected based on at least one packet being sent or received during the at least portion of the first connection including the at least portion of the first connection set up, and the detection of the first time period of the first type of time period is a function of the first duration, by being a function of whether, during the first duration after the first time period is started, no packet is received and processed to keep the first connection active; and further such that the first packet is communicated for enabling, based on detecting, as a function of the second duration after a use of the first duration is changed to a use of the second duration, a second time period of the first type of time period, at least partial closure of the first connection, where a start of the second time period is detected based on at least one packet being sent or received after the use of the first duration is changed to the use of the second duration, and the detection of the second time period of the first type of time period is a function of the second duration, by being a function of whether, during the second duration after the second time period is started, no packet is received and processed to keep the first connection active; where during the second time period of the first type of time period, an empty packet is sent without causing a reset of a timer utilized to detect the second time period.
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