<SYSTEM_TASK:>
Solve the following problem using Python, implementing the functions described below, one line at a time
<END_TASK>
<USER_TASK:>
Description:
 def _run_keep_alive(self):
 """ Start a new thread timer to keep the keep_alive_function running every keep_alive seconds. """

        threading.Timer(self._keep_alive, self._run_keep_alive).start()
        _LOGGER.info("Polling the API")
        # This may or may not return something
        self._keep_alive_function()