Systems and methods for dynamic connection paths for devices connected to computer networks

• US 10,447,590 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: White, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scott, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US14/549,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160150024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for dynamically selecting a connection path between a client device and a server. One method includes receiving, over a network at a server, a connection request from a client device; authenticating, by the server, the connection request from the client device; determining, by the server, a connection path for the authenticated client device based on the connection request; determining, by the server, whether the connection path for the authenticated client device is a new connection path based on the connection request; and storing, by the server, the connection path to a connection database in association with the authenticated client device when the connection path is determined to be new, the connection database including a plurality of connection paths between the client device and the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically selecting a connection path between a client device and a server, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network at a server, a connection request from a client device;

authenticating, by the server, the connection request from the client device, wherein the server authenticates the connection request by using a digital certificate stored on the client device, and wherein a copy of the digital certificate is stored in an authentication table;

determining, by the server, a first connection path for the authenticated client device based on the connection request, wherein the first connection path is determined based on a network congestion, wherein the network congestion includes latency and bandwidth measurements, and wherein the network congestion is determined by call-backs into a protocol stack;

establishing, by the server, a virtual tunnel between the authenticated client device and the server based on the first connection path;

determining, by the server, whether the first connection path for the authenticated client device is a new connection path based on the connection request;

storing, by the server, the first connection path to a connection database in association with the authenticated client device when the first connection path is determined to be new, the connection database including a plurality of connection paths between the client device and the server;

transferring data between the client device and the server using the first connection path; and

rerouting the transferring of data between the client device and the server using a second connection path based on determining an optimal connection path during the transferring of data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server, a web request from the authenticated client device;

retrieving, by the server, a web request response based on the web request from the authenticated client device;

determining, by the server, a return connection path from the plurality of connection paths in the connection database; and

transmitting, by the server, the web request response via the determined return connection path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the return connection path includes:

determining, by the server, whether a connection path of the plurality of connection paths is available; and

determining, by the server, the return connection path based on availability of a connection path and on criteria of the connection path.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the return connection path from the plurality of connection paths includes:

monitoring the plurality of connection paths to determine to determine a bandwidth of each connection path; and

selecting, by the server, the connection path with the highest bandwidth.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the server, a connection path for changes in the connection path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the connection request from the client device includes:

determining, by the server, whether the client device has previously connected to the server.

7. A system for dynamically selecting a connection path between a client device and a server, the system including:

a data storage device storing instructions for dynamically selecting a connection path between a client device and a server; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including;

receiving, over a network at a server, a connection request from a client device;

authenticating, by the server, the connection request from the client device, wherein the server authenticates the connection request by using a digital certificate stored on the client device, and wherein a copy of the digital certificate is stored in an authentication table;

determining, by the server, a first connection path for the authenticated client device based on the connection request, wherein the first connection path is determined based on a network congestion, wherein the network congestion includes latency and bandwidth measurements, and wherein the network congestion is determined by call-backs into a protocol stack;

establishing, by the server, a virtual tunnel between the authenticated client device and the server based on the first connection path;

determining, by the server, whether the first connection path for the authenticated client device is a new connection path based on the connection request;

storing, by the server, the first connection path to a connection database in association with the authenticated client device when the first connection path is determined to be new, the connection database including a plurality of connection paths between the client device and the server;

transferring data between the client device and the server using the first connection path; and

rerouting the transferring of data between the client device and the server using a second connection path based on determining an optimal connection path during the transferring of data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to perform the method including:

receiving, at the server, a web request from the authenticated client device;

retrieving, by the server, a web request response based on the web request from the authenticated client device;

determining, by the server, a return connection path from the plurality of connection paths in the connection database; and

transmitting, by the server, the web request response via the determined return connection path.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the return connection path includes:

determining, by the server, whether a connection path of the plurality of connection paths is available; and

determining, by the server, the return connection path based on availability of a connection path and on criteria of the connection path.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the return connection path from the plurality of connection paths includes:

monitoring the plurality of connection paths to determine to determine a bandwidth of each connection path; and

selecting, by the server, the connection path with the highest bandwidth.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to perform the method including:

monitoring, by the server, a connection path for changes in the connection path.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein authenticating the connection request from the client device includes:

determining, by the server, whether the client device has previously connected to the server.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions for dynamically selecting a connection path between a client device and a server, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

receiving, over a network at a server, a connection request from a client device;

authenticating, by the server, the connection request from the client device, wherein the server authenticates the connection request by using a digital certificate stored on the client device, and wherein a copy of the digital certificate is stored in an authentication table;

determining, by the server, a first connection path for the authenticated client device based on the connection request, wherein the first connection path is determined based on a network congestion, wherein the network congestion includes latency and bandwidth measurements, and wherein the network congestion is determined by call-backs into a protocol stack;

establishing, by the server, a virtual tunnel between the authenticated client device and the server based on the first connection path;

determining, by the server, whether the first connection path for the authenticated client device is a new connection path based on the connection request;

storing, by the server, the first connection path to a connection database in association with the authenticated client device when the first connection path is determined to be new, the connection database including a plurality of connection paths between the client device and the server;

transferring data between the client device and the server using the first connection path; and

rerouting the transferring of data between the client device and the server using a second connection path based on determining an optimal connection path during the transferring of data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further computer-executable to implement:

receiving, at the server, a web request from the authenticated client device;

retrieving, by the server, a web request response based on the web request from the authenticated client device;

determining, by the server, a return connection path from the plurality of connection paths in the connection database; and

transmitting, by the server, the web request response via the determined return connection path.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining the return connection path includes:

determining, by the server, whether a connection path of the plurality of connection paths is available; and

determining, by the server, the return connection path based on availability of a connection path and on criteria of the connection path.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further computer-executable to implement:

monitoring, by the server, a connection path for changes in the connection path.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining the return connection path from the plurality of connection paths includes:

monitoring the plurality of connection paths to determine to determine a bandwidth of each connection path; and

selecting, by the server, the connection path with the highest bandwidth.