Lightweight communications protocol for reducing wireless data transactions in mobile subscriber sessions

• US 20070104125A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starent Networks Corporation (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghai, Rajat
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream

Abstract

A method and system are provided for reducing the number of wireless transactions between an application server and mobile subscribers in a wireless communications system. The communications system includes a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers communicating with network devices via the application server. Each of the mobile subscribers includes a lightweight client, and the application server includes an alias for each mobile subscriber. For each session between a mobile subscriber and a network device: the application server receives a communication from the network device intended to be processed at a client residing on the mobile subscriber in accordance with a given protocol. The system distributes the processing of the communication between the lightweight client on the mobile subscriber and the alias for the mobile subscriber on the application server to reduce the processing performed by the lightweight client and the number of wireless transactions between the mobile subscriber and the application server.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications system having a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers communicating with network devices via an application server, a method of reducing the number of wireless transactions between the application server and the mobile subscribers, the method comprising:

providing a lightweight client on each of the mobile subscribers;

providing an alias for each mobile subscriber on the application server; and

for each session between a mobile subscriber and a network device;

(a) receiving at the application server a communication from the network device intended to be processed at a client residing on the mobile subscriber in accordance with a given protocol; and

(b) distributing the processing of the communication between the lightweight client on the mobile subscriber and the alias for said mobile subscriber on the application server to reduce the processing performed by the lightweight client and the number of wireless transactions between the mobile subscriber and the application server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications system is a 3G network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said protocol is the Session Initiation Protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said protocol is the H.323 protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said network devices comprise network servers or media servers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile subscribers comprise cellular phones, personal digital assistants or mobile personal computers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a lightweight client on each of the mobile subscribers comprises downloading said lightweight client from said system on each of said mobile subscribers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said network device provides said mobile subscriber access to an application or a service in said session, said application or service comprising instant messaging, push-to-talk services, interactive gaming, music streaming, video streaming, voice conferencing, video conferencing, or Web conferencing.

9. A wireless communications system comprising:

an application server; and

a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers communicating with devices in a network via the application server;

wherein each of said mobile subscribers includes a lightweight client, and said application server includes an alias for each mobile subscriber; and

wherein for each session between a mobile subscriber and a network device;

the application server receives a communication from the network device intended to be processed at a client residing on the mobile subscriber in accordance with a given protocol; and

the processing of the communication is distributed between the lightweight client on the mobile subscriber and the alias for said mobile subscriber on the application server to reduce the processing performed by the lightweight client and the number of wireless transactions between the mobile subscriber and the application server.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the wireless communications system is a 3G network.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said protocol is the Session Initiation Protocol.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said protocol is the H.323 protocol.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said network devices comprise network servers or media servers.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said mobile subscribers comprise cellular phones, personal digital assistants or mobile personal computers.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein said lightweight client is downloaded on each of said mobile subscribers.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein said network device provides said mobile subscriber access to an application or a service in said session, said application or service comprising instant messaging, push-to-talk services, interactive gaming, music streaming, video streaming, voice conferencing, video conferencing, or Web conferencing.

17. In an application server in a wireless communications system having a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers communicating with network devices via said application server, a method of reducing the number of wireless transactions between the application server and the mobile subscribers, for each session between a mobile subscriber and a network device the method comprising:

(a) receiving at the application server a communication from the network device intended to be processed at a client residing on the mobile subscriber in accordance with a given protocol; and

(b) processing at said application server a portion of said communication using an alias for said mobile subscriber and cooperating with said mobile subscriber such that an endpoint protocol functionality is distributed between the client on the mobile subscriber and the alias for said mobile subscriber on the application server to reduce the processing performed by the mobile subscriber and the number of wireless transactions between the mobile subscriber and the application server.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the wireless communications system is a 3G network.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said protocol is the Session Initiation Protocol.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said protocol is the H.323 protocol.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said network devices comprise network servers or media servers.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein said mobile subscribers comprise cellular phones, personal digital assistants or mobile personal computers.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said network device provides said mobile subscriber access to an application or a service in said session, said application or service comprising instant messaging, push-to-talk services, interactive gaming, music streaming, video streaming, voice conferencing, video conferencing, or Web conferencing.