Establishing Network Policy For Session-Unaware Mobile-Device Applications

• US 20080162704A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Cellular Corporation (Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United States Cellular Corporation (Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saxena, Narothum, Irizarry, Michael, Taglienti, Claudio Giovanni, Poplett, John Harlan
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides the benefits of negotiated network resources to session-unaware applications. When a session-unaware application runs on a mobile device, the device, knowing that the application is session-unaware, negotiates appropriate network-policy parameters for the application. The application remains unaware, but it receives the benefits of the network-policy parameter negotiation. The network-policy parameter negotiation is carried on between the mobile device and a “network policy mediator” in the network. Together, they reserve the appropriate network resources and secure the appropriate guarantees. In some embodiments, a software “shim” runs in the network-protocol stack on the mobile device. By intercepting network-access attempts sent by the session-unaware application, the shim knows to begin the network-policy parameter negotiation. In some embodiments, the mobile device downloads information about session-unaware applications from the network. This information includes a list of which network-policy parameter guarantees would be most beneficial to each application.

Claims

1. On a mobile device running in a wireless network environment, a method for the mobile device to support a session-unaware application, the method comprising:

on the mobile device, running the session-unaware application, the session-unaware application configured to transmit and to receive data over the wireless network; and

on the mobile device, outside of the session-unaware application;

retrieving information about the session-unaware application; and

requesting a session parameter over the wireless network for the session-unaware application, the requesting based, at least in part, on the information retrieved about the session-unaware application.

2. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 wherein retrieving information comprises retrieving information from a database on the mobile device.

3. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 2 wherein the database comprises default values for parameters and for session-unaware applications that may be overridden by specific values.

4. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 wherein requesting is performed by a session proxy function running on the mobile device.

5. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 wherein requesting is based, at least in part, on other applications running on the mobile device.

6. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 wherein requesting comprises negotiating a Session Initiation Protocol session.

7. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 wherein the session parameter is a quality-of-service parameter, the quality-of-service parameter selected from the group consisting of:

a minimum bandwidth requirement, a latency requirement, and a delivery reliability requirement.

8. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 further comprising:

intercepting network-access attempts from the session-unaware application.

9. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 1 further comprising:

downloading from the wireless network information about the session-unaware application.

10. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 9 wherein downloading comprises applying a technique selected from the group consisting of:

the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management Protocol and the Session Initiation Protocol subscribe/notify method.

11. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for a mobile device running in a wireless network environment to support a session-unaware application, the method comprising:

on the mobile device, running the session-unaware application, the session-unaware application configured to transmit and to receive data over the wireless network; and

on the mobile device, outside of the session-unaware application;

retrieving information about the session-unaware application; and

requesting a session parameter over the wireless network for the session-unaware application, the requesting based, at least in part, on the information retrieved about the session-unaware application.

12. A method for a network policy mediator to support a session-unaware application, the session-unaware application running on a mobile device in a wireless network environment, the session-unaware application configured to transmit and to receive data over the wireless network;

the method comprising;

receiving from the mobile device a request for a session parameter for the session-unaware application;

forwarding to a network policy arbitrator the request for a session parameter;

receiving from the network policy arbitrator a decision as to whether the request is granted or denied; and

sending to the mobile device a response to the request for a session parameter, the response based, at least in part, on the decision received from the network policy arbitrator;

wherein the network policy mediator does not receive data from the session-unaware application.

13. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 12 wherein receiving the request comprises negotiating a Session Initiation Protocol session.

14. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 12 wherein the session parameter is a quality-of-service parameter, the quality-of-service parameter selected from the group consisting of:

a minimum bandwidth requirement, a latency requirement, and a delivery reliability requirement.

15. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 12 wherein the network policy mediator and the network policy arbitrator run on the same computing device.

16. The method for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 12 wherein the response is sent to a session proxy function running on the mobile device.

17. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for a network policy mediator to support a session-unaware application, the session-unaware application running on a mobile device in a wireless network environment, the session-unaware application configured to transmit and to receive data over the wireless network;

the method comprising;

receiving from the mobile device a request for a session parameter for the session-unaware application;

forwarding to a network policy arbitrator the request for a session parameter;

receiving from the network policy arbitrator a decision as to whether the request is granted or denied; and

sending to the mobile device a response to the request for a session parameter, the response based, at least in part, on the decision received from the network policy arbitrator;

wherein the network policy mediator does not receive data from the session-unaware application.

18. A system for supporting a session-unaware application running on a mobile device in a wireless network environment, the session-unaware application configured to transmit and to receive data over the wireless network, the system comprising:

the mobile device comprising;

information about the session-unaware application; and

a session proxy function configured for requesting a session parameter over the wireless network for the session-unaware application, the requesting based, at least in part, on the information about the session-unaware application;

a network policy mediator that does not receive data from the session-unaware application, the network policy mediator configured for;

receiving from the mobile device a request for a session parameter for the session-unaware application;

forwarding to a network policy arbitrator the request for a session parameter;

receiving from the network policy arbitrator a decision as to whether the request is granted or denied; and

sending to the mobile device a response to the request for a session parameter, the response based, at least in part, on the decision received from the network policy arbitrator; and

the network policy arbitrator configured for deciding whether to grant or to deny the request.

19. The system for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 18 wherein the mobile device further comprises:

a software shim running in a wireless-network-protocol stack on the mobile device that intercepts network-access attempts from the session-unaware application.

20. The system for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 18 wherein the mobile device further comprises a database comprising the information about the session-unaware application.

21. The system for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 20 wherein the database on the mobile device further comprises default values for parameters and for session-unaware applications that may be overridden by specific values.

22. The system for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 18 wherein the session proxy function is further configured to base its request, at least in part, on other applications running on the mobile device.

23. The system for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 18 wherein the mobile device is further configured for downloading from the wireless network information about the session-unaware application.

24. The system for supporting a session-unaware application of claim 18 wherein the network policy mediator and the network policy arbitrator run on the same computing device.