System and Method for Predictive Caching of Data for a Mobile Computing Device

• US 20090275346A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bauman, Amanda J., Masterson, Michael L., Carlson, Michael P., Bauman, Brian D.
• Application Number:
  US12/113,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off

Abstract

Provided is a method for providing data buffering at a wireless communication nodes. Communication nodes maintain data buffering capabilities so that a data cache related to a particular mobile computing device is forwarded among communication nodes in anticipation the movement of the mobile computing device. A decision to forward a specific data cache associated with a particular mobile computing device to a particular end relay communication node is based upon the type, history or other knowledge of the data, knowledge of communication node configuration and/or knowledge of the particular mobile computing device. Intelligent predictions of advantageous buffer forwarding are employed to transmit data caches over high-speed connections between communication nodes to mitigate data buffering issues relating to the transmission of large amounts of data over slower end links between communication nodes and end user devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for data from a mobile computing device communicatively coupled for user communication to a first end relay communication node;

generating a data cache corresponding to the request for data;

identifying a potential end relay communication node; and

transmitting the data cache to the potential end relay communication node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting when the data cache has been completely transmitted to the mobile computing device; and

deleting the data cache from the first end relay communication node and the potential end relay communication node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the potential end relay communication node is handling the user communication; and

deleting the data cache from the first end relay communication node.

4. The method of claim 1, the identifying the potential end relay communication node comprising:

determining a geographical location corresponding to the mobile computing device;

comparing the geographical location to a previously determined geographical location corresponding to the mobile computing device;

calculating future movement of the mobile computing device based upon the comparison; and

selecting the potential end relay communication node based upon the calculated future movement.

5. The method of claim 1, the identifying the potential communication node comprising:

determining a list of possible end relay communication nodes comprising any possible communication node to which the mobile computing device may be communicatively coupled for user communication; and

selecting the potential end relay communication node from the list of possible communication nodes based upon a likelihood that the mobile computing device will be communicatively coupled to the communication node for user communication.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selecting a second potential end relay communication node to which to transmit the data cache from the list of possible end relay communication nodes based upon a likelihood that the mobile computing device will be communicatively coupled to the second potential end relay communication node for user communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is a cellular telephone and the current and potential end relay communication nodes are cellular telephone towers.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a plurality of communication nodes; and

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for;

receiving a request for data from a mobile computing device communicatively coupled for user communication to first communication node, designated as a current end relay communication node, of the plurality of communication nodes;

generating a data cache corresponding to the request for data;

identifying a potential end relay communication node of the plurality of communication nodes; and

transmitting the data cache to the potential end relay communication node.

9. The system of claim 8, further the logic further comprising logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for:

detecting when the data cache has been completely transmitted to the mobile computing device; and

deleting the data cache from the current end relay communication node and the potential end relay communication node.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for:

detecting that the potential end relay communication node is handling the user communication; and

deleting the data cache from the current end relay communication node.

11. The system of claim 8, the logic for identifying the potential end relay communication node comprising logic for:

determining a geographical location corresponding to the mobile computing device;

comparing the geographical location to a previously determined geographical location corresponding to the mobile computing device;

calculating future movement of the mobile computing device based upon the comparison; and

selecting the potential end relay communication node based upon the calculated future movement.

12. The system of claim 8, the logic for identifying the potential end relay communication node comprising:

logic for determining a list of possible end relay communication nodes comprising any possible communication node to which the mobile computing device may be communicatively coupled for user communication; and

logic for selecting the potential end relay communication node from the list of possible end relay communication nodes based upon a likelihood that the mobile computing device will be communicatively coupled to the communication node for user communication.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for:

selecting a second potential end relay communication node to which to transmit the data cache from the list of possible end relay communication nodes; and

transmitting the data cache to the second potential end relay communication node.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile computing device is a cellular telephone and the current and potential end relay communication nodes are cellular telephone towers.

15. A computer programming product, comprising:

a memory;

logic, stored on the memory for execution on a processor, for receiving a request for data from a mobile computing device communicatively coupled for user communication to first communication node, designated as a current end relay communication node, of the plurality of communication nodes;

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for generating a data cache corresponding to the request for data;

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for identifying a potential end relay communication node of the plurality of communication nodes; and

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for transmitting the data cache to the potential end relay communication node.

16. The computer programming product of claim 15, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for detecting when the data cache has been completely transmitted to the mobile computing device; and

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for deleting the data cache from the current end relay communication node and the potential end relay communication node.

17. The computer programming product of claim 15, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for detecting that the potential end relay communication node is handling the user communication; and

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for deleting the data cache from the current end relay communication node.

18. The computer programming product of claim 15, the logic for identifying the potential end relay communication node comprising:

logic for determining a geographical location corresponding to the mobile computing device;

logic for comparing the geographical location to a previously determined geographical location corresponding to the mobile computing device;

logic for calculating future movement of the mobile computing device based upon the comparison; and

logic for selecting the potential end relay communication node based upon the calculated future movement.

19. The computer programming product of claim 15, the logic for identifying the potential end relay communication node comprising:

logic for determining a list of possible end relay communication nodes comprising any possible communication node to which the mobile computing device may be communicatively coupled for user communication; and

logic for selecting the potential end relay communication node from the list of possible end relay communication nodes based upon a likelihood that the mobile computing device will be communicatively coupled to the communication node for user communication.

20. The computer programming product of claim 19, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for selecting a second potential end relay communication node to which to transmit the data cache from the list of possible end relay communication nodes; and

logic, stored on the memory for execution on the processor, for transmitting the data cache to the second potential end relay communication node.