LIGHT WEIGHT PROTOCOL AND AGENT IN A NETWORK COMMUNICATION

• US 20120110192A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Guang, Perras, Michelle
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using a light weight protocol (LWP) and protocol agent in a network communication system. A protocol agent receives a message in LWP from an end node. The message in LWP is directed to a destination network node that uses a network protocol that the end node is incapable of supporting, such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or other network protocols. The protocol agent determines a network protocol to map the message to, and generates a message in the determined network protocol based on the received LWP message. The protocol agent then sends the generated message to the destination network node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first message in accordance to a first network protocol from a first network node;

determining a second network protocol to map the first message to based on the content of the first message;

generating a second message in accordance to the second network protocol based on the first message; and

sending the second message to a second network node via the second network protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network protocol comprises a light weight protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network protocol comprises at least one of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocol, Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network node comprises an end node incapable of supporting the second network protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network node comprises a server that supports the second network protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third message in accordance to the first network protocol from the first network node;

determining a third network protocol to map the third message to based on the third message, the third network protocol being different from the second network protocol;

generating a fourth message in accordance to the third network protocol based on the third message; and

sending the fourth message to a third network node via the third network protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises:

a session identifier for uniquely identifying a communication session in the first network protocol;

application type information for identifying a type of communication between the first and second network nodes;

action type information; and

a message destination identifier for identifying a destination of the first message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises at least one of:

status information;

position information for identifying a starting point of a media stream;

or

data.

9. A protocol agent server comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

receive a first message using light weight protocol;

a processor configured to;

determine a second network protocol based on the first message, among a plurality of network protocols, to map the first message to; and

generate, based on the first message, a second message in accordance to the second network protocol.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the transceiver is further configured to send the second message to a second network entity via the second network protocol.

11. The server of claim 9, further comprising:

a light weight client agent for communicating with a first network node via the light weight protocol; and

at least one of;

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client agent for communicating with a network node that supports SIP protocol;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client agent for communicating with a network node that supports HTTP protocol;

or

a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) client agent for communicating with a network node that supports RTSP protocol.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the light weight protocol runs on top of UDP/TCP over IP.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the first message is received from a network end node that is incapable of generating messages using the second network protocol.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to generate, a fourth message based on a third message in accordance to the light weight protocol, and the transceiver is further configured to receive the third message in the second network protocol, and sending the fourth message to a network end node that is incapable of interpreting messages in the second network protocol.

15. The server of claim 9, wherein the first message comprises:

a session identifier for uniquely identifying a communication session in the light weight protocol;

application type information for identifying a type of communication between the first and second network nodes;

action type information; and

a message destination identifier for identifying a destination of the first message;

16. The server of claim 9, wherein the first message comprises at least one of:

status information;

position information for identifying a starting point of a media stream;

or

data.

17. The server of claim 9, wherein the first message comprises a light weight protocol indication message for pushing a message to a network node.

18. The server of claim 9, wherein the light weight protocol supports session control.

19. A network end node comprising:

a transceiver for;

sending a first message via light weight protocol to a protocol agent for mapping to a second network protocol that the network end node does not support; and

receiving second message via the light weight protocol from the protocol agent, wherein the second message was translated from a second protocol to the light weight protocol by the protocol agent; and

a processor for generating and processing the first message in accordance with the light weight protocol.

20. The network end node of claim 19, wherein the network end node is configured to:

communicate with a first network entity that supports a third network protocol via the protocol agent; and

communicate with a second network entity that supports a fourth network protocol via the protocol agent.