DISTRIBUTED CACHING FOR RESOURCE AND MOBILE NETWORK TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

• US 20120151044A1
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Luna, Michael, Haines, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for distributed caching for resource and mobile network traffic management are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a distributed proxy and cache system, including, means for, detecting a first data request made by a first mobile application on a mobile device; means for, retrieving cached elements stored in a local cache on the mobile device to respond to the first data request; means for, detecting a second data request made by a second mobile application on the mobile device, and/or means for, establishing connectivity of the mobile device to the wireless network to satisfy the second data request made.

Claims

1. A method of resource management in a wireless network by caching content on a mobile device, the method, comprising:

detecting a content source, with which the mobile device interacts, as having content suitable for caching;

Storing content received from the content source as cache elements in a local cache on the mobile device;

identifying the content source to a proxy server remote from and in wireless communication with the mobile device such that the proxy server monitors the content source for new or changed data;

invaliding the cache elements in the local cache when the proxy server detects new or changed data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the proxy server monitors the content source for new or changed data at a frequency that is based on polling frequency of the content source at the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, monitoring polling requests directed to the content source from the mobile device to determine an interval between the polling requests.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, a polling schedule is generated based on the interval between the polling requests directed to the content source from the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, the polling schedule is sent to the proxy server and used by the proxy server in monitoring the content source.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, the polling schedule specifies a polling interval to be employed by the proxy server in monitoring the content source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, the proxy server transmits a message to the mobile device notifying it to invalidate the cache elements in the local cache when new or changed data is detected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, the content is determined to be suitable for caching based on a set of criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, the set of criteria indicates time criticality of the content requested from the content source.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein, the set of criteria includes, state of the mobile device indicating whether the mobile device is active or inactive.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, the set of criteria includes, network conditions.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, the set of criteria includes, radio coverage statistics.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, the set of criteria includes, time-criticality of the content received from the content server.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein, the set of criteria includes, a rate of polling requests to the content server.

10. A method of resource management in a network by caching content on a mobile device, the method, comprising:

storing content from a content server as cached elements in a local cache on the mobile device;

in response to receiving polling request to contact the content server, retrieving the cached elements from the local cache to respond to the polling request made at the mobile device such that a radio of the mobile device is not activated to service the polling request.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

invalidating the cache elements in the local cache when new or changed data is detected at the content server.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, enabling use of the radio on the mobile device to satisfy the polling request when the cache elements have been invalidated.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein, storage of the cached elements in the local cache is managed by a local proxy on the mobile device, the local proxy being able to identify the content server for which content is cached to a proxy server remote from the mobile device, wherein, the proxy server is able to establish wireless connectivity to the mobile device and communicate with the content server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, the proxy server monitors the content server for new or changed data, and notifies the local proxy to invalidate some or all of the cached elements.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein, a set of criteria is used to determine whether the content from the content server is stored in the local cache as cached elements.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising, determining whether the polling request is made in response to user interaction or programmatic refresh of an application.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein, the polling request is made by a mobile application installed on the mobile device.

23. A system for optimizing resources in a mobile network, the system, comprising:

a local proxy on a mobile device, which stores content from a host server as cached elements in a local cache;

wherein, the local proxy intercepts a polling request, made by a mobile application on the mobile device, to contact the host server for which received content is stored as cached elements,

wherein, the local proxy retrieves the cached elements from the local cache to provide a response to the mobile application which made the polling request such that a radio of the mobile device is not activated to provide the response to the mobile application.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the local proxy invalidates the cache elements in the local cache when new or changed data is detected at the content server.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the local proxy enables use of the radio on the mobile device to satisfy the polling request made by the mobile application when the cache elements have been invalidated.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising,

a proxy server coupled to the mobile device and the host server with which the mobile application interacts;

wherein, the proxy server is able to communicate with the local proxy via a protocol,

wherein, the proxy server monitors the content server for new or changed data, and notifies the local proxy to invalidate some or all of the cached elements.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein, the local proxy identifies to the proxy server that content received from the host server is being stored as cached elements in the local cache.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein, the local proxy applies a selection criteria to store the content from the host server which is requested by an application as cached elements in a local cache on the mobile device to satisfy subsequent requests made by the application.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein, the selection criteria includes how frequently content from the host server changes.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein, the selection criteria includes time-criticality of the content received from the host server.

31. A system for managing resources in a wireless network by caching content on a mobile device, the method, comprising:

means for, detecting a first data request made by a first mobile application on a mobile device;

means for, retrieving cached elements stored in a local cache on the mobile device to respond to the first data request;

means for, detecting a second data request made by a second mobile application on the mobile device,

means for, establishing connectivity of the mobile device to the wireless network to satisfy the second data request made.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein, the second mobile application is a time-critical application requesting time-critical data in the second data request.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein, the second mobile application is running in a foreground.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein, the first mobile application is running in a background.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein, the first data request is made when the mobile device is inactive.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising,

means for detecting backlight status of the mobile device,

wherein, the backlight status is used in determining that the first data request is made when the mobile device is inactive.

37. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for, detecting another data request made by the first mobile application on the mobile device;

wherein, the another data request is made in response to user interaction with the first mobile application;

means for, enabling radio to be used on the mobile device to satisfy the other data request.

38. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a method of resource management in a network by caching content on a mobile device, the method, comprising:

storing content from a content source as cached elements in a local cache on the mobile device;

in response to receiving polling request to contact the content source, retrieving the cached elements from the local cache to respond to the polling request made at the mobile device such that a radio of the mobile device is not activated to service the polling request;

invalidating the cache elements in the local cache when new or changed data is detected at the content source;

enabling use of the radio on the mobile device to satisfy the polling request when the cache elements have been invalidated.

39. A method of resource management in a wireless network by caching content on a mobile device, the method, comprising:

detecting a content source, with which the mobile device interacts, as having content suitable for caching;

storing content received from the content source as cache elements in a local cache on the mobile device;

identifying the content source to a proxy server remote from and in wireless communication with the mobile device such that the proxy server monitors the content source for new or changed data;

wherein, the proxy server monitors the content source for new or changed data at a frequency that is based on polling frequency of the content source at the mobile device;

when the proxy server detects new or changed data, determining whether the cached elements in the local cache are valid based in part on detected or inferred user behavior at the mobile device.

40. A method of resource management in a wireless network by caching content on a mobile device, the method, comprising:

detecting a content source, with which the mobile device interacts, as having content suitable for caching;

storing content received from the content source as cache elements in a local cache on the mobile device;

monitoring polling requests directed to the content source from the mobile device to identify patterns in the polling requests;

identifying the content source to a proxy server remote from and in wireless communication with the mobile device such that the proxy server monitors the content source for new or changed data;

wherein, the proxy server monitors the content source for new or changed data at a frequency that is based on polling frequency of the content source at the mobile device;

when the proxy server detects new or changed data, determining whether the cached elements in the local cache are valid based in part on the patterns in the polling requests.