Content Pre-fetching and CDN Assist Methods in a Wireless Mobile Network

• US 20120191862A1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Securities Corp. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Movik Networks, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kovvali, Surya Kumar, Boyle, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

The current invention is applicable to a RAN-cache or proxy operating in a wireless mobile network that is functioning as a transparent inline device intercepting wireless mobile protocols such as UMTS, LTE, WIMAX, CDMA etc.), or a traffic off-load device connected to multiple interfaces towards the Core/Internet. The current invention identifies methods for pre-fetching content by emulating portions of a mobile client for gaining connectivity through the mobile-core network, or to use session contexts of other mobile clients in a way not to significantly effect charging and billing for the preloaded content. The pre-load decision of what to pre-load and when to pre-load may be locally derived within the RAN-cache/Proxy device, or in-coordination with a locally connected CDN (Content Delivery Network) device. Other embodiments of the current invention include the RAN-cache/Proxy providing interconnectivity from the locally connected CDN device to other CDN devices through the Mobile Core Network (SGSN/GGSN in UMTS, S-GW/P-GW in LTE etc.).

Claims

1. A method of pre-fetching content data in a wireless radio access network (RAN) for improving QOE to users, and for reducing delivery time for certain objects, wherein said RAN services a plurality of users, and wherein said RAN comprises a plurality of components, comprising:

a. inserting a device in said RAN, said device comprising a storage element, control logic and two interface modules, such that said device communicates with a first and a second component;

b. using said control logic in said device to emulate a virtual user to establish a user plane session for the said pre-fetch operations; and

c. using said control logic to act as said virtual user to request content data to be stored in said storage element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said control logic determines what content to pre-fetch and when to pre-fetch said content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-fetch operations are initiated upon receiving requests from an external device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the said virtual user data plane session to pre-fetch content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual user emulation comprises using local configuration information, and emulating, initiating and terminating client requests.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual user emulation comprises initiating a signaling connection in a control plane, and using that connection to establish a virtual user session in said data plane.

5. The method of claim 5, further comprising using said virtual user data session to provide a CDN datapath between a local CDN and an external CDN through an operator core network.

8. A method of pre-fetching content data in a wireless radio access network (RAN) for improving QOE to users, and for reducing delivery time for certain objects, wherein said RAN services a plurality of users, and wherein said RAN comprises a plurality of components, comprising:

a. inserting a device in said RAN, said device comprising a storage element, control logic and two interface modules, such that said device communicates with a first and a second component;

b. using said control logic in said device to interpret a communication from said first to said second component, so as to determine the user and the content of said communication, wherein said communication comprises a user session context; and

wherein said device identifies a user session that is served from a local cache, and

e. using said control logic to create requests for content data to be stored in a local cache, based on said identified user session.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of user sessions, wherein said device tracks the number of bytes delivered from said local cache to each of said user sessions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said device selects a user session to use to create requests based on said tracked number of bytes delivered from said cache.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of user sessions, wherein said device maintains a counter for each of said user sessions, where said counter is incremented based on the number of bytes delivered from said local cache to each of said user sessions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said counter is decremented based on the number of bytes prefetched by each user session.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said device selects a user session to use to create requests based on said counter.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of user sessions, wherein said device determines the service plan for each of said user sessions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said device selects a user session to use to create requests based on said service plan.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining the power source and remaining battery power for a user device associated with an active user session; and

selecting a user session based on said power source and remaining battery power.