Devices and Methods Using Network Load Data in Mobile Cloud Accelerator Context to Optimize Network Usage by Selectively Deferring Content Delivery

• US 20140310426A1
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Damola, Ayodele, Svanbro, Krister
• Granted Patent: US 10,785,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1489 dependent on congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call

Abstract

Network devices, servers, and modules operating within MCA capable to selectively defer delivery of non-time sensitive content are provided. A network device (315) includes a communication interface (410) configured to enable communication with a client device (310), and to receive a request for a content delivery from the client device (310). The network device also includes a processing unit (420) configured to determine whether to defer the request depending on a network load at a time when the request has been received.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to enable communication with a client device, and to receive a request for a content delivery from the client device; and

a processing unit configured to determine whether to defer the request depending on a network load at a time when the request has been received.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein:

if the processing unit has determined that the request is not deferred, the processing unit generates a first message to be sent to the client device via the communication interface, to enable the content delivery; and

if the processing unit has determined that the request is deferred, the processing unit generates a second message to be sent to the client device via the communication interface.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein the second message includes a time value indicating when to resubmit the client request.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein the time value included in the second message is an absolute time value or a time interval after the time when the request has been received at which to resubmit the request.

5. The network device of claim 2, wherein the network device is configured to operate as a cache server, further comprising a data storage unit connected to the processing unit and configured to store temporarily the content, wherein the first message includes the content.

6. The network device of claim 2, wherein the network device receives the request from another network device that stores pairs of domain names and Internet Protocol addresses, and the other network device, upon receiving the first message, enables the client to pursue the content delivery by sending, to the client, an IP address corresponding to a domain name provided by the client.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to infer the network load by comparing the time when the request has been received with daily network load data including peak hours and off-peak hours, wherein if the time when the request has been received corresponds to the peak hours, the processing unit defers the request.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the network load based on information extracted from a network load database depending on a time when the request has been received.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the network load database is a historical database storing data related to past network load.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the network load database is a near real-time database fed with current network load information by a module configured to perform network traffic analysis.

11. The network device of claim 8, further comprising:

a data storage unit configured to store the network load database.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein the network load database is stored in another network device, and the network device further comprises:

a network load database interface configured to enable communication with another network device to enable extracting the information from the network load database.

13. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the network load based on latest network load information received from a module configured to perform network traffic analysis, at a time when the request has been received.

14. The network device of claim 1, further comprising:

a billing module interface configured to enable communication with a billing module, wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate a billing report to the billing module, the billing report reflecting whether the request is deferred.

15. The network device of claim 1, wherein the client device is a mobile edge server configured to store temporarily the content, a Domain Name Server configured to store a database storing pairs of domain names and Internet Protocol addresses or a user equipment.

16. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to operate as a smart pipe controller within a mobile cloud accelerator.

17. A cache server in a mobile network, comprising:

a communication interface configured to enable communication with a client device that submits a request for a delivery of content;

a memory configured to temporarily store a content specified in the request; and

a processing unit configured to send a query to a network module as to whether to proceed with delivering the content depending on a network load,

wherein,

if a response to the query is positive, the processing unit controls the communication interface to send the content stored in the memory to the client device, and,

if the response to the query is negative, the processing unit generates a message to indicate, to the client device, that the request is deferred, and controls the communication interface to send the message to the client device.

18. A charging device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to enable communication with a network device that submits an indication that a request for a content delivery of a client device has been deferred; and

a processing unit configured to control charging a rate different from a regular rate to a client account corresponding to the request for the content delivery when the indication has been received.

19. A method performed by a network device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a content delivery from a client device in the network; and

determining whether to defer the request depending on network load when the request has been received.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending a first message to the client if the request is not deferred, the first message including information enabling the content delivery; and

sending a second message to the client if the request is deferred.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second message includes a time value indicating, to the client, when to resubmit the client request.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

comparing a time when the request has been received with daily network load data including peak hours and off-peak hours; and

deferring the request if the time corresponds to the peak hours.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining the network load based on information extracted from a network load database depending on a time when the request has been received.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a billing report reflecting that the request has been deferred.

25. A computer readable storage medium storing executable codes which, when executed on a network device including a communication interface and a processing unit, makes the network device to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request for a content delivery from a client device in the network; and

determining whether to defer the request depending on network load when the request has been received.