METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING A DATA OBJECT FROM A CONTENT SERVER TO A CLIENT DEVICE OVER A RADIO ACCESS NETWORK (RAN)

• US 20150326694A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Westberg, Lars, Eriksson, Hans, Mihly, Attila, Arvidsson, ke, Zhang, Ying, Molnr, Gbor
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• 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: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a data object from a Content Server to a client device over a Radio Access Network (RAN). A first property is determined that may affect the way in which the data object is to be transferred. A property of the data object is also determined. In response to the determined first property and the property of the data object, a characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device is amended. The data object is then provided from the Content Server to the client device. The method allows characteristics of the transfer of the data object to be changed to optimize transfer to the client device. Examples of the first property include properties in the RAN or client device instructions.

Claims

1. A method of providing a data object from a Content Server to a client device over a Radio Access Network, the method comprising, at a node:

determining a first property;

determining a property of the data object;

in response to the determined first property and the property of the data object, amending a characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device; and

providing the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined first property comprises any of a property of the Radio Access Network and an instruction received from the client device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined property of the Radio Access Network comprises any of a Radio Access Network type, an available power in a Radio Access Network cell, a downlink code-tree consumption, a measure of congestion, a Channel Quality Indicator, power consumption of sending per bit or byte over the radio path, bearer priority, and Radio Access Network cell load.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined property of the data object comprises any of a number of associated data objects, a size of the data object, a number of sources of the data object, a data object type, and a data object priority.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a property of the Content Server; and

in response to the determined property of the Content Server, further amending the characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the property of the Content Server comprises any of Content Server availability, Content Server response times, and Content Server load.

7. The method according claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a time to provide the data object to the client device; and

in the event that the estimated time exceeds a predetermined threshold time, amending the characteristic of transfer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic of a transfer of the data object is selected from any of:

amending an order in which the data object is sent relative to another data object;

re-encoding a data object to reduce its size;

selecting an alternative data object;

deleting at least a portion of content of the data object; and

cancelling the transfer of the data object.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the option of selecting an alternative data object comprises any of selecting as the alternative data object a link to the data object, selecting as the alternative data object a lower resolution version of the data object, selecting a still-image instead of a video, selecting as the alternative data object a data object having an alternative format.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining any of a property of a user subscription, a subscription policies associated with the client device, and a policy associated with the data object; and

in response to the determined property of the user subscription and subscription policies associated with the client device, further amending the characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

at the start of providing the data object to the client device, starting a timer;

in the event that the time recorded by the timer exceeds a predetermined threshold, amending a characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

20. The method according to claim 1, when operated on a vessel or vehicle.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable code which, when run from the computer readable medium by a processor at a node, causes the node to perform the method as claimed in claim 1.

12. A node for use in a communications network, the node comprising:

a first processor for determining a first property;

a second processor for determining a property of a data object to be sent from a Content Server to a client device via a Radio Access Network;

a third processor for, in response to the determined first property and the property of the data object, amending a characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device; and

the third processor for further arranging the transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

13. The node according to claim 12, wherein the determined first property comprises any of a property of the Radio Access Network and an instruction received from the client device.

14. The node according to claim 12, further comprising:

a fourth processor for determining a property of the Content Server; and

the third processor being further arranged to, in response to the determined property of the Content Server, further amend the characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

15. The node according to claim 12, further comprising:

a fifth processor for estimating a time to provide the data object to the client device; and

the third processor being further arranged to amend the characteristic of transfer in the event that the estimated time exceeds a predetermined threshold time.

16. The node according to claim 12, further comprising:

a sixth processor for determining a property of a user subscription associated with the client device; and

the third processor being further arranged to amend the characteristic of transfer in response to the determined property of the user subscription associated with the client device.

17. The node according to claim 12, further comprising a timer arranged to record a time from the start of providing the data object to the client device, wherein the third processor is arranged to, in the event that the time recorded by the timer exceeds a predetermined threshold, amend a characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device.

18. The node according to claim 12, wherein the node is selected from any of the client device, the Content Server, and a node in the Radio Access Network.

21. The node according to claim 12, when applied to a vessel or vehicle.

19. (canceled)