SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ADAPTIVE RATE CONTROL AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

• US 20160072716A1
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobophiles, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobophiles, Inc.
• Inventors: Chow, William Weiyeh, Truong, Brian Alex
• Granted Patent: US 11,570,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• 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 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

A system and method of communication traffic management on a portable communication device having a computer processor and a network connection to a computer server for transmitting or receiving data with the processor over a network is provided. The method includes: identifying, by a traffic manager application running on the processor, a first application running on the processor and delivering first data to or from the server over the network; intercepting, by the traffic manager application, electronic traffic of the first data to or from the first application or to or from the server; and controlling, by the traffic manager application, a rate of delivery of the first data to or from the first application. The system includes the portable communication device and a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the steps of the method.

Claims

1. A method of communication traffic management on a portable communication device having a computer processor and a network connection to a computer server for transmitting or receiving data with the processor over a network, the method comprising:

identifying, by a traffic manager application running on the processor, a first application running on the processor and delivering first data to or from the server over the network;

intercepting, by the traffic manager application, electronic traffic of the first data to or from the first application; and

controlling, by the traffic manager application, a rate of delivery of the first data to or from the first application or to or from the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the rate of delivery of the first data comprises throttling a present speed of the network as perceived by the first application to a first data rate less than the present speed of the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic traffic of the first data comprises data being transmitted using a secure protocol for Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the rate of delivery of the first data comprises throttling the rate of delivery of the first data to or from the server to a first data rate less than a present speed of the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic traffic of the first data comprises an adaptive bitrate stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic traffic of the first data comprises a progressive stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first application is capable of supporting a plurality of data rates having different corresponding resolutions as controlled by a manifest;

and

the controlling of the rate of delivery of the first data comprises editing the manifest to hide or remove those of the data rates that exceed a first data rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first application is capable of supporting a plurality of data rates having different corresponding resolutions;

and

the controlling of the rate of delivery of the first data comprises failing or blocking access to those of the data rates that exceed a first data rate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the traffic manager application, a second application running on the processor and delivering second data to or from the server over the network;

intercepting, by the traffic manager application, electronic traffic of the second data to or from the second application; and

controlling, by the traffic manager application, a rate of delivery of the second data to or from the second application or to or from the server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the controlling of the rates of delivery of the first and second data comprises concurrently limiting the rates of delivery of the first and second data so that the rate of delivery of the first data exceeds the rate of delivery of the second data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting of the electronic traffic comprises using an internal proxy running on the processor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting of the electronic traffic comprises using a virtual private network (VPN) interface on the processor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting of the electronic traffic comprises running a modified said first application on the processor, the modified first application being configured to request the intercepting of the electronic traffic.

14. A system for communication traffic management, the system comprising:

a portable communication device having a computer processor and a network connection to a computer server for transmitting or receiving data with the processor over a network; and

a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

identify a first application running on the processor and delivering first data to or from the server over the network;

intercept electronic traffic of the first data to or from the first application; and

control a rate of delivery of the first data to or from the first application or to or from the server.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the rate of delivery of the first data by throttling a present speed of the network as perceived by the first application to a first data rate less than the present speed of the network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the electronic traffic of the first data comprises data being transmitted using a secure protocol for Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS).

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the rate of delivery of the first data by throttling the rate of delivery of the first data to or from the server to a first data rate less than a present speed of the network.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic traffic of the first data comprises an adaptive bitrate stream.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic traffic of the first data comprises a progressive stream.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein

the first application is capable of supporting a plurality of data rates having different corresponding resolutions as controlled by a manifest;

and

the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the rate of delivery of the first data by editing the manifest to hide or remove those of the data rates that exceed a first data rate.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein

the first application is capable of supporting a plurality of data rates having different corresponding resolutions;

and

the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the rate of delivery of the first data by failing or blocking access to those of the data rates that exceed a first data rate.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

identify a second application running on the processor and delivering second data to or from the server over the network;

intercept electronic traffic of the second data to or from the second application; and

control a rate of delivery of the second data to or from the second application or to or from the server.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the rates of delivery of the first and second data by concurrently limiting the rates of delivery of the first and second data so that the rate of delivery of the first data exceeds the rate of delivery of the second data.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to intercept the electronic traffic by using an internal proxy running on the processor.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to intercept the electronic traffic by using a virtual private network (VPN) interface on the processor.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to intercept the electronic traffic by running a modified said first application on the processor, the modified first application being configured to request the intercepting of the electronic traffic.