REGULATING DATA COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A MOBILE DATA CLIENT AND A REMOTE SERVER

• US 20160112904A1
• Filed: 08/20/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saguna Networks Ltd. (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Saguna Networks Ltd. (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Frydman, Daniel Nathan, Fite, Lior
• Granted Patent: US 9,894,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1838 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications such as streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream receiver H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/40 using split connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, circuits, apparatus, systems and functionally associated computer executable code for providing connectivity between a mobile communication device communicatively coupled to an access point of a mobile communication network and a remote server. According to some embodiments, there may be provided a data buffer at or in communicative proximity with the access point and which responds to receipt of data packets from the remote server with a packet receipt acknowledgement emulating a packet receipt acknowledgment of the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A mobile data network appliance for regulating data communication between a mobile data client communicatively coupled to an access point of the mobile data network and a remote server, said network appliance comprises:

a mobile data client interface configured to communicatively couple the mobile data network appliance and the mobile data client;

a remote server interface configured to communicatively couple the network appliance and the remote server;

a buffer storage;

a controller configured to;

intercept, through the remote server link interface, TCP communications from the remote server destined for the mobile data client;

store data from the intercepted TCP communications in the buffer storage and communicate to the remote server a receipt acknowledgement for corresponding intercepted TCP communications upon storing said respective data in the buffer;

send buffered data to the mobile data client; and

clear buffered data from the buffer storage for which a receipt acknowledgment was received form the mobile data client.

2. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to emulate a TCP connection between the remote server and the mobile data client including for intercepted TCP communications.

3. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send buffered data to the mobile data client asynchronously with receipt of a corresponding TCP communication from the remote server.

4. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of communications which were successfully delivered to the mobile data client and which are associated with communications from the remote server to the mobile data client and that were intercepted by the network appliance.

5. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to store data from the intercepted TCP communications in the buffer storage, as long as the buffer storage has sufficient space available for storing the data.

6. The appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a local content source, and wherein the controller is configured to:

determine which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client;

determine if the content is available on the local content source, and if yes, obtain the content from the local content source;

communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content source to the mobile data client, and

communicate a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of content communicated from the local content source to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client.

7. The appliance according to claim 6, wherein the appliance comprises a local cache which is configured to store content on the appliance, and wherein the local cache serves as a local content source.

8. The appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a local content server interface, and wherein when the controller determines that content that is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client is available on the local content server, the controller is configured to utilize the local content server link interface to obtain the content from the local content server, and wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the content from the local content server to the mobile data client, and communicate a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of content communicated from the local content server to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client.

9. The appliance according to claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a handoff, whereby the mobile data client disconnected from the network appliance, or to detect a loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client, and in response to detecting the handoff or the loss of connection, the controller is configured to communicate towards the remote server any outstanding acknowledgment that was received from the mobile data client and which has not yet been received at the remote server.

10. The appliance according to claim 6, further comprising a core agent interface, wherein in response to a detection of a handoff, whereby the mobile data client disconnected from the network appliance, or in response to detection of a loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client, the core network interface is configured to communicate towards the remote server any outstanding acknowledgment that was received from the mobile data client and which has not yet been received at the remote server.

11. A mobile data network appliance for regulating data communication between a mobile data client communicatively coupled to an access point of the mobile data network and a remote server, said network appliance comprises:

a mobile data client interface configured to communicatively couple the mobile data network appliance and the mobile data client;

a remote server interface configured to communicatively couple the network appliance and the remote server;

a local storage resource interface configured to communicatively couple the network appliance and a local storage resource;

a core agent interface configured to communicatively couple the network appliance and a core agent; and

a controller configured to;

determine which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client, communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from a local content resource to the mobile data client, and communicate a receipt acknowledgement towards the remote server in respect of the content communicated from the local content resource to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client, and

communicate an indication towards to core agent that content associated with a certain TCP link between the remote server and the mobile data client is communicated to the mobile data client from a local content resource; and

detect a handoff of the mobile data client or loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client, and communicate an indication towards to core agent that the handoff or the loss of connection.

12. The appliance according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to emulate a TCP connection between the remote server and the mobile data client including for content delivered from the local content resource.

13. The appliance according to claim 11, wherein when the controller determines which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client, the controller is further configured to:

determine if the content is available on the local content source, and if yes, obtain the content from the local content source; and

communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content source to the mobile data client.

14. The appliance according to claim 11, further comprising the local storage resource as an integrated component.

15. A mobile data network, comprising:

a remote server;

a mobile data client communicatively coupled to an access point of the mobile data network; and

a network appliance communicatively couple to each of said remote server and mobile data client, wherein the network appliance is configured to;

intercept TCP communications from the remote server destined for the mobile data client;

temporarily store in a buffer data from intercepted TCP communications and communicate to the remote server a receipt acknowledgement for corresponding intercepted TCP communications upon locally buffering said respective data;

send locally buffered data to the mobile data client; and

clear locally buffered data upon receiving a receipt acknowledgment form the mobile data client.

16. The network according to claim 15, wherein the network appliance is configured to emulate a TCP connection between the remote server and the mobile data client including for intercepted TCP communications.

17. The network according to claim 15, wherein the network appliance is configured to send buffered data to the mobile data client asynchronously with receipt of a corresponding TCP communication from the remote server.

18. The network according to claim 15, wherein the network appliance is configured to send a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of communications which were successfully delivered to the mobile data client and which are associated with communications from the remote server to the mobile data client and that were intercepted by the network appliance.

19. The network according to claim 15, wherein the network appliance is configured to store data from the intercepted TCP communications in the buffer, as long as the buffer has sufficient space available for storing the data.

20. The network according to claim 15, further comprising a local content server, and wherein the network appliance is configured to:

determine which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client;

determine if the content is available on the local content server, and if yes, obtain the content from the local content server;

communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content server to the mobile data client, and

communicate a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of content communicated from the local content server to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client.

21. The network according to claim 15, wherein the network appliance is configured to:

determine which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client;

determine if the content is available in a local content cache of the network appliance, and if yes, obtain the content from the local content cache;

communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content cache to the mobile data client, and

communicate a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of content communicated from the local content cache to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client.

22. The network according to claim 15, further comprising a core agent communicatively coupled to the remote server and to the network appliance, and wherein the core agent is configured to:

receive an indication from the network appliance that content associated with a certain TCP link between the remote server and the mobile data client is communicated to the mobile data client from a local content resource;

intercept packets communicated by the remote server over the TCP link;

upon receiving an indication from the network appliance that a handoff or loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client has occurred, continue to send acknowledgements to the remote server up to the last acknowledgment from the mobile data client reported by the network appliance, or instruct the remote server to jump to the last acknowledgment from the mobile data client reported by the network appliance.

23. The network according to claim 22, wherein the network appliance is configured to:

determine which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client;

determine if the content is available in a local content resource of the network appliance, and if yes, obtain the content from the local content resource;

communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content resource to the mobile data client; and

communicate a receipt acknowledgement towards the remote server in respect of content communicated from the local content resource to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client.

24. The network according to claim 23, wherein the core agent is configured to intercept the receipt acknowledgments communicated from the network appliance to the remote server.

25. The network according to claim 24, wherein while the content is delivered to the mobile data client by the network appliance from a local content resource, the core agent can be configured to eliminate communications with the same content from the remote server to the mobile data client.

26. The network according to claim 24, wherein while the content is delivered to the mobile data client by the network appliance from a local content resource, the core agent can be configured to communicate towards the mobile data client token packets instead of the original full packets communicated by the remote server towards the mobile data client.

27. The network according to claim 24, wherein while the content is delivered to the mobile data client by the network appliance from a local content resource, the core agent can be configured to communicate towards the mobile data client the original full packets communicated by the remote server towards the mobile data client.

28. The network according to claim 22, wherein the core agent is located after a mobile core of the network and towards a radio access network with which the network appliance is associated.

29. A mobile data network, comprising:

a remote server;

a mobile data client communicatively coupled to an access point of the mobile data network; and

a network appliance communicatively coupled to each of said remote server and mobile data client;

a local storage resource incorporated in or communicatively coupled to the network appliance;

a core agent communicatively coupled to the remote server and to the network appliance;

wherein the network appliance is configured to;

determine which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client, communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content resource to the mobile data client, and communicate a receipt acknowledgement towards the remote server in respect of the content communicated from the local content resource to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client, and

detect a handoff or loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client, and communicate and indication in respect thereof to the core agent, and

wherein the core agent is configured to;

receive an indication from the network appliance that content associated with a certain TCP link between the remote server and the mobile data client is communicated to the mobile data client from a local content resource, and

upon receiving the handoff or loss of connection indication with regard to the mobile data client has occurred, continue to send acknowledgements to the remote server up to the last acknowledgment from the mobile data client reported by the network appliance, or instruct the remote server to jump to the last acknowledgment from the mobile data client reported by the network appliance.

30. The network according to claim 29, wherein the network appliance is configured to emulate a TCP connection between the remote server and the mobile data client including for content delivered from the local content resource.

31. The network according to claim 29, wherein when the network appliance determines which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client, the network appliance is further configured to:

determine if the content is available on the local content source, and if yes, obtain the content from the local content source; and

communicate the content or cause the content to be communicated from the local content source to the mobile data client.

32. The network according to claim 29, wherein the local storage resource is implemented as an integrated component.

33. A method of regulating data communication between a mobile data client communicatively coupled to an access point of a mobile data network and a remote server, comprising:

utilizing a network appliance communicatively coupled to remote server and mobile data client to intercept TCP communications from the remote server destined for the mobile data client;

buffering, locally on the network appliance, data from intercepted TCP communications;

communicating from the network appliance to the remote server a receipt acknowledgement for the intercepted TCP communications upon storing respective data on said network appliance;

sending said locally buffered data from the network appliance to the mobile data client; and

on said network appliance, clearing locally stored data for which a receipt acknowledgment was received form the mobile data client.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising emulating a TCP connection between the remote server and the mobile data client including for intercepted TCP communications.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said sending said locally buffered data from the network appliance to the mobile data client comprises sending buffered data to the mobile data client asynchronously with receipt of a corresponding TCP communication from the remote server.

36. The method according to claim 33, further comprising sending a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of communications which were successfully delivered to the mobile data client and which are associated with communications from the remote server to the mobile data client and that were intercepted by the network appliance.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein buffering comprises retaining buffered data from the intercepted TCP communications in a buffer as long as the buffer has sufficient space available for storing the data.

38. The method according to claim 33, further comprising:

determining which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client;

determining if the content is available on a local content source, and if yes, obtaining the content from the local content source;

communicating the content from the local content source to the mobile data client, and

communicating a receipt acknowledgement to the remote server in respect of content communicated from the local content source to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising:

detecting a handoff, whereby the mobile data client disconnected from the network appliance, or a loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client;

and in response to detecting the handoff or the loss of connection, communicating towards the remote server any outstanding acknowledgment that was received from the mobile data client and which has not yet been received at the remote server.

40. A method of regulating data communication between a mobile data client communicatively coupled to an access point of a mobile data network and a remote server, comprising:

utilizing a network appliance communicatively coupled to remote server and mobile data client to intercept TCP communications from the remote server destined for the mobile data client;

determining which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client;

communicating the content or causing the content to be communicated from a local content resource to the mobile data client;

communicating a receipt acknowledgement towards the remote server in respect of the content communicated from the local content resource to the mobile data client after receipt thereof was acknowledged by the mobile data client;

communicating an indication towards to core agent that content associated with a certain TCP link between the remote server and the mobile data client is communicated to the mobile data client from a local content resource; and

in response to detecting a handoff of the mobile data client or loss of connection between the network appliance and the mobile data client, communicating an indication towards to core agent that the handoff or the loss of connection.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said communicating the content or causing the content to be communicated from a local content resource to the mobile data client, further comprises emulating a TCP connection between the remote server and the mobile data client, including for content delivered from the local content resource.

42. The appliance according to claim 40, wherein determining which content is or is to be communicated by the remote server to the mobile data client further comprises determining if the content is available on a local content source, and if yes, obtaining the content from the local content source.