Lightweight communications protocol for reducing wireless data transactions in mobile subscriber sessions

• US 8,000,699 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starent Networks LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghai, Rajat
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/270,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20070104125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/423, 370/338, 370/328, 709/201, 709/203, 709/220, 709/227, 709/230
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream

Abstract

A method and system are provided for reducing the number of wireless transactions between an application server and mobile subscribers in a wireless communications system. The communications system includes a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers communicating with network devices via the application server. Each of the mobile subscribers includes a lightweight client, and the application server includes an alias for each mobile subscriber. For each session between a mobile subscriber and a network device: the application server receives a communication from the network device intended to be processed at a client residing on the mobile subscriber in accordance with a given protocol. The system distributes the processing of the communication between the lightweight client on the mobile subscriber and the alias for the mobile subscriber on the application server to reduce the processing performed by the lightweight client and the number of wireless transactions between the mobile subscriber and the application server.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications system mobile subscribers wirelessly communicate through application servers for resources from network devices using communication sessions, a method comprising:

receiving, at the application server, a communication from the network device intended for a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client residing on the mobile subscriber;

processing, at a subscriber alias on the application server, the communication intended for the SIP client residing on the mobile subscriber, where the subscriber alias on the application server performs SIP client functionalities of the mobile subscriber on the application server;

sending a wireless communication from the subscriber alias to a lightweight client regarding the processing of one or more communications at the subscriber alias; and

receiving, at the subscriber alias, a wireless communication from the lightweight client with control instructions for performing SIP functionalities that are distributed to the subscriber alias.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications system is a 3G network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functionality of the mobile subscriber is distributed between the lightweight client and the subscriber alias forms a SIP endpoint to the network devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said network devices comprise network servers or media servers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile subscribers comprise cellular phones, personal digital assistants or mobile personal computers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading said lightweight client from said system on each of said mobile subscribers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said network device provides said mobile subscriber access to an application or a service in said session, said application or service comprising instant messaging, push-to-talk services, interactive gaming, music streaming, video streaming, voice conferencing, video conferencing, or Web conferencing.

8. A wireless communications system for communicating with a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers, where at least one of said mobile subscribers includes a lightweight client, and for communicating with network devices, wherein communication sessions are formed between mobile subscribers and network devices, the system comprising:

an application server including;

an interface on the application server for communicating with a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers and an interface for communicating with devices in the network;

said application server including a subscriber alias for each lightweight client, wherein the subscriber alias includes Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functionality of the mobile subscriber on the application server; and

wherein for a session between a mobile subscriber and a network device;

the application server receives a communication from the network device intended for a client residing on the mobile subscriber;

the subscriber alias processes at least one of the communications intended for the client and sends a wireless communication to the lightweight client; and

the subscriber alias receives a wireless communication from the lightweight client with control instructions for performing SIP functionalities that are distributed to the subscriber alias.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the wireless communications system is a 3G network.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functionality of each mobile subscriber is distributed between the lightweight client and the subscriber alias forming a SIP endpoint to the network devices.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said network devices comprise network servers or media servers.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said mobile subscribers comprise cellular phones, personal digital assistants or mobile personal computers.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said lightweight client is downloaded on the at least one of said mobile subscribers.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said network device provides said mobile subscriber access to an application or a service in said session, said application or service comprising instant messaging, push-to-talk services, interactive gaming, music streaming, video streaming, voice conferencing, video conferencing, or Web conferencing.

15. Logic encoded on one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive, at a application server, a communication from a network device intended for a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client residing on a mobile subscriber in communication with the application server;

process, at a subscriber alias on the application server, the communication intended for the SIP client residing on the mobile subscriber, where the subscriber alias on the application server performs SIP client functionalities of the mobile subscriber on the application server;

send a wireless communication from the subscriber alias to a lightweight client regarding the processing of one or more communications at the subscriber alias; and

receive, at the subscriber alias, a wireless communication from the lightweight client with control instructions for performing SIP functionalities that are distributed to the subscriber alias.

16. The logic of claim 15 wherein the wireless communications system is a 3G network.

17. The logic of claim 15 wherein Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functionality of each mobile subscriber is distributed between a lightweight client and the alias.

18. The logic of claim 15 wherein said network devices comprise network servers or media servers.

19. The logic of claim 15 wherein said mobile subscribers comprise cellular phones, personal digital assistants or mobile personal computers.

20. The logic of claim 15 wherein said network device provides said mobile subscriber access to an application or a service in said session, said application or service comprising instant messaging, push-to-talk services, interactive gaming, music streaming, video streaming, voice conferencing, video conferencing, or Web conferencing.