Methods and apparatus for data traffic offloading at a router
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at an offloading element, a discovery message from a gateway;
in response to the discovery message, sending, to the gateway, an offload query message including an indication that the offloading element serves data packets selected by the gateway to be offloaded;
receiving an offloading instruction message from the gateway, wherein the offloading instruction message includes an identification of the selected packets to be offloaded at the offloading element to an Internet;
inspecting a first packet to determine that an identification of the first packet matches the identification of the selected packets in the offloading instruction message;
de-capsulating the first packet;
translating a network address in the de-capsulated first packet; and
offloading the de-capsulated and network-address-translated first packet to a server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure relates to a system and method for offloading selected data traffic in logical tunnels to the Internet. The offloading provides another data path for selected data traffic that can relieve the burden on a mobile operator'"'"'s network, such as the backhaul and core networks. As the proliferation of data rich content and increasingly more capable mobile devices has continued, the amount of data communicated over mobile operator'"'"'s networks has increased. Upgrading the existing network that was designed for voice calls is not desirable or practical for many mobile operators. This disclosure provides systems and methods for offloading data to the Internet at a router to relieve congestion on the mobile operator'"'"'s network.
62 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at an offloading element, a discovery message from a gateway; in response to the discovery message, sending, to the gateway, an offload query message including an indication that the offloading element serves data packets selected by the gateway to be offloaded; receiving an offloading instruction message from the gateway, wherein the offloading instruction message includes an identification of the selected packets to be offloaded at the offloading element to an Internet; inspecting a first packet to determine that an identification of the first packet matches the identification of the selected packets in the offloading instruction message; de-capsulating the first packet; translating a network address in the de-capsulated first packet; and offloading the de-capsulated and network-address-translated first packet to a server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A router, physically separated from a gateway, comprising:
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an interface that is configured to provide communication with a base station, the gateway, and an Internet, to receive a first packet from the base station and transmit the first packet to the gateway, and further configured to receive a second packet from the gateway and transmit the second packet to the base station; a module that is configured to; receive a discovery message from the gateway, send, to the gateway, an offload query message including an indication that the router serves packets selected by the gateway to be offloaded, receive an offloading instruction message from the gateway, the offloading instruction message including an identification of the selected packets to be offloaded to the Internet, inspect the first packet to determine that an identification of the first packet matches the identification of the selected packets in the offloading instruction message, de-capsulate the first packet, translate a network address in the de-capsulated first packet, and offload the de-capsulated and network-address-translated first packet to the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 19)
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16. Logic encoded on one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution and when executed operable to cause an apparatus to:
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receive a discovery message from a gateway; send an offload query message including an indication that the apparatus serves data packets selected by the gateway to be offloaded; receive an offloading instruction message from the gateway, wherein the offloading instruction message includes an identification of the selected packets to be offloaded to an Internet; inspect a first packet to determine that an identification of the first packet matches the identification of the selected packets in the offloading instruction message; de-capsulate the first packet; translate a network address in the de-capsulated first packet; and offload the de-capsulated and network-address-translated first packet to the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 20)
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Specification