Content pre-fetching and CDN assist methods in a wireless mobile network

• US 8,799,480 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Securities Corp. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Movik Networks, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kovvali, Surya Kumar, Boyle, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US13/185,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

The current invention is applicable to a RAN-cache or proxy operating in a wireless mobile network that is functioning as a transparent inline device intercepting wireless mobile protocols such as UMTS, LTE, WIMAX, CDMA etc.), or a traffic off-load device connected to multiple interfaces towards the Core/Internet. The current invention identifies methods for pre-fetching content by emulating portions of a mobile client for gaining connectivity through the mobile-core network, or to use session contexts of other mobile clients in a way not to significantly effect charging and billing for the preloaded content. The pre-load decision of what to pre-load and when to pre-load may be locally derived within the RAN-cache/Proxy device, or in-coordination with a locally connected CDN (Content Delivery Network) device. Other embodiments of the current invention include the RAN-cache/Proxy providing interconnectivity from the locally connected CDN device to other CDN devices through the Mobile Core Network (SGSN/GGSN in UMTS, S-GW/P-GW in LTE etc.).

Claims

1. A method of pre-fetching content data in a wireless radio access network (RAN) for improving Quality of Experience (QOE) to users, and for reducing delivery time for certain objects, wherein said RAN services a plurality of users, comprises a plurality of user sessions and wherein said RAN comprises a plurality of components and is in communication with a Core Network, comprising:

a. inserting a device in said RAN, said device comprising a storage element, control logic and two interface modules, such that said device communicates with a first and a second component of said plurality of components;

b. using said control logic in said device to interpret a communication from said first to said second component, so as to determine the user and the content of said communication, wherein said communication comprises a user session context;

c. using said control logic to identify if said user session is being served from a local cache;

d. if said user session is being served from a local cache, using said control logic to create requests for content data not specifically requested by said user session said requests constructed so as to appear to be sent by said user session;

e. sending said data requests from said device to said Core Network; and

f. storing the content delivered by said Core Network in response to said data request in said local cache,

wherein said device maintains a counter for each of said user sessions, where each counter is incremented based on the number of bytes delivered from said local cache to a respective user session and is decremented based on the number of bytes prefetched from the Core Network to the local cache by said respective user session, and wherein said device selects a user session to use to create said data requests based on which of said counters has the greatest value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the power source and remaining battery power for a user device associated with an active user session; and

selecting a user session to use to create said data requests based on said power source and remaining battery power, so that said user session is likely to remain in the active state.

2. A method of pre-fetching content data in a wireless radio access network (RAN) for improving Quality of Experience (QOE) to users, and for reducing delivery time for certain objects, wherein said RAN services a plurality of users, comprises a plurality of user sessions and wherein said RAN comprises a plurality of components and is in communication with a Core Network, comprising:

a. inserting a device in said RAN, said device comprising a storage element, control logic and two interface modules, such that said device communicates with a first and a second component of said plurality of components;

b. using said control logic in said device to interpret a communication from said first to said second component, so as to determine the user and the content of said communication, wherein said communication comprises a user session context;

c. using said control logic to identify if said user session is being served from a local cache;

d. if said user session is being served from a local cache, using said control logic to create requests for content data not specifically requested by said user session said requests constructed so as to appear to be sent by said user session;

e. sending said data requests from said device to said Core Network; and

f. storing the content delivered by said Core Network in response to said data request in said local cache;

wherein said device determines the service plan for each of said user sessions, wherein said device selects a user session to use to create said data requests based on an amount of data included with said service plan.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the power source and remaining battery power for a user device associated with an active user session; and

selecting a user session to use to create said data requests based on said power source and remaining battery power, so that said user session is likely to remain in the active state.