Method and device for caching in a wireless peer-to-peer network

• US 8,819,341 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sintorn, Mathias, Kronestedt, Fredric, Vikberg, Jari, Westberg, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTZ, JARED IAN
• Application Number:
  US13/079,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 711/118, 455/414.1, 370/328
• US Class Current: 711/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and entity that allow for saving of uplink bandwidth in connection with peer-to-peer sharing in a wireless communication system. A caching entity, called a reverse cache, intercepts a point-to-point connection between a mobile network user plane gateway and a wireless user equipment running a peer-to-peer application. The reverse cache caches content loaded to the peer-to-peer application and stores information indicative of the wireless user equipment to which the cached content is loaded. A request on the point-to-point connection for delivery of a first content from the wireless user equipment is intercepted by the reverse cache. When the requested first content is cached in the reverse cache along with information indicating that the requested first content has been loaded to the wireless user equipment, the reverse cache responds by delivering the requested first content, without involving the wireless user equipment.

Claims

1. An entity for caching content related to peer-to-peer sharing in a wireless communication network, wherein the entity comprises processing circuitry, interface circuitry, a receiver, a transmitter and a cache memory, wherein:

said processing circuitry and interface circuitry are configured to intercept a point-to-point connection between a gateway acting as a mobile network user plane gateway and a first wireless user equipment running a peer-to-peer application;

said cache memory is configured to cache content loaded to said peer-to-peer application and to store information indicative of the first wireless user equipment to which the cached content is loaded to associate the cached content with the first wireless user equipment;

said receiver is configured to intercept a first request on the point-to-point connection for delivery of a first content from said first wireless user equipment; and

said processing circuitry and said transmitter are configured to deliver the requested first content, without involving the first wireless user equipment, in response to when the requested first content is cached in said cache memory and said cache memory includes information indicating that the requested first content has been loaded to the first wireless user equipment;

wherein said processing circuitry and said transmitter are configured to forward said first request to the first wireless user equipment in response to when the requested first content is not cached in said cache memory or when said cache memory does not include any information indicating that the requested first content has been loaded to the first wireless user equipment,

wherein said cache memory is configured to, when said first content is transmitted on said point-to-point connection from the first wireless user equipment in response to said first request, cache said requested first content and store information indicative of the first wireless user equipment to associate the cached first content with the first wireless user equipment,

wherein said processing circuitry is configured to establish one or more GTP-U tunnels over the point-to-point connections,

wherein said processing circuitry stores pairing information in the cache memory identifying pairing associations between identifiers of a plurality of wireless user equipment that include the first wireless user equipment and a second wireless user equipment and respective identifiers of the one or more GTP-U tunnels, and

wherein said processing circuitry is configured to respond to receipt of a request by using the pairing information stored in the cache memory to determine an identifier for one of the plurality of wireless user equipments which is associated with a respective one of the one or more GTP-U tunnels.

2. The entity according to claim 1, wherein said processing circuitry and said transmitter are configured to deliver the requested first content via said point-to-point connection to said gateway.

3. The entity according to claim 1, wherein said entity is configured to cache content loaded to a plurality of different wireless user equipments by intercepting a plurality of different point-to-point connections to peer-to-peer applications running on the plurality of different wireless user equipments.

4. The entity according to claim 1, wherein:

said processing circuitry is further configured to;

determine that the second request is a request for content delivery from said first wireless user equipment, and to

identify said point-to-point connection associated with the first wireless user equipment; and

the entity is configured to operate on the second request as if it had been intercepted on the identified point-to-point connection.

5. The entity according to claim 1, wherein said gateway operates as a Gateway GPRS Support Node, a Packet Data Network Gateway or a combination of a Serving Gateway and a PDN Gateway.

6. The entity according to claim 1, wherein said entity is comprised in a radio access network node.

7. The entity according to claim 1, wherein said entity is comprised in said gateway.

8. The entity according to claim 1,

wherein said receiver is further configured to intercept a second request for content on an uplink from a second wireless user equipment;

and

wherein said processing circuitry and said transmitter are further configured to respond to the content requested by the second request not being presently cached in said cache memory by waiting to complete the second request until the content is cached in said cache memory and then delivering the content from the cache memory to the second wireless user equipment.

9. A method in a caching entity of a wireless communication network for performing caching operations related to peer-to-peer sharing, the method comprising:

intercepting a point-to-point connection between a gateway acting as a mobile network user plane gateway and a first wireless user equipment running a peer-to-peer application;

caching content loaded to said peer-to-peer application in a cache memory of the caching entity, and storing information indicative of the first wireless user equipment to which the cached content is loaded to associate the cached content with the first wireless user equipment;

intercepting a first request on the point-to-point connection for delivery of a first content from said first wireless user equipment;

delivering the requested first content, without involving the first wireless user equipment, in response to when the requested first content is cached in said cache memory and said cache memory includes information indicating that the requested first content has been loaded to the first wireless user equipment;

forwarding said first request to the first wireless user equipment in response to when the requested first content is not cached in said cache memory or when said cache memory does not include any information indicating that the requested first content has been loaded to the first wireless user equipment; and

when said first content is transmitted on said point-to-point connection from the first wireless user equipment in response to said first request, caching said requested first content in said cache memory and storing information indicative of the first wireless user equipment to associate the cached first content with the first wireless user equipment;

establishing one or more GTP-U tunnels over the point-to-point connections;

storing pairing information in the cache memory identifying pairing associations between identifiers of a plurality of wireless user equipment that include the first wireless user equipment and a second wireless user equipment and respective identifiers of the one or more GTP-U tunnels, and

responding to receipt of a request by using the pairing information stored in the cache memory to determine an identifier for one of the plurality of wireless user equipments which is associated with a respective one of the one or more GTP-U tunnels.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said delivery of the requested first content is via said point-to-point connection to said gateway.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising caching content loaded to a plurality of different wireless user equipments by intercepting a plurality of different point-to-point connections to peer-to-peer applications running on the plurality of different wireless user equipments.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the second request is a request for content delivery from said first wireless user equipment;

identifying said point-to-point connection; and

operating on the second request as if it had been intercepted on the identified point-to-point connection.

13. The method according to any of claim 9, wherein said gateway operates as a Gateway GPRS Support Node, a Packet Data Network Gateway or a combination of a Serving Gateway and a PDN Gateway.

14. The method according to any of claim 9, wherein said caching entity is comprised in a radio access network node.

15. The method according to any of claim 9, wherein said caching entity is comprised in said gateway.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

intercepting a second request for content on an uplink from a second wireless user equipment; and

responding to the content requested by the second request not being presently cached in said cache memory by waiting to complete the second request until the content is cached in said cache memory and then delivering the content from the cache memory to the second wireless user equipment.