Light weight protocol and agent in a network communication

• US 9,584,630 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Guang, Perras, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Thieu, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US13/095,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/230, 709/246, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using a light weight protocol (LWP) and protocol agent in a network communication system. A protocol agent receives a message in LWP from an end node. The message in LWP is directed to a destination network node that uses a network protocol that the end node is incapable of supporting, such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or other network protocols. The protocol agent determines a network protocol to map the message to, and generates a message in the determined network protocol based on the received LWP message. The protocol agent then sends the generated message to the destination network node.

Claims

1. A method for a network-side protocol agent to facilitate communication between network nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a first message in accordance to a first network protocol from a first network node, wherein the first network protocol is configured to facilitate a plurality of communication types comprising media streaming, downloading, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP), and the first message comprises;

application type information for identifying a communication type between the first network node and a second network node,

a session identifier for uniquely identifying a communication session in the first network protocol,

action type information,

a message destination identifier for identifying a destination of the first message, and

at least one of status information, position information for identifying a starting point of a media stream or data;

establishing a communication session with the first network node;

communicating with the second network node on behalf of the first network node in accordance to a second network protocol;

forwarding data from the second network node to the first network node via the communication session with the first network node in accordance to the first network protocol;

receiving a second message in accordance to the first network protocol from the first network node;

determining a third network protocol to map the second message to based on an application type information indicated in the second message, the third network protocol being different from the second network protocol;

generating a third message in accordance to the third network protocol based on the second message; and

sending the third message to a third network node via the third network protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network protocol comprises a light weight protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network protocol comprises at least one of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocol, Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) protocol, or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network node comprises an end node incapable of supporting the second network protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a fourth message to the second network node in accordance with the second network protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the third network protocol to map the second message to is determined based on a destination network node information indicated in the second message.

7. A network-side protocol agent server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored instructions that when executed by the processor cause the network-side protocol agent server to;

receive a first message using light weight protocol from a first network node, wherein the network-side protocol agent server is configured to facilitate a plurality of communication types comprising media streaming, downloading, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP), and the first message comprises;

application type information for identifying a communication type between the first network node and a second network node,

a session identifier for uniquely identifying a communication session in the first network protocol,

action type information,

a message destination identifier for identifying a destination of the first message, and

at least one of status information, position information for identifying a starting point of a media stream or data;

establish a communication session with the first network node using the light weight protocol based on the identified communication type;

communicate with the second network node on behalf of the first network node in accordance to a second network protocol based on the identified communication type;

forward data from the second network node to the first network node via the communication session with the first network node in accordance to the light weight protocol;

receive a second message in accordance to light weight protocol from the first network node;

determine a third network protocol to map the second message to based on an application type information indicated in the second message, the third network protocol being different from the second network protocol;

generate a third message in accordance to the third network protocol based on the second message; and

send the third message to a third network node via the third network protocol.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the memory has further stored instructions that when executed by the processor cause the network-side protocol agent server to send the second message to the second network node via the second network protocol.

9. The server of claim 7, further comprising at least one of:

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) client agent for communicating with a network node that supports SIP protocol;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client agent for communicating with a network node that supports HTTP protocol;

or

a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) client agent for communicating with a network node that supports RTSP protocol.

10. The server of claim 7, wherein the light weight protocol runs on top of UDP/TCP over IP.

11. The server of claim 7, wherein the first network node is incapable of generating messages using the second network protocol.

12. The server of claim 7, wherein the memory has further stored instructions that when executed by the processor cause the network-side protocol agent server to send a fourth message to a network end node that is incapable of interpreting messages in the second network protocol.

13. The server of claim 7, wherein the first message comprises a light weight protocol indication message for pushing a message to a network node.

14. The server of claim 7, wherein the light weight protocol supports session control.