Method for optimising downloading of data

• US 9,900,368 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Olrog, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Uzma
• Application Number:
  US14/390,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures

Abstract

A first node is associated with a client by a first TCP connection and associated with a second node by a second TCP connection. When downloading HTTP transferred data the first node receives from the client a request, requesting the HTTP transferred data from the second node, and initiates an interaction between the first node and the client by sending to the client a first response. The first node forwards the request to the second node, and forwards to the client a subsequent response received from the second node, and forwards to the client the HTTP transferred data at an available bit-rate, after being received from the second node. The first response is sent to the client before the subsequent response is forwarded to the client, and the available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data is determined from the interaction between the client and the first node.

Claims

1. A method in a first communication network node in a communication network for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transferred data to a client, the first communication network node being associated to the client by a first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, and the first communication network node being further associated to a second communication network node by a second TCP connection, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first communication network node, a request from the client, requesting for the HTTP transferred data from the second communication network node,

initiating an interaction between the first communication network node and the client by sending to the client a first response in response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determining an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the first communication network node and the client,

forwarding, by the first communication network node, the request to the second communication network node, and forwarding, by the first communication network node, a subsequent response to the client, received from the second communication network node in response to the forwarded request, and

forwarding to the client, by the first communication network node, the HTTP transferred data at the available bit-rate, after being received from the second communication network node,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent to the client before remaining parts of the subsequent response are forwarded to the client, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the first communication network node to determine the available bit-rate is performed until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the second communication network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interaction further comprises:

receiving one or more acknowledgements, and sending the one or more intermediate responses, each acknowledgment of the one or more acknowledgements acknowledging a successful reception of a respective of the first response or the one or more intermediate responses.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the request, each response, and each associated acknowledgement, is formatted in accordance with any of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), or HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first communication network node is a Proxy Server, and the second communication network node is a Web Server.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising an action of deciding on whether or not the first response shall be sent to the client before the subsequent response is forwarded to the client, the action of deciding being based on one or more of:

knowledge about communication properties of the first TCP connection, and knowledge about software properties at the client.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the knowledge about communication properties of the first TCP connection comprises one or more of:

type of TCP connection, heuristics based on prior determined available bit-rates for the first TCP connection, and location awareness of the client.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined available bit-rate is stored at the first communication network node.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the HTTP transferred data is communicated between the first communication network node and the client by applying a wireless communication network for the first TCP connection, the wireless communication network being implemented as one of:

Long Term Evolution (LTE);

High Speed Packet Access (HSPA); and

Groupe Special Mobile/General Packet Radio Service (GSM/GPRS).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein HTTP transferred data is communicated between the first communication network node and the client by applying a fixed communication network for the first TCP connection.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code which when run by a processor of a first communication network node causes the first communication network node to perform the method in the first communication network node for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transferred data to a client, the first communication network node being associated to the client by a first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, and the first communication network node being further associated to a second communication network node by a second TCP connection, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first communication network node, a request from the client, requesting for the HTTP transferred data from the second communication node,

initiating an interaction between the first communication network node and the client by sending to the client a first response in response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determining an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the first communication network node and the client;

forwarding, by the first communication network node, the request to the second communication network node, and forwarding, by the first communication network node, a subsequent response to the client, received from the second communication network node in response to the forwarded request, and

forwarding to the client, by the first communication network node, the HTTP transferred data at the available bit-rate, after being received from the second communication network node,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent to the client before remaining parts of the subsequent response are forwarded to the client, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the first communication network node to determine the available bit-rate is performed until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the second communication network node.

11. A method in a communication network node in a communication network for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transferred data, to a client, the communication network node being associated to the client by a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection, the method comprising:

receiving from the client a request for the HTTP transferred data;

initiating an interaction between the communication network node and the client by sending to the client a first response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determining an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the communication network node and the client,

sending to the client a subsequent response, in response to the request, and

sending the HTTP transferred data to the client at the available bit-rate,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent to the client before remaining parts of the subsequent response are sent to the client, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the communication network node to determine the available bit-rate is performed until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the communication network node.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the communication network node, when performing the interaction further performs receiving one or more acknowledgements, and sending the one or more intermediate responses, each acknowledgment of the one or more acknowledgements acknowledging a successful reception of a respective of the first response and the one or more intermediate responses.

13. A computer for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transmission Protocol (HTTP) transferred data to a client, the computer being associated to the client by a first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, and the computer being further associated to a communication network node by a second TCP connection, wherein the computer comprises a processor, a memory, a first communication unit, and a second communication unit, and wherein the memory is adapted to store instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

receive, by the communication network node, a request from the client via the first communication unit, requesting for the HTTP transferred data from the communication network node,

initiate an interaction between the computer and the client by sending to the client via the first communication unit a first response in response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determine an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the computer and the client following the first response,

forward, by the communication network node, the request to the communication network node via the second communication unit, and forward, by the communication network node, a subsequent response to the client via the first communication unit, received from the communication network node via the first communication unit in response to the request, and

forward to the client via the first communication unit, by the communication network node, the HTTP transferred data received via the first communication unit from the communication network node at the available bit-rate,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent to the client before remaining parts of the subsequent response are forwarded to the client, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the computer to determine the available bit-rate is performed until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the communication network node.

14. The computer according to claim 13, wherein the memory is further adapted to store knowledge about characteristics of the client, knowledge about characteristics of the first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, and further instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

decide that the first response shall be sent, based on one or more of;

knowledge about communication properties of the first TCP connection, and knowledge about software properties at the client.

15. The computer according to claim 14, wherein the memory is further adapted to store heuristics based on prior determined available bit-rates for the first TCP connection, and further instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to store the determined available bit-rate.

16. A proxy server comprising a computer for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transmission Protocol (HTTP) transferred data to a client, the computer being associated to the client by a first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, and the computer being further associated to a communication network node by a second TCP connection, wherein the computer comprises a processor, a memory, a first communication unit, and a second communication unit, and wherein the memory is adapted to store instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

receive, by the communication network node, a request from the client via the first communication unit, requesting for the HTTP transferred data from the communication network node,

initiate an interaction between the computer and the client by sending to the client via the first communication unit a first response in response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determine an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the computer and the client following the first response,

forward, by the communication network node, the request to the communication network node via the second communication unit, and forward, by the communication network node, a subsequent response to the client via the first communication unit, received from the communication network node via the first communication unit in response to the request, and

forward to the client via the first communication unit, by the communication network node, the HTTP transferred data received via the first communication unit from the communication network node at the available bit-rate,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent to the client before remaining parts of the subsequent response are forwarded to the client, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the computer to determine the available bit-rate is performed until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the communication network node.

17. A computer for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transmission Protocol (HTTP) transferred data to a client, the computer being associated to the client by a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, wherein the computer comprises a processor, a memory, and a communication unit, and wherein the memory is adapted to store instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

receive from the client via the communication unit a request for the HTTP transferred data,

initiate an interaction between the computer and the client by sending to the client via the communication unit a first response in response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determine an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the computer and the client following the first response,

send to the client via the communication unit, a subsequent response in response to the request, and

send the HTTP transferred data to the client via the communication unit at the available bit-rate,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent before remaining parts of the subsequent response are sent, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the computer to determine the available bit-rate is determined until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the computer.

18. A web server comprising a computer for enabling optimised downloading of HyperText Transmission Protocol (HTTP) transferred data to a client, the computer being associated to the client by a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, wherein the computer comprises a processor, a memory, and a communication unit, and wherein the memory is adapted to store instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

receive from the client via the communication unit a request for the HTTP transferred data,

initiate an interaction between the computer and the client by sending to the client via the communication unit a first response in response to the request and sending one or more intermediate responses,

determine an available bit-rate for the requested HTTP transferred data at least partly based on the interaction between the computer and the client following the first response,

send to the client via the communication unit, a subsequent response in response to the request, and

send the HTTP transferred data to the client via the communication unit at the available bit-rate,

wherein the first response, comprising a part of the subsequent response, is sent before remaining parts of the subsequent response are sent, and

wherein the interaction between the client and the computer to determine the available bit-rate is determined until the HTTP transferred data is made available by the computer.