Mobile application traffic optimization

• US 10,165,466 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Luna, Michael, Backholm, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US15/948,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• 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 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system with distributed proxy for reducing traffic in a wireless network satisfies data requests made by a mobile application. The system includes a mobile device having a local proxy for intercepting a data request made by the mobile application. The local proxy simulates application server responses for the mobile application on the mobile device for data requests where responses are available in the local cache. A proxy server is coupled to the mobile device and an application server to which the data request is made. The proxy server is able to communicate with the local proxy. The local proxy forwards the data request to the proxy server for transmission to the application server for a response to the data request. The proxy server queries the application server for any changes to the data request that the mobile application has previously made and notifies the local proxy of such changes.

Claims

1. A mobile device configured for reducing traffic in a wireless network, the mobile device configured to:

delay content requests made by multiple mobile applications;

align content requests using observed activity of a user of the mobile device that includes a time since a last key press and mobile device properties;

poll in accordance with the aligned content requests to satisfy content requests of at least some of the multiple mobile applications;

monitor a time that a screen of the mobile device has been idle in response to user inactivity, and, when the time that the screen of the mobile device has been idle exceeds a predetermined time period, locally adjust the mobile device by suppressing the aligned content requests from multiple mobile applications at the mobile device for a first suppression period;

transmit content requests after expiration of the first suppression period,

wherein the first suppression period is predetermined by the mobile device;

suppress subsequent content requests at the mobile device for a second suppression period, wherein the second suppression period occurs after the first suppression period and is longer than the first suppression period when user activity has not been detected during the first suppression period;

maintain a connection for receipt of a message from a remote server during the first suppression period and the second suppression period by sending a keep-alive message,

wherein the remote server is an intermediary server that provides connectivity with application servers and the message contains data from one of the application servers;

receive a message during at least one of the first suppression period and the second suppression period,

wherein receipt of the message allows for network access for satisfying content requests.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the wireless network includes at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein content requests are aligned based on mobile device parameters.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the observed activity includes user keystrokes.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the observed activity includes idle status of the screen of the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device properties include whether the mobile device is being used.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to exit the mobile device from a power saving mode when user activity is detected, wherein the power save mode is entered when the time that the screen of the mobile device has been idle exceeds the predetermined time period.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device aligns content requests made over the wireless network according to a power saving mode, wherein the mobile device is further configured to detect that the mobile device is plugged into a power source and the mobile device is further configured to exit the mobile device from the power saving mode when it is detected that the mobile device is plugged into the power source.

9. A method for optimizing traffic in a wireless network, the method comprising:

delaying content requests made by multiple mobile applications on a mobile device;

aligning content requests using observed activity of a user of the mobile device that includes a time since a last key press and mobile device properties;

polling in accordance with the aligned content requests to satisfy content requests of at least some of the multiple mobile applications;

monitoring a time that a screen of the mobile device has been idle in response to user inactivity, and, when the time that the screen of the mobile device has been idle exceeds a predetermined time period, locally adjusting the mobile device by suppressing the aligned content requests from multiple mobile applications at the mobile device for a first suppression period;

transmitting content requests after expiration of the first suppression period,

wherein the first suppression period is predetermined by the mobile device;

suppressing subsequent content requests at the mobile device for a second suppression period, wherein the second suppression period occurs after the first suppression period and is longer than the first suppression period when user activity has not been detected during the first suppression period;

maintaining a connection for receipt of a message from a remote server during the first suppression period and the second suppression period by sending a keep-alive message,

wherein the remote server is an intermediary server that provides connectivity with application servers and the message contains data from one of the application servers;

receiving a message during at least one of the first suppression period and the second suppression period,

wherein receipt of the message allows for network access for satisfying content requests.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless network includes at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein content requests are aligned based on mobile device parameters.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the observed activity includes user keystrokes.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the observed activity includes idle status of the screen of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device properties include whether the mobile device is being used.

15. The method of claim 9, further including exiting the mobile device from a power saving mode when user activity is detected, wherein the power save mode is entered when the time that the screen of the mobile device has been idle exceeds the predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein aligning content requests made over the wireless network occur in a power saving mode, further including detecting that the mobile device is plugged into a power source and exiting the mobile device from the power saving mode when it is detected that the mobile device is plugged into the power source.