Mobile caching and data relay vectoring systems and methods

• US 20060089157A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M., Casey, Shawn M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing mobile users with requested resources. In one such method, first and second location indicators for the mobile user are received, with each of the location indicators having a time associated therewith. The method includes calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user using the first and second location indicators, and associating the mobile vector with a first network region and a second network region. A first portion of the requested resource is sent to a first storage device in the first network region, and a second portion of the requested resource is sent to a second storage device in the second network region. The first and second resource portions are sent to the user when the user is in the first and second network regions, respectively.

Claims

1. A method of responding to a resource request of a mobile user, the method comprising:

receiving first and second location indicators for the mobile user, each of the first and second location indicators having a time associated therewith;

calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user using the first and second location indicators;

associating the mobile vector with a first network region and a second network region;

sending a first portion of the requested resource to a first storage device in the first network region;

sending a second portion of the requested resource to a second storage device in the second network region;

sending the first portion of the requested resource to the user when the user is in the first network region; and

sending the second portion of the requested resource to the user when the user is in the second network region.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the resource request is a request for a data package.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the data package is selected from group of data packages comprising a movie, a game, an email message, a file, and a music selection.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the resource request is a request for a real time delivery of a data package.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first and second location indicators each comprise a latitude, a longitude and a time stamp.

6. The method as in claim 5 wherein the first and second location indicators each further comprise an altitude.

7. The method as in claim 5 wherein at least one of the first and second location indicators comprises a direction.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first and second storage devices comprise first and second caches.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein calculating the mobile vector comprises calculating a speed and a direction of travel of the user based on the first and second location indicators and the times associated therewith.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein associating the mobile vector with the first and second network regions comprises determining a predicted path of the mobile user based at least in part on the mobile vector, and mapping the predicted path onto one or more regions of a network, the network including the first and second network regions.

11. The method as in claim 9 wherein associating the mobile vector with the first and second network regions comprises comparing the calculated mobile vector with a known prior path of the mobile user, the known prior path having at least portions thereof which pass through the first and second network regions.

12. The method as in claim 1 further comprising calculating the first and second portions of the requested resource using the mobile vector and a data rate at which the mobile user can receive data.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the calculating of the first and second portions depends at least in part on predicted first and second lengths of time the mobile user will be in the first and second network regions, respectively.

14. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first and second network regions are part of a wireless network having a plurality of regions.

15. The method as in claim 1 further comprising receiving a plurality of location indicators for the mobile user, and recalculating the mobile vector a plurality of times.

16. The method as in claim 15 further comprising updating a predicted path of the mobile user based at least in part on the recalculating of the mobile vector.

17. The method as in claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one acknowledgement from the mobile user confirming receipt thereby of the first and second portions of the requested resource.

18. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first storage device comprises a server at a fixed location.

19. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first storage device comprises a mobile storage device disposed with a second mobile user.

20. A method of responding to a resource request of a mobile user, the method comprising:

receiving first and second location indicators for the mobile user, each of the first and second location indicators having a time associated therewith;

calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user, wherein the mobile vector comprises a known mobile user position portion and a predicted mobile user position portion;

associating the mobile vector with a first network region and a second network region;

sending a first segment of the requested resource to the user when the user is in the first network region;

sending a second segment of the requested resource to a storage device in the second network region; and

sending the second segment of the requested resource to the user from the storage device when the user is in the second network region.

21. The method as in claim 20 wherein at least a portion of the second segment of the requested resource is sent to the storage device in the second network region before the mobile user is in the second network region.

22. The method as in claim 20 wherein associating the mobile vector with the first and second network regions comprises mapping the predicted mobile user position portion onto one or more regions of a network, the network including the first and second network regions.

23. The method as in claim 20 wherein the predicted mobile user position is a stationary position.

24. The method as in claim 20 wherein calculating the mobile vector comprises determining the predicted mobile user position portion by comparing the known mobile user position portion with a map.

25. The method as in claim 20 wherein calculating the mobile vector comprises determining the predicted mobile user position portion by comparing the known mobile user position portion with a known prior path of the mobile user.

26. The method as in claim 20 further comprising:

receiving at least one acknowledgement from the mobile user confirming receipt thereby of a subset of the first segment of the requested resource; and

sending a remaining subset of the first segment of the requested resource to the storage device in the second network region.

27. The method as in claim 26 further comprising sending the remaining subset of the first segment of the requested resource to the mobile user when the mobile user is in the second network region.

28. A mobile device that connects to a remote server through a wireless network, the mobile device comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory and to a Wi-Fi connection; and

a location determination device;

the memory comprising;

code for sending a resource request to the wireless network via the Wi-Fi connection;

code for providing the network a device location using the location determination device; and

code for receiving a first portion of the requested resource when the mobile device is in a first network region and for receiving a second portion of the requested resource when the mobile device is in a second network region.

29. The mobile device as in claim 28 wherein the memory further comprises code for sending at least one acknowledgment to the network confirming receipt of the requested resource.

30. A computer readable medium including computer program code for receiving a resource request of a mobile user through a wireless network, the computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving first and second location indicators for the mobile user, each of the first and second location indicators having a time associated therewith;

code for calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user using the first and second location indicators;

code for associating the mobile vector with a first network region and a second network region;

code for calculating first and second portions of the requested resource based at least in part on the mobile vector;

code for sending the first portion of the requested resource to a first storage device in the first network region for delivery to the mobile user when the user is in the first network region; and

code for sending the second portion of the requested resource to a second storage device in the second network region for delivery to the mobile user when the user is in the second network region.

31. The computer readable medium as in claim 30 wherein the code for associating the mobile vector with the first and second network regions comprises:

code for determining a predicted path of the mobile user based at least in part on the mobile vector; and

code for mapping the predicted path onto one or more regions of the network, the network including the first and second network regions.

32. The computer readable medium as in claim 30 wherein the code for calculating the first and second portions of the requested resource uses the mobile vector and a data rate at which the mobile user can receive data.

33. The computer readable medium as in claim 30 wherein the code for calculating the mobile vector calculates a known mobile user position portion of the mobile vector using at least the first and second location indicators, and calculates a predicted mobile user position portion of the mobile vector.

34. The computer readable medium as in claim 33 wherein the code for calculating the predicted mobile user position portion compares the known mobile user position portion with a map.

35. The computer readable medium as in claim 33 wherein the code for calculating the predicted mobile user position portion compares the known mobile user position portion with a known prior path of the mobile user.

36. A computer system for facilitating data transfer to a mobile user, the system comprising:

a processor coupled to a database;

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising;

code for receiving a resource request of a mobile user through a wireless network;

code for receiving first and second location indicators for the mobile user, each of the first and second location indicators having a time associated therewith;

code for calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user using the first and second location indicators;

code for associating the mobile vector with a first network region and a second network region;

code for calculating first and second portions of the requested resource based at least in part on the mobile vector;

code for sending the first portion of the requested resource to a first storage device in the first network region for delivery to the mobile user when the user is in the first network region; and

code for sending the second portion of the requested resource to a second storage device in the second network region for delivery to the mobile user when the user is in the second network region.