Integrated web cache

• US 7,499,401 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Buddhikot, Milind M., Miller, Scott C., Salgarelli, Luca, Han, Seung-Jae, Lee, Yui-Wah, Chandranmenon, Girish P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Russell; Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US10/689,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20040087304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/443, 370/310, 455/433
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A gateway for mobile communications comprises a cache for storing network data recently downloaded from a network, a foreign agent, and a packet filter that directs requests for the network data from a mobile node to the cache. The packet filter directs the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to a home agent of the mobile node.

Claims

1. A gateway for mobile communications, comprising:

a cache for storing network data recently downloaded from a network;

a mobile IP foreign agent; and

a packet filter that directs requests for the network data from a mobile node to the cache;

the packet filter directing the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to a home agent of the mobile node, wherein the packet filter performs network layer filtering and one of the group consisting of transport layer filtering and application layer filtering.

2. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising a storage device that stores a state of the mobile node, the state of the mobile node being updated in the storage device when the mobile node moves from the proximity of the gateway to the proximity of a second gateway having a second foreign agent,

wherein the packet filter directs the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the second foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to the first foreign agent or a home agent of the mobile node, while the mobile node is in the proximity of the second gateway.

3. The gateway of claim 2, wherein the state of the mobile node in the storage device is updated in response to a message from the second gateway.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the packet filter adds at least one packet-mangling rule to a set of firewall policies associated with the mobile node.

5. The gateway of claim 4, wherein the at least one packet-mangling rule is user-specific.

6. The gateway of claim 5, wherein the gateway has at least one port for coupling directly or indirectly to an 802.11 access point.

7. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the packet filter performs multi-level filtering.

8. A gateway for mobile communications, comprising:

a cache for storing network data recently downloaded from a network;

a foreign agent;

means for directing requests for the network data from a mobile node to the cache;

means for performing network layer filtering and one of the group consisting of transport layer filtering and application layer filtering; and

means for directing the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to a home agent of the mobile node.

9. The gateway of claim 8, further comprising a storage device that stores a state of the mobile node, the state of the mobile node being updated in the storage device when the mobile node moves from the proximity of the gateway to the proximity of a second gateway having a second foreign agent,

wherein the data directing means directs the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the second foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to the first foreign agent or a home agent of the mobile node, while the mobile node is in the proximity of the second gateway.

10. The gateway of claim 9, wherein the state of the mobile node in the storage device is updated in response to a message from the second gateway.

11. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the request directing means includes a packet filter module that adds at least one packet-mangling rule to a set of firewall policies associated with the mobile node.

12. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one packet-mangling rule is user-specific.

13. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the gateway has at least one port for coupling directly or indirectly to an 802.11 access point.

14. A method for mobile worldwide web access, comprising:

caching network data recently downloaded from a network in a cache;

directing, by a packet filter, requests for the network data from a mobile node to the cache; and

directing, by a packet filter, the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of a foreign agent collocated with the cache, without forwarding the requested network data to a home agent of the mobile node, while the mobile node is proximate to the cache wherein the packet filter performs network layer filtering and one of the group consisting of transport layer filtering and application layer filtering.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing a state of the mobile node at a first gateway that includes the cache;

updating the state of the mobile node when the mobile node moves from the proximity of the first gateway to the proximity of a second gateway having a second foreign agent; and

directing the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the second foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to the first foreign agent or a home agent of the mobile node, while the mobile node is in the proximity of the second gateway.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating the state of the mobile node in response to a message from the second gateway.

17. A computer readable medium encoded with computer program code, wherein, when the code is executed by a processor, the processor performs a method for mobile communications, comprising:

caching network data recently downloaded from a network in a cache;

directing, by a packet filter, requests for the network data from a mobile node to the cache; and

directing, by a packet filter, the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of a foreign agent collocated with the cache, without forwarding the requested network data to a home agent of the mobile node, while the mobile node is proximate to the cache wherein the packet filter performs network layer filtering and one of the group consisting of transport layer filtering and application layer filtering.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

storing a state of the mobile node at a first gateway that includes the cache;

updating the state of the mobile node when the mobile node moves from the proximity of the first gateway to the proximity of a second gateway having a second foreign agent; and

directing the requested network data from the cache to the mobile node by way of the second foreign agent, without forwarding the requested network data to the first foreign agent or a home agent of the mobile node, while the mobile node is in the proximity of the second gateway.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises updating the state of the mobile node in response to a message from the second gateway.