Method and apparatus for pre-caching in a telecommunication system

• US 8,761,727 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Eriksson, Gran, Katardjiev, Vladimir, Mokrushin, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/393,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20120164974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications

Abstract

The present invention relates to file pre-caching and file retrieving in an autonomous network access module comprising a local storage, and providing network connectivity to a mobile device in a telecommunication system. The network access module comprises a local storage and provides network connectivity to a mobile device (100) within which it is comprised. A received file request to a global radio network (10) from the mobile device (100) is intercepted, where after the file is searched for among available pre-cached files, which may reside within the local storage controlled by the network access module itself, or within a local storage of a peer network access module in a local radio network 70. If the file is found within available pre-cached files, it is transparently transferred over a bus interface to the requesting mobile device. During transfer, the amount of data is measured, and the measurements are subsequently used during an accounting stage where charging related information is reported to a charging module 80 in the global radio network 10. Files may be pre-cached in a distributed storage comprised by a group of network access modules conjoined by a local radio network 70. Files allotted for pre-caching by a network operator are received and stored in network access modules but are not billed unless the files are actually consumed.

Claims

1. A method for file pre-caching and file retrieving in an autonomous network access module comprising a local storage, and providing network connectivity to a mobile device in a global radio network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a file request to the global radio network from the mobile device;

intercepting the file request;

searching for the requested file among available pre-cached files

and responding to finding the file by the further steps of,

 

enabling the mobile device to access the file,

 

measuring the amount of data transferred to the mobile device via a bus from the network access module, and

 

accounting for the amount of data transferred, to a charging module in the global radio network;

receiving a credit allowance from a charging module in the global radio network; and

estimating the file size against remaining credit allowance,

wherein the enabling step is further contingent upon the estimation that data transfer can be made within the remaining credit allowance.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving and storing in the local storage a file comprising meta data, allotted for pre-caching by an operator of the global radio network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the searching step further comprises:

searching for the requested file in the local storage.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the searching step further comprises:

searching for the file in a local storage of a peer network access module in a local radio network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the searching step further comprises:

broadcasting a file request in the local radio network; and

awaiting an availability confirmation comprising meta data from the peer network access module in the local radio network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of enabling, upon receiving an availability confirmation, further comprises the steps of:

sending a second file request to the peer network access module in the local radio network; and

receiving the requested file from the peer network access module over the local radio network.

7. A method for file pre-caching and file retrieving in an autonomous network access module comprising a local storage and providing network connectivity to a mobile device in a global radio network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing in the local storage a file comprising meta data, allotted for pre-caching by an operator of the global radio network;

receiving a broadcast file request from a peer network access module in a local radio network; and

searching for the requested file among available files in the local storage and responding to finding the file by enabling the peer network access module to access the file,

wherein the enabling step further comprises the step of sending an availability confirmation to the peer network access module, comprising meta data.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the enabling step further comprises the steps of:

awaiting a second request for the same file from the peer network access module; and

responding to reception of the second request by sending the file to the peer network access module over the local radio network.

9. A network access module comprised within a mobile device, the network access module comprising a local storage, a radio transceiver and a processing unit, connected to the mobile device via a bus interface, adapted and configured to:

receive a file request to the global radio network from the mobile device;

intercept the file request;

search for the requested file among available pre-cached files;

and respond to finding the file by;

 

enabling the mobile device to access the file,

 

measuring the amount of data transferred to the mobile device via the bus from the network access module, and

 

accounting for the amount of data transferred, to a charging module in the global radio network;

receive a credit allowance from a charging module in the global radio network;

estimate the file size against remaining credit allowance; and

enable the mobile device to access the file contingent upon estimating that data transfer can be made within the remaining credit allowance.

10. The network access module of claim 9 further adapted and configured to:

receive and store in the local storage a file comprising meta data, allotted for pre-caching by an operator of the global radio network.

11. The network access module of claim 9 further adapted and configured to:

search for the requested file in the local storage; and

respond to finding the file by enabling the mobile device to access the file.

12. The network access module of claim 11 further adapted and configured to:

broadcast a file request in a local radio network; and

await an availability confirmation comprising file size from the peer network access module in the local radio network.

13. The network access module of claim 12, wherein the enabling step, upon receiving an availability confirmation, further is adapted and configured to:

send a second file request to the peer network access module in the local radio network; and

receive the requested file from the peer network access module over the local radio network.

14. A network access module comprised within a mobile device, and comprising a local storage, a radio transceiver and a processing unit, connected to the mobile device via a bus interface, adapted and configured to:

receive and store in the local storage a file comprising file size, allotted for pre-caching by an operator of the global radio network;

receive a broadcast file request from a peer network access module in a local radio network;

search for the requested file among available files in the local storage;

respond to finding the file by enabling the peer network access module to access the file; and

send an availability confirmation to the peer network access module, comprising file meta data.

15. The network access module of claim 14 further adapted and configured to:

await a second request for the same file from the peer network access module; and

respond to receipt of the second request by sending the file including meta data to the peer network access module over the local radio network.