Optimizer selection in wireless networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723499-B2
Application number	US-201514804318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Network service providers often make use of traffic optimizers, in order to balance the objectives of maximizing users' quality of experience (“QoE”) with the costs of transmitting data. Certain content providers may make use of their own optimization algorithms, which may be interfered with by network providers' traffic optimizers. As described herein, a master optimization controller (“MOC”) may be able to enable or disable traffic optimizers within a network by enhancing a Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) three-way handshake procedure. The MOC may also perform traffic optimization, thus serving as the only device that performs optimization on traffic. Additionally, while traffic optimizers within a network are typically not visible to third party content providers, the MOC may perform optimization in a manner that may be visible to, and controlled by, a content provider.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the processor to:
determine a resource locator associated with a particular content provider;
identify, based on the resource locator associated with the particular content provider, a traffic flow between a user device and the particular content provider;
output, based on identifying the traffic flow between the user device and the particular content provider, an optimizer disable instruction that causes any optimizers, in a signal path between the device and the content provider, to pass through traffic associated with the traffic flow, without performing optimization on the traffic.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:
perform optimizations on the traffic, associated with the traffic flow.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:
receive information relating to one or more performance metrics of a radio access network (“RAN”) of a wireless telecommunications network, wherein the optimization is performed based on the one or more performance metrics.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is communicatively coupled to, or is integrated as part of, a base station of a wireless telecommunications network.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the resource locator, associated with the particular content provider, includes one or more Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses associated with the particular content provider,
wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to identify the traffic flow between the user device and the particular content provider, further causes the processor to:
receive a Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) synchronize (“SYN”) message from the user device;
compare a destination IP address, associated with the SYN message, to the one or more IP addresses associated with the particular content provider; and
determine, based on the comparing, that the IP address, associated with the SYN message, matches a particular IP address associated with the particular content provider.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optimizer disable instruction, instructing any optimizers, in a signal path between the device and the content provider, to pass through traffic associated with the traffic flow, includes authentication information associated with the device,
wherein a particular optimizer, in the signal path between the device and the content provider, uses the authentication information to verify that the device is authorized to instruct the particular optimizer to pass through the traffic associated with the traffic flow.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:
receive, from the particular content provider, a resource locator that points to a list of Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses associated with the particular content provider, the list being updated in a dynamic fashion; and
periodically or intermittently obtain the list of IP addresses, using the resource locator that points to the list,
wherein the resource locator, associated with the content provider, includes a particular IP address, in the list of IP addresses.

8. A method, comprising:
determining, by a network device, a resource locator associated with a particular content provider;
identifying, by the network device and based on the resource locator associated with the particular content provider, a traffic flow between a user device and the particular content provider;
outputting, by the network device and based on identifying the traffic flow between the user device and the particular content provider, an optimizer disable instruction that causes any optimizers, in a signal path between the device and the content provider, to pass through traffic associated with the traffic flow, without performing optimization on the traffic.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
performing optimizations on the traffic, associated with the traffic flow.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving information relating to one or more performance metrics of a radio access network (“RAN”) of a wireless telecommunications network, wherein the optimization is performed based on the one or more performance metrics.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the network device is communicatively coupled to, or is integrated as part of, a base station of a wireless telecommunications network.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the resource locator, associated with the particular content provider, includes one or more Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses associated with the particular content provider,
wherein identifying the traffic flow between the user device and the particular content provider, includes:
receiving a Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) synchronize (“SYN”) message from the user device;
comparing a destination IP address, associated with the SYN message, to the one or more IP addresses associated with the particular content provider; and
determining, based on the comparing, that the IP address, associated with the SYN message, matches a particular IP address associated with the particular content provider.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the optimizer disable instruction, instructing any optimizers, in a signal path between the device and the content provider, to pass through traffic associated with the traffic flow, includes authentication information associated with the device,
wherein a particular optimizer, in the signal path between the device and the content provider, uses the authentication information to verify that the device is authorized to instruct the particular optimizer to pass through the traffic associated with the traffic flow.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, from the particular content provider, a resource locator that points to a list of Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses associated with the particular content provider, the list being updated in a dynamic fashion; and
periodically or intermittently obtaining the list of IP addresses, using the resource locator that points to the list,
wherein the resource locator, associated with the content provider, includes a particular IP address, in the list of IP addresses.

15. A device, comprising:
a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the processor to:
determine a resource locator associated with a particular content provider;
identify, based on the resource locator associated with the particular content provider, a traffic flow between a user device and the particular content provider;
receive identifying information regarding a set of traffic optimizers in a signal path between the device and the particular content provider, the identifying information being included with a Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) Synchronize (“SYN”) message from the user device;
select one or more traffic optimizers, of the set of traffic optimizers, to disable for the traffic flow; and
output an optimizer disable instruction that causes the selected one or more traffic optimizer, to pass through traffic associated with the traffic flow, without perfo

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Narayanan Ram Gopal Lakshmi

Classifications

• H04W80/06

  Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless {(transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16)} · CPC title

• H04W28/0273 Primary

  adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] (wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00) · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title