Application Service Avatar for Intermittent Network Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rural areas often lack continuous electrical supply and reliable Internet connectivity due to inadequate network infrastructure, leading to intermittent network disruptions that interfere with conventional client-server applications on low-end mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an application service avatar on a local network island with an avatar server that caches content, tracks user profiles, and provides continuous connectivity to end-user devices, enabling them to access application services even during intermittent connectivity by emulating server functionalities and asynchronously communicating with application service servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional client-server architecture is used, then application services can be delivered to mobile devices, but intermittent network disruptions prevent proper operation when client cannot receive instructions from server
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a local server as an intermediary between mobile devices and remote application servers. This local server caches application code and data locally, enabling devices to execute applications even when remote server connection is unavailable. The intermediary resolves the contradiction by providing local service delivery while maintaining the ability to synchronize with remote servers when connected.
Solution Approach 2:
The local server performs preliminary actions by pre-caching application code, libraries, and data before network disruption occurs. This advance preparation ensures that applications can be executed locally without real-time server connection, resolving the reliability issue caused by intermittent network disruptions.
2Reliability
If server functionalities are moved closer to end-user devices, then continuous application service delivery is achieved during intermittent connectivity, but device complexity and local infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the client-server architecture into multiple components: remote application servers, local servers, and mobile devices. This segmentation allows service functionalities to be distributed across different locations, with the local server handling immediate service delivery while remote servers provide backend support. This resolves the contradiction by enabling continuous service without requiring full server functionality on each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to the architecture by deploying servers at multiple geographical locations (remote and local). This multi-dimensional deployment allows services to be delivered from the nearest available server, resolving the contradiction between service availability and infrastructure complexity by utilizing distributed architecture rather than concentrating all server functionality at a single location.
3Speed
If local servers cache content and emulate server functionalities, then network speed and service continuity improve, but energy consumption and device resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by having the local server cache only frequently accessed application code and data locally, while less frequently used resources remain on remote servers. This selective caching optimizes the balance between network speed improvement and energy consumption, as local access provides speed benefits for critical resources without the energy cost of caching and managing all possible resources locally.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments include a method of operating an avatar server. The method can include implementing an application service avatar in an avatar server that has at least an intermittent network access to an application service server for providing an application service to client applications. The avatar server can establish a service group by maintaining profiles of one or more end-user devices connected to the avatar server to access the application service. The avatar server can provide a localized application service by emulating at least a subset of functionalities provided by the application service to the end-user devices, for example, by locally processing, at least partially, a service request from at least one of the end-user devices at the avatar server. The avatar server can asynchronously communicate with the application service server to complete the service request.