Client-Assisted Application Context Transfer Across Mobile Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies fail to seamlessly transfer application contexts between different mobile networks, particularly between public and private networks, due to limited or intermittent connectivity, leading to service disruptions and inconsistencies in mission-critical applications.
Innovation Solution
A client device with a data storage and processor subsystem retrieves and stores an application context from a first mobile network, then uploads it to a second mobile network when connected, enabling self-contained transfer without relying on network connectivity between the networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the existing ACT procedure is used to transfer application context between edge application servers within a mobile network, then service continuity is maintained during intra-network switching, but the procedure cannot transfer application context between different mobile networks (inter-network switching)
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the network transfer application context between servers, the invention inverts the approach by having the client device retrieve and store the application context locally, then upload it to the target network. This reversal enables inter-network transfer by making the client device the active agent in the transfer process rather than relying on network-side mechanisms that are limited to intra-network operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces the client device as an intermediary entity that mediates the application context transfer between different mobile networks. The client device acts as a bridge, retrieving context from the source network, storing it locally, and uploading it to the target network, thereby enabling transfer across network boundaries where direct server-to-server communication is not feasible.
2Reliability
If application context is transferred via network connectivity between mobile networks, then transfer can be achieved, but service continuity is disrupted when connectivity is limited or intermittent
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by having the client device retrieve and store the application context locally in advance, before network switching occurs. This pre-fetching and local storage of context ensures that the context is available immediately when the client connects to the target network, eliminating service disruptions caused by intermittent connectivity during the transfer process.
Solution Approach 2:
The client device performs self-service by autonomously retrieving, storing, and uploading its own application context without requiring continuous network connectivity or coordination between networks. The device independently manages the transfer process, making the system more resilient to network connectivity issues.
3Reliability
If the client device stores and transfers application context locally, then service continuity is maintained during inter-network switching, but additional device storage and processing resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of the transfer process by shifting from network-centric transfer to device-centric transfer. This parameter change enables service continuity during inter-network switching by utilizing the device's local storage and processing capabilities, accepting the trade-off of increased device resource requirements as necessary to achieve reliable inter-network service continuity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A client device may utilize an application service provided by a mobile network. The client device may be configured to transfer an application context of the application service between different mobile networks by, when the client device is connected to a first mobile network, retrieving the application context from the first mobile network and storing the application context as a local copy in the data storage, and when the client device is connected to a second mobile network, sending the application context to the second mobile network. This way, it may not be needed to rely on connectivity existing between the first mobile network and the second mobile network to transfer the application context, which connectivity may for example lack if one or both of the mobile networks are non-public networks.