Gateway Node Packet Inspection for Transport Connection Closure

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Solution Overview

Problem

In telecommunication systems, intermediate nodes cannot perform transrating or caching on end-to-end encrypted communication, leading to inefficient data transmission and resource wastage, especially during connection closure phases.

Innovation Solution

A gateway node inspects packets to identify connection closure, generates an acknowledgement to terminate the connection, and discards subsequent packets destined for the endpoint, thereby preventing unnecessary data transmission and optimizing bandwidth usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the gateway node inspects packets to identify connection closure and discards subsequent packets, then bandwidth efficiency is improved and unnecessary transmissions are reduced, but device complexity increases due to packet inspection requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth efficiencyVSAvoidgateway node complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway node performs preliminary inspection of packets to detect connection closure indications before discarding subsequent packets. By detecting the closure state in advance through inspection of control packets (such as TCP FIN or RST packets), the gateway proactively stops forwarding data packets, preventing wasted bandwidth transmissions and improving overall network efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the gateway node generates an acknowledgement packet to terminate the connection, then connection closure reliability is improved, but loss of time occurs due to additional packet generation and transmission

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection closure reliabilityVSAvoidconnection termination time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway node generates an acknowledgement packet in response to detecting a connection closure indication from one endpoint. This feedback mechanism confirms to the other endpoint that the connection should be terminated, ensuring reliable connection closure. The acknowledgement provides necessary feedback to synchronize the connection state across all endpoints, preventing stale data transmissions while maintaining protocol correctness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3523935B1Gateway for efficient management of transport connections in data networks
Publication Date: 2021.03.31 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3523935B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3523935B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3523935B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method, performed by a gateway node (110), for managing packets on a transport connection between a first end-point (120) and a second end-point (130) is disclosed. The gatewaynode (110) forwards (A020), on the transport connection (105), a first packet from the first end-point (120) to the second end-point (130). The gateway node (110) finds (A040), by inspection of the first packet, that the first packet indicates closing of the transport connection (105) at the first end-point (120). Moreover, the gateway node (110) receives (A120) after the finding (A040), on the transport connection, a second packet from the second end-point (130), wherein the second packet is destined to the first end-point (120). Furthermore, the gateway node (110) discards (A130) the second packet, thereby refraining from forwarding, on the transport connection, the second packet from the second end-point (130) to the first end-point (120).A gateway node (110), a computer program and a computer program carrier are also disclosed.