Intermediary Traffic Shaping for Low-Latency Server Access

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Low-latency protocols are often not supported by application servers, especially those controlled by third-party providers, preventing applications from benefiting from reduced network latency despite user device support.

Innovation Solution

A controller device intermediates between applications and servers, reading low-latency protocol labels in packet headers to adjust traffic rates, enabling server support without infrastructure upgrades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If a low-latency protocol is adopted at the application level, then network latency is reduced, but the application server must support the protocol which may require infrastructure upgrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork latencyVSAvoidserver infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A controller device is introduced as an intermediary between the application and the application server. The controller reads protocol labels in packet headers and adjusts traffic rates accordingly, enabling the application to benefit from low-latency protocols without requiring the application server to support or upgrade its infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If application developers control application servers to ensure protocol support, then protocol compatibility is achieved, but control over server infrastructure is lost when using third-party providers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidserver control accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The controller acts as a mediator that enables protocol compatibility without requiring direct control over the application server. It intercepts traffic between the application and server, reads protocol labels, and performs rate adjustment, thereby achieving protocol support while maintaining the ability to use third-party server providers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the application server supports low-latency protocols natively, then protocol performance is optimized, but infrastructure upgrade costs and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork throughput efficiencyVSAvoidserver infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller provides protocol support functionality without modifying the application server infrastructure. By positioning itself between the application and server to read labels and adjust rates, it delivers optimized network performance while avoiding the costs and complexity of server upgrades.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The controller replicates the protocol support functionality that would otherwise require native server implementation. It copies the essential protocol operations (reading labels, adjusting rates) in a separate component, achieving the same performance benefits without modifying the server infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS20250373556A1Systems and methods for latency management

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 COMCAST CABLE COMM LLC

AI summary

Methods and systems for latency management are disclosed. A computing device may intermediate between an application that supports a low-latency protocol and an application server that does not support the low-latency protocol. The computing device may read labels associated with the low-latency protocol in the packet headers of network traffic and rate shape the traffic flow between the application and the application server accordingly.