Intermediate Device TCP UDP Stream Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data transmission methods over computer networks, particularly those using UDP, often fail due to security devices like firewalls, requiring multiple protocol changes which are inefficient and introduce latency and overhead.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate device intercepts and dynamically modifies signaling messages to change transport protocols from fixed to arbitrary port assignments, allowing seamless conversion between TCP and UDP for multimedia content delivery, thereby bypassing security devices without reconfiguring firewalls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If UDP protocol with arbitrary port assignment is used for multimedia stream transmission, then transmission speed and efficiency are improved, but compatibility with security devices like firewalls deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate device that acts as a mediator between the client and server. This device intercepts RTSP signaling messages, dynamically modifies transport parameters to use fixed ports when passing through firewalls, and converts the multimedia stream between arbitrary port and fixed port formats. The intermediate device includes a message interception module, a parameter modification module, and a stream conversion module that work together to resolve the firewall compatibility issue while maintaining UDP transmission efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If TCP protocol with fixed port assignment is used for multimedia stream transmission, then firewall compatibility is improved, but transmission speed and overhead efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic port assignment strategies. The intermediate device dynamically determines whether to use arbitrary ports or fixed ports based on the presence and configuration of firewalls in the transmission path. When no firewall is detected, the system uses arbitrary ports for optimal UDP performance. When firewalls are detected, the system dynamically switches to fixed port assignment to ensure compatibility, all while maintaining the underlying UDP protocol for speed efficiency.
3Reliability
If multiple protocol attempts are made to deliver multimedia content, then delivery success rate is improved, but system efficiency and latency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by proactively detecting firewall presence in the network path before multimedia stream transmission begins. The intermediate device analyzes the network topology and identifies firewall configurations during the RTSP negotiation phase. Based on this preliminary detection, the system pre-determines the appropriate transport parameters (fixed or arbitrary ports) and configures the transmission path accordingly, eliminating the need for multiple retry attempts with different protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques allow an intermediate (IM) device to transparently intercept and dynamically modify signaling messages being exchanged by a client and a server when negotiating setup and delivery of a multimedia stream from a streaming server. The techniques also allow an IM device to dynamically convert the real-time multimedia stream from a first transport layer protocol to a second transport layer protocol, and the reverse, based on the particular topology of the network including the presence and location of any security devices that may block the multimedia stream. The IM device may be configured to dynamically modify messages intercepted between the client and the server to change a transport layer protocol indicated by the messages from the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and the reverse, and convert a UDP data stream to TCP packets and inject the TCP packets into an established TCP session.