Local Proxy Addressing for Scalable Traffic Disambiguation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for traffic disambiguation in distributed computer systems, such as CDNs, become impractical when the number of possible destinations exceeds the available IP addresses, and protocol annotation is necessary, which modifies the data stream, leading to inefficiencies and scalability issues.

Innovation Solution

A method using local proxies and localhost addresses to annotate and tunnel traffic, allowing disambiguation without modifying the original data stream, utilizing DNS to remap IP addresses to localhost and embed destination information in tunnels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mobile devices continuously search for and register with multiple access points in different radio access technologies, then connectivity coverage is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity coverageVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that consolidates access to multiple radio access technologies. The gateway maintains connections to various access points and networks, allowing mobile devices to communicate through a single interface rather than directly managing multiple RAT connections. This mediator approach improves connectivity coverage while reducing device complexity by offloading the multi-RAT management functionality to the gateway infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If mobile devices monitor and register with multiple access points across different radio access technologies, then network coverage reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork coverage reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway acts as an intermediary that performs the energy-intensive tasks of monitoring and managing multiple radio access technologies. Mobile devices communicate with the gateway through a single interface, eliminating the need for continuous scanning and registration with multiple access points. This approach maintains network coverage reliability while significantly reducing mobile device power consumption by centralizing the monitoring function in the gateway infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If mobile devices are required to understand and communicate using multiple radio access technology protocols, then multi-network compatibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-network compatibilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway serves as a protocol translation intermediary between mobile devices and multiple radio access technologies. Mobile devices communicate with the gateway using a single protocol, while the gateway handles the complexity of translating and managing communications across different RATs. This approach improves multi-network compatibility while reducing device complexity by isolating protocol diversity management in the gateway layer rather than requiring it in every mobile device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3769489B1Traffic forwarding and disambiguation by using local proxies and addresses
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC
  • EP3769489B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3769489B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3769489B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A method of traffic forwarding and disambiguation through the use of local proxies and addresses. The technique leverages DNS to on-ramp traffic to a local proxy. The local proxy runs on the end user's device. According to a first embodiment, DNS is used to remap what would normally be a wide range of IP addresses to localhost based on 127.0.0.0/8 listening sockets, where the system can then listen for connections and data. In a second embodiment, a localhost proxy based on a TUN/TAP interface (or other packet interception method) with a user-defined CIDR range to which the local DNS server drives traffic is used. Requests on that local proxy are annotated (by adding data to the upstream connection).