Meta Interest Request Mechanism for Network Resource Discovery

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges in efficiently acquiring electronic media or network resources without knowing the specific resource or its provider, leading to increased network resource consumption and user effort in traditional communication networks.

Innovation Solution

A meta interest request mechanism is introduced, where a client device sends filter parameters related to desirable characteristics to a network node, which then identifies and returns available resource identifiers, allowing users to select resources without specifying a particular resource or provider.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional end-to-end communication is used to acquire electronic media, then the client device can obtain the requested media, but considerable amounts of network resources are consumed and the user must specify a particular content provider

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser effort in specifying resource and providerVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (meta interest request processing system) that sits between the client device and content providers. This intermediary receives meta interest requests with filter parameters, processes them to identify suitable resources, and returns resource identifiers without requiring direct client-provider communication. This resolves the contradiction by reducing both user effort (no need to specify provider) and network resource consumption (optimized resource identification process).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses meta interest requests as simplified copies or representations of actual resource acquisition requests. Instead of directly requesting specific media from specific providers, the system works with meta-level descriptors (filter parameters) that capture the essential characteristics needed. This copying approach reduces the complexity and resource requirements of the actual resource acquisition process while maintaining ease of operation for users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If users specify particular resources and providers, then resource acquisition is direct, but user effort increases and the system lacks flexibility for resource discovery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource acquisition efficiencyVSAvoiduser effort

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by processing meta interest requests and identifying suitable resources before the actual resource acquisition takes place. The meta interest request mechanism pre-filters and pre-identifies potential resources based on filter parameters, so when users want to acquire resources, the heavy lifting of resource identification has already been done. This maintains high productivity while reducing user effort to merely specifying preferences rather than searching for resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If Information-Centric networking is used, then network resource consumption is reduced, but users cannot easily discover available resources without knowing specific identifiers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork resource consumptionVSAvoidresource discovery capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The meta interest request mechanism serves multiple functions: it enables resource discovery, filters resources based on user preferences, identifies suitable content providers, and initiates resource acquisition. This universal mechanism handles both the discovery phase (where users don't know specific resources) and the acquisition phase (where efficiency is needed), resolving the contradiction between reduced network resource consumption and enhanced resource discovery capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11671515B2Methods, network node and client device for acquisition and delivery of resources in a communications network

Publication Date: 2023.06.06 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A first network node, a client device and methods therein, for enabling acquisition and delivery of a resource to the client device in a communications network. When receiving from the client device a meta interest request indicating an interest for a wanted resource, the first network node extracts from the meta interest request one or more filter parameters related to desirable characteristics of the wanted resource. The first network node then obtains identifiers of resources available in the communications network, based on the one or more filter parameters, and sends the obtained identifiers of resources to the client device in response to the received meta interest request. Thereby, a user of the client device can see which resources with the desirable characteristics are available in the network and acquire one of the resources identified in this way, without having to specify the supplier nor the resource in the initial request.