TCP Session Correlation for Video Traffic Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication networks, multiple TCP sessions initiated for downloading different parts of a video file are treated independently, making it difficult for network devices to track video popularity and provide optimal video pacing, as they lack contextual information about sessions related to a single video file.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a TCP Session Correlation (TSC) mechanism that derives and compares identification information, such as video location identifiers, file sizes, or video signatures, to determine if multiple TCP sessions are correlated and downloading the same video file, allowing network devices to associate and manage these sessions appropriately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple TCP sessions are treated independently for video downloading, then each session can be managed separately with simple protocols, but network devices cannot track video popularity or provide optimal video pacing due to lack of contextual information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a session correlation mechanism that acts as an intermediary between independent TCP sessions and network devices. This mechanism correlates multiple TCP sessions by extracting and comparing identification information (such as video location identifiers, file sizes, or video signatures) from session data, thereby providing contextual information about sessions without fundamentally changing the independent session management approach. The intermediary enables video popularity tracking and optimal video pacing while maintaining the simplicity of individual session handling.
2Measurement precision
If TCP session correlation mechanism is implemented to track video popularity, then accurate video pacing can be provided, but processing complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identification information from TCP sessions for correlation purposes, such as video location identifiers, file sizes, or video signatures. By taking out only these specific data elements rather than processing entire session data, the mechanism achieves accurate video popularity tracking while minimizing computational overhead and energy consumption. This selective extraction approach enables precise measurement without proportionally increasing processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by using compact identification information (such as video location identifiers or file sizes) instead of analyzing complete session data. This parameter transformation reduces the computational burden while maintaining the ability to accurately correlate sessions and track video popularity, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and energy consumption.
3Reliability
If identification information is extracted and compared from multiple TCP sessions, then correlated sessions can be identified, but additional processing time and overhead are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of identification information from TCP sessions as they are established or during early data transmission. By preparing and storing these identification parameters (video location identifiers, file sizes, or video signatures) in advance, the correlation process can quickly compare sessions without requiring extensive real-time analysis, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining correlation accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
User equipments can download a video file by instantiating multiple video requests, each request specifying different parts of the video file. If each video request initiates a separate transmission control protocol (TCP) session, which is the case with an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) partial get request, then a network device in a communications network would be oblivious of contextual information, which indicates that the TCP sessions download different portions of the same video file. This disclosure provides systems and methods for correlating multiple TCP sessions so that a network device in a communications network can be aware of the contextual information.