Tunnel Node Slice Routing for Lower-Latency Internet Content Fetching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication over the Internet is hindered by network congestion, traffic load balancing, and unpredictable network behavior, leading to issues such as lost, duplicated, or out-of-order IP packets, which TCP attempts to address but can be inefficient in high-traffic scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing intermediate nodes that function as both end-users and intermediate nodes to enhance communication efficiency by optimizing TCP/IP operations, including improved packet routing and data reassembly, and utilizing HTTP persistent connections to reduce network congestion and latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP is used to ensure reliable delivery of IP packets, then data delivery reliability is improved, but network congestion and latency increase in high-traffic scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediate nodes (gateway devices) that act as mediators between end devices and the network. These gateway devices receive data from end devices, establish separate TCP connections to intermediate nodes, and handle packet retransmission and reassembly. This intermediary layer offloads TCP processing from end devices and enables parallel communication paths, reducing network latency while maintaining reliable data delivery through the gateway coordination mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication path into multiple independent connections between end devices and gateway devices. Instead of a single end-to-end TCP connection, data is divided and transmitted through multiple parallel paths via different gateway devices. Each segment handles its own TCP connection independently, allowing concurrent transmission and reducing overall network latency while maintaining data integrity through coordinated reassembly at the destination.
2Productivity
If intermediate nodes are introduced to optimize TCP/IP operations, then communication efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs gateway devices that perform multiple functions: they act as both end devices for receiving data from local end devices and as intermediate nodes for forwarding data to other gateway devices and final destinations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated intermediate networking equipment, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining the communication efficiency benefits of intermediate node processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway devices autonomously manage TCP connection establishment, packet retransmission, and data reassembly without requiring complex centralized control. Each gateway independently handles its own TCP connections and coordinates with other gateways through standardized protocols, enabling the system to scale without proportionally increasing control complexity while maintaining high communication efficiency.
3Quantity of substance
If HTTP persistent connections are used to reduce network congestion, then network throughput is improved, but connection management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes persistent TCP connections between gateway devices in advance, before actual data transmission occurs. These pre-established connections remain open and ready for data flow, eliminating the need for repeated connection handshakes during high-traffic periods. This preliminary action reduces network congestion and latency while the connection management complexity is handled autonomously by each gateway device through standardized protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for fetching a content from a web server to a client device is disclosed, using tunnel devices serving as intermediate devices. The client device accesses an acceleration server to receive a list of available tunnel devices. The requested content is partitioned into slices, and the client device sends a request for the slices to the available tunnel devices. The tunnel devices in turn fetch the slices from the data server, and send the slices to the client device, where the content is reconstructed from the received slices. A client device may also serve as a tunnel device, serving as an intermediate device to other client devices. Similarly, a tunnel device may also serve as a client device for fetching content from a data server. The selection of tunnel devices to be used by a client device may be in the acceleration server, in the client device, or in both. The partition into slices may be overlapping or non-overlapping, and the same slice (or the whole content) may be fetched via multiple tunnel devices.