Preloading Virtual Gateway Context via Bridged Gateway Tunnel

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Solution Overview

Problem

The delay in initializing and configuring a virtual gateway for customer LANs causes dissatisfaction due to perceived non-responsiveness, especially when a computing device attempts to obtain a service like an IP address.

Innovation Solution

A bridged gateway establishes a layer 2 tunnel with a BNG and unilaterally generates and sends a message for processing by the virtual gateway, preloading the customer context and ensuring the virtual gateway is instantiated and configured before any service requests are made.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the virtual gateway is initialized and configured on-demand when a computing device seeks service, then resource utilization is optimized, but service response time increases causing perceived non-responsiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice response timeVSAvoidresource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The bridged gateway unilaterally generates and sends a message to the BNG to preload the customer context and initiate the virtual gateway before any computing device on the LAN seeks service. This preliminary action ensures the virtual gateway is already instantiated and configured when service requests arrive, eliminating initialization delays while maintaining resource efficiency through on-demand preloading.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If the virtual gateway is pre-initialized for all customer LANs, then service response time is reduced, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice response timeVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by preloading customer context and initializing the virtual gateway in advance, but only when triggered by the bridged gateway sending a message to the BNG. This selective pre-initialization reduces service response time while avoiding unnecessary resource consumption for inactive LANs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the bridged gateway unilaterally initiates the virtual gateway, then service responsiveness is improved, but network protocol complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice responsivenessVSAvoidnetwork protocol complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of the computing device on the LAN initiating the virtual gateway (traditional approach), the bridged gateway inverts the initiation sequence by unilaterally generating and sending a message to the BNG to preload and initialize the virtual gateway first. This inversion improves service responsiveness while the complexity is managed through standardized layer 2 tunneling protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS20250150302A1Preloading a customer context in a virtual gateway

Publication Date: 2025.05.08 CHARTER COMM OPERATING LLC

AI summary

A bridged gateway coupled to a local area network (LAN) in a premises establishes a layer 2 tunnel with a first computing device coupled to a different network, the first computing device operable to provide a virtual gateway that provides default gateway functionality to computing devices connected to the LAN. The bridged gateway generates a first message to be processed by the virtual gateway. The bridged gateway sends the first message to the computing device to cause the first computing device to initiate the virtual gateway.