This application relates to filtering network packets based on dynamic usage information associated with a receiving networked device.
Networked devices such as computers can receive a great amount of data from the network. The processors of such devices clearly must process the data. As understood herein, much of the received data might not be required depending on the ambient usage of the device, but must nonetheless be processed by the receiving processor, and this is undesirable, particularly in the case of portable battery-powered devices.
A receiver of network data includes a processor causing the receiver to dynamically filter network packets by packet type from a network device central processing unit (CPU) based on usage information.
The usage information may include, e.g., time, day of the week location of the network device, feature selection, or some combination thereof. The receiver can be implemented in the network device and if desired the receiver wirelessly receives packets from the network. The network device can be battery powered.
In another aspect, a method includes receiving dynamic usage information pertaining to a network device, and based on the dynamic usage information, determining at least one desired packet type from a network. The method passes, from a packet receiver of the network device to a central processing unit (CPU) of the network device, only the packets determined to be desired.
In another aspect, an apparatus has a housing, a data receiver in the housing, and a central processor unit (CPU) in the housing and receiving data from the data receiver. The CPU has at least first and second operational states. The data receiver receives packets having a first type and packets having a second type and sends packets having the first type to the CPU but does not send packets having the second type to the CPU when the CPU is in the first operational state. On the other hand, the data receiver does not send packets having the first type to the CPU and sends packets having the second type to the CPU when the CPU is in the second operational state.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
Referring initially to
As shown in
The CPU 14 may access a tangible computer readable storage medium 34 to store data thereon and to access computer instructions stored thereon to execute the logic herein. The medium 34 may represent, without limitation, any one or a combination of solid state storage, disk storage, removable and non-removable storage, etc.
As shown in
Moving to block 42, based on the dynamic usage information, desired packet types from the network 28 are determined. For example, if the user has selected a “video” feature, it is determined at block 42 that video packets are desired but not, e.g., binary application packets, whereas if the user changes to, e.g., an “application” feature selection, the desired packet types may include binary application packets but not video packets. As another example, only binary application packet types might be determined to be desired at block 42 if the time of day indicates operation during business hours, whereas the desired packet type might switch to video after business hours. As yet another example, only binary application packet types might be determined to be desired at block 42 if the clock 20 indicates operation during a weekday, whereas the desired packet type might switch to video on the weekend. As yet another example, if the position receiver 18 indicates a location at work or in an airport, only binary application packets, but not video packets, might be determined to be desired at block 42. Certain packet types such as, for example, emergency packet types might always be included in the desired type(s) at block 42.
Proceeding to block 44, only the packets determined to be desired at block 42 are passed from the receiver 30 to the CPU 14. In one embodiment, the CPU 14 undertakes the logic at block 42 and sends a signal to the receiver 30 at block 44 indicating the desired packet types, with the receiver processor 32 then passing to the CPU 14, based on, e.g., packet tags indicating packet type, only packets of the desired type(s) to the CPU 14. Packets that are not of the desired type(s) are in effect filtered by the receiver 30 from the information passed to the CPU 14.
In other implementations, the dynamic usage information at block 40 may be sent to the receiver processor 32, which performs the logic of block 42 and in response forwards only desired packets to the CPU 14 at block 44.
In any case, the logic of
While the particular PACKET FILTERING BASED ON DYNAMIC USAGE INFORMATION is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12142117 | Jun 2008 | US |
Child | 13899962 | US |