SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TAGGING CLIENT/NETWORK INFORMATION IN HEADERS OF DATA PACKETS
A system and method for tagging client/network information in mobile data packet traffic intercepts a data packet from a wireless mobile device, which includes client-related information embedded in a header of the data packet, at a mobile access network. The client-related information is then extracted from the data packet for processing.
1 . A system for tagging client/network information in mobile data packet traffic, the system comprising:
a packet interception unit configured to intercept a data packet from a wireless mobile device, the data packet including client-related information embedded in a header of the data packet, the client-related information including information about a wireless mobile device that sent the data packet or information residing in the wireless mobile device; and
at least one processing unit configured to receive the data packet from the packet interception unit, the at least one processing unit being further configured to extract the client-related information embedded in the header of the data packet for processing.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to extract the client-related information from an Internet Protocol (IP) options field of an IP header of the data packet.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to extract the client-related information from a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) options field of a TCP header of the data packet.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the client-related information includes an identification of an application running on the wireless mobile device from which the data packet originated.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the client-related information includes a sensor data generated by a sensor of the wireless mobile device.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the client-related information includes system status information of the wireless mobile device.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit includes an in-line processing unit configured to embed network-related information embedded in a header of a data packet to be transmitted to the wireless mobile device.
8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the in-line processing unit is configured to embed the network-related information in an Internet Protocol (IP) options field of an IP header of the data packet or in a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) options field of a TCP header of the data packet.
9 . The system of claim 7 wherein the network-related information includes traffic conditions in a mobile access network.
10 . A method for tagging client/network information in mobile data packet traffic, the method comprising:
intercepting a data packet from a wireless mobile device at a network device within a mobile access network, the data packet including client-related information embedded in a header of the data packet, the client-related information including information about the wireless mobile device that sent the data packet or information residing in the wireless mobile device; and
extracting the client-related information embedded in the header of the data packet within the mobile access network for processing.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the extracting includes extracting the client-related information from an Internet Protocol (IP) options field of an IP header of the data packet.
12 . The method of claim 10 wherein the extracting includes extracting the client-related information from a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) options field of a TCP header of the data packet.
13 . The method of claim 10 wherein the client-related information includes an identification of an application running on the wireless mobile device from which the data packet originated.
14 . The method of claim 10 wherein the client-related information includes a sensor data generated by a sensor of the wireless mobile device.
15 . The method of claim 10 wherein the client-related information includes system status information of the wireless mobile device.
16 . The method of claim 10 further comprising embedding network-related information embedded in a header of a data packet to be transmitted to the wireless mobile device.
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the embedding includes embedding the network-related information in an Internet Protocol (IP) options field of an IP header of the data packet or in a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) options field of a TCP header of the data packet.
18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the network-related information includes traffic conditions in a mobile access network.
19 . A method for tagging client/network information in mobile data packet traffic, the method comprising:
intercepting a data packet from a wireless mobile device at a network device within a mobile access network, the data packet including client-related information embedded in a header of the data packet, the client-related information including an identification of an application running on the wireless mobile device from which the data packet originated; and
extracting the client-related information embedded in the header of the data packet within the mobile access network for processing.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the extracting includes extracting the client-related information from an Internet Protocol (IP) options field of an IP header of the data packet or from a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) options field of a TCP header of the data packet.