System and method for improving content fetching by selecting tunnel devices
A method for fetching a content from a web server to a client device is disclosed, using tunnel devices serving as intermediate devices. The tunnel device is selected based on an attribute, such as IP Geolocation. A tunnel bank server stores a list of available tunnels that may be used, associated with values of various attribute types. The tunnel devices initiate communication with the tunnel bank server, and stays connected to it, for allowing a communication session initiated by the tunnel bank server. Upon receiving a request from a client to a content and for specific attribute types and values, a tunnel is selected by the tunnel bank server, and is used as a tunnel for retrieving the required content from the web server, using standard protocol such as SOCKS, WebSocket or HTTP Proxy. The client only communicates with a super proxy server that manages the content fetching scheme.
1. A method performed by a client device that is configured to be in multiple states that include first and second states according to a utilization level of a resource in the client device, the method comprising:
establishing, by the client device over the Internet, a connection with a first server;
sending, by the client device over the established connection to the first server, an Internet Protocol (IP) address that identifies the client device on the Internet;
sending, by the client device to the first server over the established connection, a physical geographical location that corresponds to an actual physical geographical location of the client device;
periodically metering, by the client device, the utilization level of the resource in the client device;
determining, by the client device, that the metered resource utilization level is under a threshold by comparing the metered resource utilization level to the threshold;
responsive to the determining that the utilization level is under the threshold, shifting to the first state or staying in the first state of the multiple states, by the client device;
responsive to the determining that the utilization level is above the threshold, shifting to the second state or staying in the second state of the multiple states, by the client device;
sending, by the client device to the first server over the established connection, a message indicative of the client device being in the first or second state;
receiving, by the client device from the first server over the established connection, a first request, for a first content, that comprises a first identifier of the first content in the Internet;
obtaining, by the client device, the first content, in response to the receiving of the first request;
sending, by the client device to the first server over the established connection, the obtained first content,
receiving, by the client device from the first server over the established connection, a second request, for a second content, that comprises a second identifier of the second content in the Internet;
obtaining, by the client device, the second content, in response to the receiving of the second request; and
sending, by the client device to the first server over the established connection, the obtained second content,
wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering a process or a thread by a processor, metering a utilization level of a processor, metering a utilization level of a memory, sensing an input from a user by an input device, sensing an output of a sensor, metering a communication activity, or sensing a battery level of a battery, and
wherein the client device comprises a mobile device.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the establishing of the connection comprises establishing a TCP connection by performing or exchanging ‘Active OPEN’ or ‘Passive OPEN’.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the establishing of the connection comprises establishing a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or wherein the established connection uses a tunneling protocol.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the IP address is either IPv4 or IPv6 type of address.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first or second content comprises, an audio data, voice data, multimedia data, video data, or any combination thereof.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first content comprises a first web-page that is identified by a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL), wherein the second content comprises a second web-page that is identified by a second Uniform Resource Locator (URL), wherein the first identifier comprises the first URL, and wherein the second identifier comprises the second URL.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first or second request include a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request or a HTTP Secure (HTTPS) request.
9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising periodically or continuously sending, by the client device, the resource utilization level to the first server.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises sensing the output of the sensor.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering or sensing of the battery level of the battery.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of steps of claim 1 are included in a Software Development Kit (SDK) that is provided as a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions, and wherein the method further comprising installing or initiating the SDK.
13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising configuring the client device to be operating as a wearable device designed for human's head.
14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising configuring the client device to be operating as a wearable device designed for allowing mounting or wearing identical, or at least in part substitute for, headwear, eyewear, or earpiece.
15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising configuring the client device to be functioning as a wearable device designed as for permanently or releasably attachable to, or be part of, a clothing piece of a person.
16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising operating, by the client device, a mobile client operating system.
17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising executing, by the client device, a mobile web browser.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first content is stored in a second server.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the obtaining comprises sending, by the client device to the second server over the Internet, the first identifier; and receiving, by the client device from the second server over the Internet, in response to the sending of the first identifier, the first content.
20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the second server comprises a web-server.
21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering a process or a thread by the processor, or metering a utilization level of the processor.
22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering of a processor time of executing one or more threads or processes, or wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering of the processor idling time or an execution of a system idle process.
23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering a utilization level of the memory.
24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering of an amount of used or unused location or space of the memory.
25. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises sensing the input, or alack thereof, from the user by the input device.
26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering of the resource utilization level of the input device.
27. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering the communication activity.
28. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the metering of the resource utilization level in the client device comprises metering a communication bandwidth of a communication by the client device with another device over the Internet.
29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the metering of the communication bandwidth is based on, or according to, IETF RFC 2914.
30. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending of the message comprises periodically sending a respective message, by the client device to the first server over the established connection.
31. The method according to claim 30 , wherein the message comprises, or is based on, an ‘heartbeat’ message, and wherein a time period between multiple messages sent is at least 10 milliseconds, 20 milliseconds, 30 milliseconds, 50 milliseconds, 100 milliseconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 50 seconds, 100 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, minutes 5, or 10 minutes.
32. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication by the client device includes sending and receiving via a wireless network.
33. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the wireless network comprises a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN).
34. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the wireless network comprises a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).
35. The method according to claim 34 , wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless broadband network.
36. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the wireless network comprises a WiMAX network that is according to, or compatible with, IEEE 802.16-2009.
37. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the wireless network comprises acellular telephone network.
38. The method according to claim 37 , wherein the cellular telephone network comprises a Third Generation (3G) network that uses a protocol selected from the group consisting of UMTS W-CDMA, UMTS HSPA, UMTS TDD, CDMA2000 1×RTT, CDMA2000 EV-DO, and GSM EDGE-Evolution, or wherein the cellular telephone network uses a protocol selected from the group consisting of a Fourth Generation (4G) network that uses HSPA+, Mobile WiMAX, LTE, LTE-Advanced, MBWA, or is based on IEEE 802.20-2008.
39. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the wireless network comprises aWireless Local Area Network (WLAN).
40. The method according to claim 39 , wherein the WLAN is based on, or compatible with, IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, or IEEE 802.11ac standard.