IP Library Granted Patent US 12,645,559
Granted Patent B2
US 12,645,559 · App. 18/720,480 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Techniques for tracing operations in a network

Inventor: Aitor Hernandez Herranz (Stockholm, SE)
Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
G06F11/3476G06F11/3006H04L69/22G06F2201/835
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,645,559
App. No.
18/720,480
Filed
Jun 14, 2024
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2455
USPC
709/224
Abstract

There is provided techniques for tracing operations in a network. A method is performed by a wireless device operatively connected to the network. The method comprises performing an operation with respect to a piece of data. The piece of data is associated with an application run in the network. The method comprises tracing the operation in a trace instance. The trace instance comprises an identifier of a span of the trace instance, an initial timestamp from when the span was originally created, and a reference to another span of the trace instance. The method comprises transmitting a CoAP message to an application server of the application. The CoAP message has a header part and a payload part. The payload part comprises the trace instance.

Claims (38)

1 . A method for tracing operations in a network, the method being performed by a wireless device operatively connected to the network, the method comprising:

performing an operation with respect to a piece of data, the piece of data being associated with an application run in the network;

tracing the operation in a trace instance, where the trace instance comprises an identifier of a span of the trace instance, an initial timestamp from when the span was originally created, and a reference to another span of the trace instance; and

transmitting a constrained application protocol, CoAP, message to an application server of the application, where the CoAP message has a header part and a payload part, and where the payload part comprises the trace instance.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining an observe request from the application server, the observe request indicating to the wireless device to include the trace instance in the CoAP message.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a trigger request from the application server, the trigger request indicating to the wireless device to start performing the operation with respect to the piece of data.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the trigger request comprises a header, and wherein the header comprises a token.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the token comprises an identifier of the trace instance and the reference to said another span.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the trace instance is an Internet Protocol for Smart Objects, IPSO, object.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the trace instance is defined by a directed acyclic graph of the span and said another span.

8 . A method for tracing operations in a network, the method being performed by an application server, the method comprising:

receiving a constrained application protocol, CoAP, message from a wireless device operatively connected to the network, where the CoAP message has a header part and a payload part, and where the payload part comprises a trace instance for tracing operations performed by the wireless device with respect to a piece of data, where the trace instance comprises an identifier of a span of the trace instance, an initial timestamp from when the span was originally created, and a reference to another span of the trace instance; and

transmitting, to a tracing collector, trace and span information defined by the identifier of the span, the initial timestamp, and the reference.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing an observe request to the wireless device, the observe request indicating to the wireless device to include the trace instance in the CoAP message.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing a trigger request to the wireless device, the trigger request indicating to the wireless device to start performing an operation with respect to the piece of data.

11 . A wireless device for tracing operations in a network, the wireless device being configured to connect to the network, the wireless device comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the wireless device to:

perform an operation with respect to a piece of data, the piece of data being associated with an application run in the network;

trace the operation in a trace instance, where the trace instance comprises an identifier of a span of the trace instance, an initial timestamp from when the span was originally created, and a reference to another span of the trace instance; and

transmit a constrained application protocol, CoAP, message to an application server of the application, where the CoAP message has a header part and a payload part, and where the payload part comprises the trace instance.

12 . The wireless device according to claim 11 , further being configured to:

obtain an observe request from the application server, the observe request indicating to the wireless device to include the trace instance in the CoAP message.

13 . The wireless device according to claim 11 , further being configured to:

obtain a trigger request from the application server, the trigger request indicating to the wireless device to start performing the operation with respect to the piece of data.

14 . The wireless device according to claim 11 , wherein the trigger request comprises a header, and wherein the header comprises a token.

15 . The wireless device according to claim 11 , wherein the token comprises an identifier of the trace instance and the reference to said another span.

16 . The wireless device according to claim 11 , wherein the trace instance is an Internet Protocol for Smart Objects, IPSO, object.

17 . The wireless device according to claim 11 , wherein the trace instance is defined by a directed acyclic graph of the span and said another span.

18 . An application server for tracing operations in a network, the application server comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the application server to:

receive a constrained application protocol, CoAP, message from a wireless device operatively connected to the network, where the CoAP message has a header part and a payload part, and where the payload part comprises a trace instance for tracing operations performed by the wireless device with respect to a piece of data, where the trace instance comprises an identifier of a span of the trace instance, an initial timestamp from when the span was originally created, and a reference to another span of the trace instance; and

transmit trace and span information defined by the identifier of the span, the initial timestamp, and the reference to a tracing collector.

19 . The application server according to claim 18 , further being configured to:

provide an observe request to the wireless device, the observe request indicating to the wireless device to include the trace instance in the CoAP message.

20 . The application server according to claim 18 , further being configured to:

provide a trigger request to the wireless device, the trigger request indicating to the wireless device to start performing an operation with respect to the piece of data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2024
From: HERNANDEZ HERRANZ, AITOR
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 067735/0837 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250061041A1 · Feb 20, 2025
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