Methods, apparatus and systems for traffic identification

Abstract

Embodiments for enabling traffic content identification by a wireless transmit/receive unit are provided. The WTRU may store interface binding entries in a database associating links in a web page to various traffic content types, such as video, audio, and text. Upon a request to access one of the links, a socket may be created based on a data mobility policy associated with the traffic content type. Alternately, the database may associate the links directly to interface types based on the data mobility policies. The Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) may provide the data mobility policies to the WTRU.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a connection request from an application;   determining a host name associated with the connection request;   comparing the host name associated with the connection request to a first list of known host names, in which list each of the known host names is associated with a corresponding interface type; and   when the host name associated with the connection request matches one of the known host names in the first list, creating a socket for communications associated with the connection request based on the corresponding interface type for the matching known hostname in the list.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the creating of the socket comprises selecting a radio access technology (RAT). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the (RAT) is chosen based on a data mobility policy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the data mobility policy is an Access Network Discovery Selection Function (ANDSF) Management Object (MO). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first list is preprogrammed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a Domain Name Server (DNS) resolving function from the application; 
 consulting a DNS exchange to determine an address corresponding to a host name included in the DNS resolving function; and 
 storing the host name in a second list associating the host name with the corresponding address. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the comparing further comprises:
 consulting the second list to determine if the host name associated with the connection request is included in the second list to determine an address associated with the host name associated with the connection request. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the application is a web browser. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the connection request is associated with a communication session and wherein the socket is used for communications that are part of the communication session. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the communication session is an HTTP session. 
     
     
         11 . A network binding layer processor configured to:
 receive a connection request from an application;   determine a host name associated with the connection request;   compare the host name associated with the connection request to a first list of known host names, in which list each of the known host names is associated with a corresponding interface type; and   when the host name associated with the connection request matches one of the known host names in the first list, create a socket for communications associated with the connection request based on the corresponding interface type for the matching known hostname in the list.   
     
     
         12 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the creating of the socket comprises selecting a radio access technology (RAT). 
     
     
         13 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 12  wherein the (RAT) is chosen based on a data mobility policy. 
     
     
         14 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the first list is preprogrammed. 
     
     
         15 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the first list comprises a plurality of entries and wherein at least some of the entries are based on definitions from an Access Network Discovery Selection Function (ANDSF). 
     
     
         16 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a Domain Name Server (DNS) resolving function from the application; 
 consult a DNS exchange to determine an address corresponding to a host name included in the DNS resolving function; and 
 store the host name in a second list associating the host name with the corresponding address. 
 
     
     
         17 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 16  wherein the network binding layer processor is further configured to:
 consult the second list to determine if the host name associated with the connection request is included in the second list to determine an address associated with the host name associated with the connection request. 
 
     
     
         18 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the application is a web browser. 
     
     
         19 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the connection request is associated with a communication session and wherein the socket is used for communications that are part of the communication session. 
     
     
         20 . The network binding layer processor of  claim 11  wherein the network binding layer processor is further configured to:
 when the host name associated with the connection request does not match one of the known host names in the first list, create a connection for communications associated with the connection request using a default socket.