Broadband fallback for router

• US 10,021,021 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Hodroj, Samir
• Primary Examiner(s): SINKANTARAKORN, PAWARIS
• Application Number:
  US14/979,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0866 between wireless and wire-based access points, e.g. via LTE and via DSL connected access points
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Systems for routing data over first and second broadband network. A router includes a first network interface that is configured to provide communication via a first broadband channel. There is a second network interface configured to enable communication via second broadband channel. In various embodiments, the first and second broadband channels may be used to provide failover, load balancing, and/or secure transmission of communication data.

Claims

1. A router, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a first network interface coupled to the processor and configured to enable communication via a first broadband channel;

a second network interface coupled to the processor and configured to enable communication via a second broadband channel;

an intelligence layer comprising one or more applications stored in the memory, wherein execution of the one or more applications by the processor configures the router to perform acts comprising;

upon determining that a first set of criteria have been met, switching a communication data to the second broadband channel, wherein the first set of criteria comprises;

the first broadband channel is a selected broadband channel;

the first broadband channel is not meeting a communication data throughput demand of the router; and

the second broadband channel is available to transmit the communication data;

upon determining that a second set of criteria have been met, switching the communication data to the first broadband channel, wherein the second set of criteria comprises;

the second broadband channel is a selected broadband channel;

the second broadband channel is not meeting the communication data throughput demand of the router; and

the first broadband channel is available to transmit the communication data; and

upon determining that the first and second set of criteria are not met, adjusting a ratio of the communication data throughput between the first broadband channel and the second broadband channel based on a bandwidth allocation rule set.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein:

the first broadband channel is one of a cable or digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband channel; and

the second broadband channel is a cellular broadband channel.

3. The router of claim 1, wherein the router is configured to provide a continuous communication data throughput upon a failure of the first or second broadband channel.

4. The router of claim 1, wherein whether a first or second broadband is meeting the communication data throughput of the router is defined by data overflowing from an input buffer to an overflow buffer of the router.

5. The router of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation rule set comprises a predetermined communication data throughput ratio between the first broadband channel and the second broadband channel.

6. The router of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation rule set comprises one of:

(i) decreasing the communication data throughput over the first or second broadband channel upon approaching or meeting a threshold data allotment limit for the first or second broadband channel, respectively;

(ii) providing a maximum communication data throughput;

or

(iii) providing communication data throughput at a lowest cost per a volume communication data transmitted.

7. The router of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of criteria further comprises;

the second broadband channel has a bandwidth capacity that is a predetermined factor N times higher than a bandwidth capacity of the first broadband channel; and

the second set of criteria further comprises;

the first broadband channel has a bandwidth capacity that is the predetermined factor N times higher than the bandwidth capacity of the second broadband channel.

8. A router, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a first network interface coupled to the processor and configured to enable communication via a first broadband channel;

a second network interface coupled to the processor and configured to enable communication via a second broadband channel;

an intelligence layer comprising one or more applications stored in the memory, wherein execution of the one or more applications by the processor configures the router to perform acts comprising;

upon determining that a first set of criteria have been met, switching a communication data to the second broadband channel, wherein the first set of criteria comprises;

the first broadband channel is a selected broadband channel;

the first broadband channel is not meeting a communication data throughput demand of the router; and

the second broadband channel is available to transmit the communication data;

upon determining that a second set of criteria have been met, switching the communication data to the first broadband channel, wherein the second set of criteria comprises;

the second broadband channel is a selected broadband channel;

the second broadband channel is not meeting the communication data throughput demand of the router; and

the first broadband channel is available to transmit the communication data; and

upon determining that the first and second set of criteria are not met;

inspecting a content of a header portion of the communication data; and

upon determining that the communication data is security sensitive based on the content of the header portion, setting the communication data to be routed over the second broadband channel.

9. The router of claim 8, wherein:

the first broadband channel is one of a cable or digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband channel; and

the second broadband channel is a cellular broadband channel.

10. The router of claim 8, wherein the router is configured to provide a continuous communication data throughput upon a failure of the first or second broadband channel.

11. The router of claim 8, wherein whether a first or second broadband is meeting the communication data throughput of the router is defined by data overflowing from an input buffer to an overflow buffer of the router.

12. The router of claim 8, wherein:

the first set of criteria further comprises;

the second broadband channel has a bandwidth capacity that is a predetermined factor N times higher than a bandwidth capacity of the first broadband channel; and

the second set of criteria further comprises;

the first broadband channel has a bandwidth capacity that is the predetermined factor N times higher than the bandwidth capacity of the second broadband channel.

13. A router, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a first network interface coupled to the processor and configured to enable communication via a first broadband channel;

a second network interface coupled to the processor and configured to enable communication via a second broadband channel;

an intelligence layer comprising one or more applications stored in the memory, wherein execution of the one or more applications by the processor configures the router to perform acts comprising;

upon determining that a first set of criteria have been met, switching a communication data to the second broadband channel, wherein the first set of criteria comprises;

the first broadband channel is a selected broadband channel;

the first broadband channel is not meeting a communication data throughput demand of the router; and

the second broadband channel is available to transmit the communication data; and

the second broadband channel has a bandwidth capacity that is a predetermined factor N times higher than a bandwidth capacity of the first broadband channel;

upon determining that a second set of criteria have been met, switching the communication data to the first broadband channel, wherein the second set of criteria comprises;

the second broadband channel is a selected broadband channel;

the second broadband channel is not meeting the communication data throughput demand of the router; and

the first broadband channel is available to transmit the communication data; and

the first broadband channel has a bandwidth capacity that is the predetermined factor N times higher than the bandwidth capacity of the second broadband channel.

14. The router of claim 13, wherein:

the first broadband channel is one of a cable or digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband channel; and

the second broadband channel is a cellular broadband channel.

15. The router of claim 13, wherein the router is configured to provide a continuous communication data throughput upon a failure of the first or second broadband channel.

16. The router of claim 13, wherein whether a first or second broadband is meeting the communication data throughput of the router is defined by data overflowing from an input buffer to an overflow buffer of the router.

17. The router of claim 13, wherein execution of the one or more applications by the processor configures the router to perform acts comprising:

upon determining that the first and second set of criteria are not met, adjusting a ratio of the communication data throughput between the first broadband channel and the second broadband channel based on a bandwidth allocation rule set.

18. The router of claim 17, wherein the bandwidth allocation rule set comprises a predetermined communication data throughput ratio between the first broadband channel and the second broadband channel.

19. The router of claim 17, wherein the bandwidth allocation rule set comprises one of:

(i) decreasing the communication data throughput over the first or second broadband channel upon approaching or meeting a threshold data allotment limit for the first or second broadband channel, respectively;

(ii) providing a maximum communication data throughput;

or

(iii) providing communication data throughput at a lowest cost per a volume communication data transmitted.

20. The router of claim 13, wherein execution of the one or more applications by the processor configures the router to perform acts comprising:

upon determining that the first and second set of criteria are not met;

inspecting a content of a header portion of the communication data; and

upon determining that the communication data is security sensitive based on the content of the header portion, setting the communication data to be routed over the second broadband channel.