DATA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20060239296A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: JINZAKI, Akira, Koga, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,746,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40058 Isochronous transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40071 Packet processing; Packet format adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific network H04N21/2381, H04N21/4363, H04N21/4381; packet switches H04L49/00; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A transmitting side relay device comprises additional information generation means for generating additional information about the characteristics of a data stream, packet generation means for generating a packet by attaching additional information to each transfer unit and transmitting means for transmitting the packet to the third network according to prescribed procedures. A receiving side relay device comprises separation means for breaking down the received packet into additional information and a transfer unit, analysis means for analyzing the additional information, reproduction means for locating information included in a corresponding transfer unit in an appropriate position and reproducing the data stream and output means for outputting the data stream reproduced by the reproduction means to the second network.

Claims

1. A system for conducting communications using a plurality of network routes with different communications delay, comprising:

a transmitting unit transmitting a plurality of split communications data with additional information for split communications; and

a receiving unit uniting, synchronizing and receiving the plurality of split communications data based on the additional information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet and the communications data is video data.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of senders has said transmitting unit, exchanges information about the additional information among the senders and transmits communication data after attaching additional information with regularity unified among the plurality of all senders.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of senders has said transmitting unit, independently transmits communications data and each of a plurality of receivers having said receiving unit synchronizes and receives communications data by exchanging information about the additional information among the receivers.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of senders has said transmitting unit, independently transmits communications data, each of a plurality of receivers having said receiving unit comprises a synchronization unit adjusting a synchronization state by observing a reproduction state of receiving data and secures synchronization of communications data by adjusting the synchronization by said synchronization unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information is one of a channel number of communications data, an origination time of communications data and a generation time of communications data.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein existence/non-existence of specific data, such as voice, pictures, etc., or information about a specific pattern is used for the additional information.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting unit divides communications data into a plurality of split data and transmits the split data via a plurality of network routes.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the division is dynamically conducted based on network information.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network information is collected two or more times consecutively and it is judged whether a division method should be modified, by comparing at least two pieces of the collected network information.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein difference between the at least two or more pieces of network information is expressed as a numeric value and a division method is modified if the numeric value is equal to or more than a threshold value.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein either a packet loss ratio or a packet data amount passing through each network interface is used for the network information.

13. A transmitting device used in a system for communicating via a plurality of network routes with different communications delay, comprising:

a transmitting unit transmitting a plurality of pieces of split communications data with additional information for split communications, including information required to synchronize on a receiving side, via the plurality of network routes.

14. A receiving device used in a system for communicating via a plurality of network routes with different communications delay, comprising:

a receiving unit uniting and synchronizing a plurality of split communications data based on additional information required to synchronize on a transmitting side.

15. A method for communicating via a plurality of network routes with different communications delay, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of split communications data with additional information for split communications via the plurality of network routes; and

uniting, synchronizing and receiving a plurality of split communications data based on the additional information.

16. The method according to 15, wherein the network is the Internet and the communications data is video data.

17. The method according to 15, wherein each of a plurality of senders executes the transmitting step, exchanges information about said additional information among the senders, attaches additional information with regularity unified among the plurality of all transmitters and transmits to communications data transmitted by each sender.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of a plurality of senders executes the transmitting step, independently transmits communications data and a plurality of receivers executing the receiving step synchronizes and receives the communications data by exchanging information about the additional information among the receivers.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of a plurality of senders executes the transmitting step, independently transmits communications data, and each of a plurality of receivers executing said receiving step further comprises a synchronization step adjusting a synchronization state by observing a reproduction state of receiving data and secures synchronization of communications data by making an adjustment in the synchronization step.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the additional information is one of a channel number of communications data, an origination time of communications data and a generation time of communications data.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein either existence/non-existence of specific data, such as voice, pictures, etc., or a specific pattern is used for the additional information.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein in the transmitting step, communications data is divided into a plurality of pieces of split data and is transmitted via a plurality of network routes.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the division is dynamically conducted based on network information.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the network information is collected two or more times consecutively and it is judged whether a division method should be modified by comparing at least two pieces of the collected network information.

25. The method according to 23, wherein difference between the at least two or more pieces of network information is expressed as a numeric value and a division method is modified if the numeric value is equal to or more than a threshold value.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein either a packet loss ratio or a packet data amount passing through each network interface is used for the network information.