METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TRANSMITTING PACKETS THROUGH NETWORK INTERFACES

• US 20140286343A1
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Inventors: SUNG, Patrick Ho Wai, NG, Kam Chiu, LEUNG, Wan Chun
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/124 using a combination of metrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method carried out by a first communications device for transmitting data packets, wherein the first communications device comprises a plurality of network interfaces. Data packets are transmitted through a first network interface when a first condition is satisfied, and through a second network interface when a second condition is satisfied. In one of the embodiments, the plurality of network interfaces are classified into a plurality of groups of network interfaces according to a first group of conditions, and the first network interface and second network interface belong to two different groups of network interfaces.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data packets at a first communications device comprising a plurality of network interfaces, comprising:

transmitting data packets through a first network interface when a first condition is satisfied;

transmitting data packets through a second network interface when a second condition is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the plurality of network interfaces into a plurality of groups of network interface(s) according to a first group of condition(s);

wherein the first network interface belongs to a first group of network interfaces; and

wherein the second network interface belongs to a second group of network interfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is satisfied when the first network interface is capable of establishing a connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the second network interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the maintaining is performed by transmitting packets periodically via the second network interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting packets through the second network interface when a third condition is satisfied.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the packets are selected from a group consisting of error correction packets, management packets and data packets.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the third condition is satisfied if at least a third predefined number of packet loss within a third predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one alert message when the first condition is not satisfied and/or the second condition is satisfied.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is satisfied if fewer than a first predefined number of packet loss within a first predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping transmitting data packets through the second network interface and starting transmitting data packets through the first network interface if a fourth condition is satisfied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fourth condition is not satisfied if at least a fourth predefined number of packet loss within a fourth predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second condition is satisfied when the first condition is not satisfied and the second condition is not satisfied when the first condition is satisfied and wherein the second condition is satisfied if at least the first predefined number of packet loss within the first predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

14. The method of claim 1, 6 or 11, wherein the conditions are selected from the group consisting of performance metric, service provider, usage metric, location, time, usage price, security, user identity, Internet Protocol address range, communication protocol, communication technology, application, and device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the performance metric is selected from the group consisting of throughput, error rates, packet latency, packet jitter, symbol jitter, quality of service, security, coverage area, bandwidth, bit error rate, packet error rate, frame error rate, dropped packet rate, queuing delay, round trip time, capacity, signal level, interference level, bandwidth delay product, handoff delay time, signal-to-interface ratio, and signal-to-noise ratio.

16. The method of claim 1, 6, or 11, wherein the conditions are retrieved remotely from a remote server or retrieved locally from a local storage medium, and is received through a web interface, an application programming interface (API), a command line interface or a console.

17. A first communications device capable of transmitting data packets, comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces;

at least one processing unit;

at least one main memory;

at least one secondary storage storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for;

transmitting data packets through a first network interface when a first condition is satisfied;

transmitting data packets through a second network interface when a second condition is satisfied.

18. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the at least one secondary storage further storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for:

classifying the plurality of network interfaces into a plurality of groups of network interface(s) according to a first group of condition(s);

wherein the first network interface belongs to a first group of network interfaces; and

wherein the second network interface belongs to a second group of network interfaces.

19. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the first condition is satisfied when the first network interface is capable of establishing a connection.

20. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the at least one secondary storage further storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for:

maintaining the second network interface.

21. The first communications device of claim 20, wherein the maintaining is performed by transmitting packets periodically via the second network interface.

22. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the at least one secondary storage further storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for transmitting packets through the second network interface when a third condition is satisfied.

23. The first communications device of claim 22, wherein the packets are selected from a group consisting of error correction packets, management packets and data packets.

24. The first communications device of claim 22, wherein the third condition is satisfied if at least a third predefined number of packet loss within a third predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

25. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the at least one secondary storage further storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for transmitting at least one alert message when the first condition is not satisfied and/or the second condition is satisfied.

26. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the first condition is satisfied if fewer than a first predefined number of packet loss within a first predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

27. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the at least one secondary storage further storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for stopping transmitting data packets through the second network interface and starting transmitting data packets through the first network interface if a fourth condition is satisfied.

28. The first communications device of claim 27, wherein the fourth condition is not satisfied if at least is a fourth predefined number of packet loss within a fourth predefined time period is detected at the first network interface.

29. The first communications device of claim 26, wherein the second condition is satisfied when the first condition is not satisfied and the second condition is not satisfied when the first condition is satisfied and wherein the second condition is satisfied when at least the first predefined number of packet loss is detected at the first network interface.

30. The first communications device of claim 17, 22 or 27, wherein the conditions are selected from the group consisting of performance metric, service provider, usage metric, location, time, usage price, security, user identity, Internet Protocol address range, communication protocol, communication technology, application, and device.

31. The first communications device of claim 30, wherein the performance metric is selected from the group consisting of throughput, error rates, packet latency, packet jitter, symbol jitter, quality of service, security, coverage area, bandwidth, bit error rate, packet error rate, frame error rate, dropped packet rate, queuing delay, round trip time, capacity, signal level, interference level, bandwidth delay product, handoff delay time, signal-to-interface ratio, and signal-to-noise ratio.

32. The first communications device of claim 17, 22, or 27, wherein the conditions are retrieved remotely from a remote server or retrieved locally from a local storage medium, and is received through a web interface, an application programming interface (API), a command line interface or a console.