Multipath communication devices and methods
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for establishing and sending data during a multipath connection comprising:
- a data-source device receiving multipath information about each of a plurality of network-edge devices that is capable of joining a multipath connection with a data-requesting device, each of the network-edge devices being connected to one or more networks, and each of the network-edge devices being connected to the data-requesting device over a different connection; and
the data-source device performing at least one of (i) sending different groups of data packets to different network-edge devices that are participating in the multipath connection, (ii) sending different streams of data to one or more of the network-edge devices that are participating in the multipath connection, and (iii) sending combinations of different streams and different groups of data packets to one or more of the network-edge devices that are participating in the multipath connection.
1 Assignment
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
The Residential Communications Gateway (RCG) is a broadband communications device that combines all voice, data and video communications to and from a typical residence or small business for transmission over a single, or a plurality of Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines separately or in conjunction with, a wireless broadband backbone. The RCG does this by employing packetized data with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies combined with RF communications technologies. A key consideration to the design of the RCG is that no additional or special transmission equipment must be installed at the Central Office or anywhere else in the network to enable new calling features provided by the RCG as is the case with DSL and Cable systems. By eliminating the requirement for costly infrastructure enhancements, ubiquitous high speed communications and services can be deployed to every POTS subscriber.
16 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method for establishing and sending data during a multipath connection comprising:
-
a data-source device receiving multipath information about each of a plurality of network-edge devices that is capable of joining a multipath connection with a data-requesting device, each of the network-edge devices being connected to one or more networks, and each of the network-edge devices being connected to the data-requesting device over a different connection; and the data-source device performing at least one of (i) sending different groups of data packets to different network-edge devices that are participating in the multipath connection, (ii) sending different streams of data to one or more of the network-edge devices that are participating in the multipath connection, and (iii) sending combinations of different streams and different groups of data packets to one or more of the network-edge devices that are participating in the multipath connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method for establishing and sending data during a multipath connection, comprising:
-
the data-source device receiving multipath connection requests from a plurality of data-requesting devices, each of the multipath connection requests involving a particular multipath connection to a data-requesting device; the data-source device associating a connection ID to each multipath connection request; the data-source device using multipath information about each of a plurality of network-edge devices that is capable of joining in a particular multipath connection to a particular data-requesting device, the particular multipath connection having a particular connection ID; the data-source device notifying each of the network-edge devices that is participating in the particular multipath connection associated with the particular connection ID; and the data-source device sending data associated with the particular connection ID to the network-edge devices participating in the particular multipath connection associated with the particular connection ID. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for establishing and sending data during a multipath connection, comprising:
-
a data-requesting device sending a multipath request to a network-edge device where the multipath request indicates that the network-edge device will join a multipath connection associated with the data-requesting device, the data-requesting device being connected over a first connection to a network and over a second connection to the network-edge device, the multipath connection comprising the first connection and the second connection which are capable of receiving data at the same time; the data-requesting device receiving first data over the first connection from the network; and after the network-edge device joins the multipath connection, the data-requesting device receiving second data over the second connection from the network-edge device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A data-requesting device comprising:
-
at least one interface capable of connecting concurrently to a plurality of network-edge devices during a multipath connection, the multipath connection comprising the connections between the data-requesting device and each of the network-edge devices; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one interface that sends multipath information to each of the network-edge devices that is capable of joining the multipath connection; and receives different data at the data-requesting device from different ones of the network-edge devices that are able to join the multipath connection. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for creating and using a multipath connection, comprising the steps of:
-
a data-requesting device sending first multipath control information to or through a first network-edge device, the first multipath control information indicates that the first network-edge device will join the multipath connection, the data-requesting device being connected over a first connection to the first network-edge device; the data-requesting device sending a second multipath control information to or through a second network-edge device, the second multipath control information indicates that the second network-edge device will join the multipath connection, the data-requesting device being connected over a second connection to the second network-edge device, the data-requesting device capable of receiving different data over the first connection and the second connection at the same time; and after the first network-edge device joins the multipath connection, the data-requesting device receiving first data over the first connection from the first network-edge device; and after the second network-edge device joins the multipath connection, receiving second data at the data-requesting device over the second path from the second network-edge device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
Specification