Network assisted bonding

• US 9,369,921 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveU Ltd. (LiveU, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LiveU Ltd. (LiveU, Inc.)
• Inventors: Altman, Baruch Yosef
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US14/292,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0858 among entities in the uplink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0958 based on metrics or performance parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A device is provided for facilitating a media transmission over a wireless network. The device may control and manage a plurality of first wireless modems on a first end node side. The plurality of first wireless modems may be configured to transmit/receive a plurality of data streams over a plurality of wireless data channels to/from at least one second wireless modem on a second end node side. The device may receive network-related information from a network component associated with the wireless network. The network-related information may be used to adjust the distribution or receipt of the plurality of data streams between the plurality of first wireless modems, thereby enabling reconstitution of the media transmission from the plurality of data streams. In addition, the device may be configured to send performance-related information to the network component, thereby enabling a determination to be made about managing network resources of the wireless network.

Claims

1. A communications device configured to facilitate a media transmission over at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the communications device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

control a plurality of first wireless modems associated with a first end node side of the at least two wireless communications networks, and to communicate via a plurality of wireless data channels with at least one second wireless modem associated with a second end node side of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein some of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the first wireless network, and others of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the second wireless network;

manage at least one of distribution and receipt of a plurality of data streams over the plurality of wireless data channels, wherein the media transmission comprises an aggregate of the plurality of data streams; and

receive network-related information from a network component associated with one of the at least two wireless communications networks;

use the received network-related information to adjust at least one of distribution and receipt of the plurality of data streams between the plurality of first wireless modems, thereby enabling reconstitution of the media transmission from the plurality of data streams;

wherein adjusting at least one of distribution and receipt of the plurality of data streams includes offloading at least some of the plurality of data streams from the first wireless network to the second wireless network when the network-related information associated with the second wireless network indicates that the second wireless network currently has satisfactory performance.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the network component is located intermediate the first end node and the second end node, and discrete from the first end node and the second end node.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the network-related information received is reflective of network conditions that influence a capacity of at least one of the plurality of data channels.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the network-related information received is reflective of network conditions that influence performances of at least one of the plurality of first wireless modems.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the network-related includes substantially real-time information that reflects a state of at least one data channel from the plurality of data channels.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the network-related information received includes information that reflects a network congestion state.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first wireless modems are configured to transmit the plurality of data streams over the plurality of data channels to the second end node side.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first wireless modems are configured to receive the plurality of data streams over the plurality of data channels from the second end node side.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to make a determination about adjusting the at least one of distribution and receipt of the plurality of data streams based on the network-related information.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein adjusting the distribution of the plurality of data streams includes at least one of:

transmitting fewer data streams from some of the plurality of first wireless modems and transmitting more data streams from others of the plurality of first wireless modems, ceasing the transmission of data streams from some of the plurality of first wireless modems for a period of time, starting the transmission of data streams from some of the plurality of first wireless modems, changing an encoding of some data streams, changing a Forward Error Correction (FEC) of some data streams.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide the network component performance-related information regarding one of the at least two wireless communications networks.

12. A communications device configured to assist managing at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the communications device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

control a plurality of first wireless modems associated with a first end node side of the at least two wireless communications networks, and communicate via a plurality of wireless data channels with at least one second wireless modem associated with a second end node side of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein some of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the first wireless network, and others of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the second wireless network;

manage at least one of distribution and receipt of a plurality of data streams over the plurality of data channels, wherein the media transmission comprises an aggregate of the plurality of data streams;

cause performance-related information to be sent to a network component from the at least one of first end node and the second end node; and

enable a determination to be made about managing network resources of one of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein the determination is based on the performance-related information and includes offloading at least some of the plurality of data streams from the first wireless network to the second wireless network when the performance-related information associated with the second wireless network indicates that the second wireless network currently has satisfactory performance.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the performance-related information is measured and reflective of performances of at least one application using the at least two wireless communications connections.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the performance-related information includes congestion-related information that assists one of the at least two wireless communications networks to manage a state of congestion.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the determination about managing network resources of one of the at least two wireless communications networks include at least one of:

managing data wireless offloading, improving resources utilization, reducing cost, and increasing wireless handover efficiency.

16. A network device configured to facilitate a media transmission over at least two wireless communications networks including at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the network device comprising:

a network component located intermediate a first end node on a media transmission side of the at least two wireless communications networks and a second end node on a media reception side of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein the media transmission side includes a plurality of first wireless modems and the media reception side includes at least one second wireless modem, and wherein the at least two wireless communications networks include a plurality of wireless data channels extending between and connecting the plurality of first wireless modems with the at least one second wireless modem, and some of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the first wireless network, while others of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the second wireless network, the network component including at least one processor configured to;

receive network-related information from one of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein the network-related information includes information related to a handover of a modem associated with the first wireless network; and

transmit the network-related information to the media transmission side in order to cause a redistribution of a plurality of data streams handled by at least some of the plurality of first wireless modems, wherein the redistribution of the plurality of data streams includes transmitting more data streams via data channels associated with the second wireless network and transmitting fewer data streams via data channels associated with the first wireless network, and the media transmission transmitted over the plurality of wireless data channels comprises an aggregate of the plurality of data streams.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the media reception side includes a plurality of second wireless modems, and the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the network-related information to the media reception side in order to adjust the receipt of the plurality of data streams at the plurality of second wireless modems.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first end node and the second end node is a smartphone.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the first wireless network is a cellular network and the second wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the network component is configured to enable a determination to be made about managing network resources of one of the at least two wireless communications networks using performance-related information received from at least one of the first end node and the second end node.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the determination includes at least one of:

managing data wireless offloading, improving resources utilization, and increasing handover efficiency.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the network-related information is reflective of network conditions that influence a capacity of at least one of the plurality of data channels.

23. The device of claim 16, wherein the network-related information includes substantially real-time information that reflects a current state of at least one data channel from the plurality of data channels.

24. A method for assisting management of one of at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of first wireless modems on a first end node side of the at least two wireless communications networks configured to communicate via a plurality of wireless data channels with at least one second wireless modem associated with a second end node side of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein some of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the first wireless network, and others of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the second wireless network;

managing at least one of distribution and receipt of a plurality of data streams over the plurality of data channels, wherein the media transmission comprises an aggregate of the plurality of data streams;

sending performance-related information to a network component located intermediate the first end node and the second end node, and from the first end node and the second end node; and

enabling a determination to be made about managing network resources of one of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein the determination is based on the performance-related information and includes offloading at least some of the plurality of data streams from the first wireless network to the second wireless network when the performance-related information associated with the second wireless network indicates that the second wireless network currently has satisfactory performance.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the performance-related information further includes information reflective of performances of the first wireless network.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the determination includes at least one of:

managing data offloading, improving resources utilization, increasing handover efficiency.

27. A software product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising data and computer implementable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 24.

28. A network device configured to facilitate a media transmission over at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the network device comprising:

a network component located intermediate a first end node on a media transmission side of the at least two wireless communications networks and a second end node on a media reception side of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein the media transmission side includes a plurality of first wireless modems and the media reception side includes at least one second wireless modem, and wherein the at least two wireless communications networks include a plurality of wireless data channels extending between and connecting the plurality of first wireless modems with the at least one second wireless modem, and some of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the first wireless network, while others of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the second wireless network, the network component including at least one processor configured to;

receive network-related information from one of the at least two wireless communications networks, wherein the network-related information includes information related to a handover of a modem associated with the first wireless network; and

transmit the network-related information to the media transmission side in order to cause a redistribution of a plurality of data streams handled by at least some of the plurality of first wireless modems, wherein the redistribution of the plurality of data streams results in fewer network resources being allocated and used, and the media transmission transmitted over the plurality of wireless data channels comprises an aggregate of the plurality of data streams.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the media reception side includes a plurality of second wireless modems, and the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the network-related information to the media reception side in order to adjust the receipt of the plurality of data streams at the plurality of second wireless modems.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein at least one of the first end node and the second end node is a smartphone.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the first wireless network is a cellular network and the second wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the network component is configured to enable a determination to be made about managing network resources of one of the at least two wireless communications networks using performance-related information received from at least one of the first end node and the second end node.