Diverse transmission of packet content

• US 9,553,817 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bali, Soshant, Jintaseranee, Kosol
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US13/182,619
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5635 Backpressure, e.g. for ABR
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for dividing packet content for transmission over diverse wireless links. In a particular embodiment, a method provides generating a packet for transmission to a destination and examining the packet to determine if content within the packet qualifies for transmission over diverse wireless links comprising a first wireless link and a second wireless link. The method further provides, if the content qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links, generating a first alternate packet that contains a first portion of the content and a second alternate packet that contains a second portion of the content. The method further provides transferring the first alternate packet over the first wireless link for delivery to the destination and transferring the second alternate packet over the second wireless link for delivery to the destination.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising:

comparing content within a packet to predetermined qualification criteria to determine if the packet qualifies for transmission to a destination over diverse wireless links including a first wireless link and a second wireless link, wherein the packet qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links when the content matches the predetermined qualification criteria;

when the content within the packet qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links,

analyzing the content within the packet to determine where to split the packet so that the content of the packet cannot be determined without combining the first portion of the content and the second portion of the content,

generating a first alternate packet that contains a first portion of the content and a second alternate packet that contains a second portion of the content based on the determination as to where to split the packet,

transferring the first alternate packet over the first wireless link for delivery to the destination, and

transferring the second alternate packet over the second wireless link for delivery to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the packet for transmission to the destination; and

examining the packet to identify the content within the packet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

delaying the transference of the first alternate packet based on a packet transfer speed differential between the first wireless link and the second wireless link.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the content does not qualify for transmission over the diverse wireless links, transferring the packet over the first wireless link.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is reassembled at the destination from the first and second portions of the content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) GET request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is a username for access to the server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is a password for access to the server.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless link is a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) link and the second wireless link is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) link.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless link is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) link and the second wireless link is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) link.

11. A communication device comprising:

a processing system configured to generate a packet for transmission to a destination, examine the packet to determine whether content within the packet qualifies for transmission over diverse wireless links including a first wireless link and a second wireless link, and, if the content qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links, analyze the content within the packet to determine where to split the packet so that the content of the packet cannot be determined without combining the first portion of the content and the second portion of the content, generate a first alternate packet that contains a first portion of the content and a second alternate packet that contains a second portion of the content based on the determination as to where to split the packet, wherein to determine whether the content within the packet qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links, the communication device compares the content to predetermined qualification criteria;

a first communication interface configured to transfer the first alternate packet over the first wireless link for delivery to the destination; and

a second communication interface configured to transfer the second alternate packet over the second wireless link for delivery to the destination.

12. The communication device of claim 11 further comprising:

the first communication interface further configured to delay the transference of the first alternate packet based on a packet transfer speed differential between the first wireless link and the second wireless link.

13. The communication device of claim 11 further comprising:

the first communication interface further configured to, if the content does not qualify for transmission over the diverse wireless links, transfer the packet over the first wireless link.

14. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the content is reassembled at the destination from the first and second portions of the content.

15. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the content is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) GET request.

16. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the content is a username for access to the server.

17. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the content is a password for access to the server.

18. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the first wireless link is a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) link and the second wireless link is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) link.

19. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

receiving a first alternate packet from a first network address associated with a first wireless link from a communication device;

receiving a second alternate packet from a second network address associated with a second wireless link from the communication device;

generating a packet for transmission to the communication device;

examining the packet to identify content within the packet;

comparing the content to predetermined qualification criteria to determine if the packet qualifies for transmission over diverse wireless links comprising the first wireless link and the second wireless link, wherein the packet qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links when the content matches the predetermined qualification criteria; and

when the second content qualifies for transmission over the diverse wireless links, analyzing the content within the packet to determine where to split the packet so that the content of the packet cannot be determined without combining the first portion of the content and the second portion of the content, generating a third alternate packet that contains a first portion of the content and a fourth alternate packet that contains a second portion of the content based on the determination as to where to split the packet, transferring the third alternate packet to the first network address, and transferring the fourth alternate packet to the second network address.