Distributing communication of a data stream among multiple devices

• US 9,973,556 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher F., Barnes, Bruce, Heinmiller, Wayne R., Kenny, Patrick, Mallian, Dolores J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khurshid, Zia
• Application Number:
  US15/141,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 709204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for distributing communication of a data stream among multiple devices are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include receiving a request from a first one of a plurality of devices to establish a shared connection to distribute communication of a first data stream among the plurality of devices. Such example methods also include establishing, in response to the request, respective data connections with the plurality of devices based on device capability information obtained from a system providing service for the plurality of devices. Such example methods further include splitting the first data stream into a plurality of partial data streams to be communicated to the plurality of devices via the respective data connections, the partial data streams, when aggregated, forming the first data stream.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, including;

receiving a request, from a first device, to transmit data from a target data source to both the first device and a second device in a shared data connection, the request including identification information identifying the second device and identifying the target data source;

initiating, in response to the request from the first device, the shared data connection with the second device according to the identification information from the first device, the shared data connection to distribute data from the target data source to a plurality of devices including the first device and the second device, the identification information identifying the plurality of devices and the target data source; and

splitting a first data stream containing the requested data into partial data streams to be communicated from the target data source to the first device and the second device via the shared data connection, the partial data streams, when aggregated, forming the data stream.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor includes a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, and the shared data connection is initiated according to device capability information obtained from a system providing service for a plurality of devices including the first device and the second device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device capability information is received by the system via control signaling from the second device.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further include associating data transmission characteristics with the shared data connection according to the device capability information.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the data transmission characteristics include at least one of a bandwidth limit associated with the shared data connection, a data rate limit associated with the shared data connection, and any combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the shared data connection is a first shared data connection, the identification information further identifies a third device, and the operations further include initiating a second shared data connection with the third device using the identification information.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes at least one of a telephone number for the second device, a uniform resource identifier for the second device, and any combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

detecting a change in status of the shared data connection; and

adjusting the splitting of the data stream to account for the change in status.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a request, from a first device, to transmit data from a target data source to a plurality of devices including the first device and a second device in a shared data connection, the request including identification information identifying the plurality of devices and identifying the target data source;

facilitating establishing, by a system including a processor, a plurality of shared data connection connections with the plurality of devices according to device the identification information from the first device of the plurality of devices, the shared data connection to distribute data from the target data source to the first device and the plurality of devices including the first device, wherein the device identification information identifies the plurality of devices and identifies the target data source;

splitting, by the system, a data stream into a plurality of partial data streams to be communicated from the target data source to the plurality of devices via the plurality of shared data connections connection;

the partial data streams, when aggregated, forming the data stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the processor includes a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, and the plurality of shared data connections are initiated responsive to a request received from the first device of the plurality of devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the facilitating establishing includes initiating the plurality of shared data connections.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of shared data connections are initiated according to device capability information obtained from the system, the system providing service for the plurality of devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the device capability information is received by the system via control signaling from the plurality of devices.

14. The method of claim 12, further including associating, by the system, data transmission characteristics with the plurality of shared data connections according to the device capability information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data transmission characteristics include at least one of a bandwidth limit associated with the plurality of shared data connections, a data rate limit associated with the plurality of shared data connections, and any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 9, further including:

detecting, by the system, a change in status of a first shared data connection of the plurality of shared data connections; and

adjusting, by the system, the splitting of the data stream to account for the change in status of the first shared data connection.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, including:

receiving a request from a first device to transmit data from a target data source to a plurality of devices including the first device and a second device via a shared data connection, the request including identification information identifying the plurality of devices including the second device, second device and identifying the target data source;

facilitating establishing, in response to the request from the first device, the shared data connection by which the requested data is to be transmitted from the target data source to the plurality of devices including the first device and the second device, according to the identification information which identifies the plurality of devices and identifies the target data source; and

splitting a data stream containing the requested data into partial data streams to be communicated from the target data source to the first device and the second device;

the partial data streams, when aggregated, forming the data stream.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the processor includes a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, and the partial data streams, when aggregated, form the data stream.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the shared data connection is initiated according to device capability information obtained from a system providing service for a plurality of devices including the first device and the second device.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the facilitating establishing includes initiating the shared data connection.