Transmitting information across a communications network
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting a given collection of information across a data network comprising at least one wireless network node,the given collection of information being capable of being transmitted across the network by means of data in a plurality of different formats including a first format and a second format, the second format being less demanding of the network than the first format by means of compromising on the way in which the information is represented by the data, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- a software application module running on computer hardware having the collection of information for transmission across a data network requesting a status of at least part of a route from a local node in the network to a destination node in the network, the route comprising at least one wireless link between the local node and the destination node within the network;
the software application module receiving an indication of the status of said at least part of the route, wherein the indication of the status of the route received by the software application module includes an indication of a current status as well as a rate of change of a particular characteristic from which a prediction of a future status can be made;
the software application module transmitting the data in an initial format chosen from among at least the first format and the second format in dependence on at least the received indication of the current status as well as the received rate of change of the particular characteristic;
wherein the step of the software application module requesting the status of the route is performed before any attempt is made by the software application module to initiate the sending of the data to the destination node; and
thenwhile the data representing the given collection of information is being transmitted in the initially chosen format;
the software application module receiving a further indication of the status of said at least part of the route wherein said further indication of the status of the route received by the software application module includes a further indication of the current status as well as a further rate of change of the particular characteristic from which the prediction of the future status can be made; and
in dependence on at least the received further indication of current status as well as the received further rate of change of the particular characteristic, choosing a format different from the initially chosen format from among the at least the first format and the second format, andsubsequently transmitting data in that different format.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Information is transmitted across a wireless data network, comprising a wireless link (100) from a software application module on a computer hardware device (112) to a computer hardware device (110) associated with a destination node in the network. The application requests (114) the status of the route across the network, such information being optionally provided by a decision engine (104) which has access to network status parameters, such as bandwidth, latency and link quality. The application receives (118) the status information and then, and preferably only then, transmits (120) the data in a format chosen from a plurality of different formats (of differing richness of information represented by the date in each such format) in dependence on the indication of the status so received.
15 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting a given collection of information across a data network comprising at least one wireless network node,
the given collection of information being capable of being transmitted across the network by means of data in a plurality of different formats including a first format and a second format, the second format being less demanding of the network than the first format by means of compromising on the way in which the information is represented by the data, wherein the method comprises the steps of: -
a software application module running on computer hardware having the collection of information for transmission across a data network requesting a status of at least part of a route from a local node in the network to a destination node in the network, the route comprising at least one wireless link between the local node and the destination node within the network; the software application module receiving an indication of the status of said at least part of the route, wherein the indication of the status of the route received by the software application module includes an indication of a current status as well as a rate of change of a particular characteristic from which a prediction of a future status can be made; the software application module transmitting the data in an initial format chosen from among at least the first format and the second format in dependence on at least the received indication of the current status as well as the received rate of change of the particular characteristic; wherein the step of the software application module requesting the status of the route is performed before any attempt is made by the software application module to initiate the sending of the data to the destination node; and
thenwhile the data representing the given collection of information is being transmitted in the initially chosen format; the software application module receiving a further indication of the status of said at least part of the route wherein said further indication of the status of the route received by the software application module includes a further indication of the current status as well as a further rate of change of the particular characteristic from which the prediction of the future status can be made; and in dependence on at least the received further indication of current status as well as the received further rate of change of the particular characteristic, choosing a format different from the initially chosen format from among the at least the first format and the second format, and subsequently transmitting data in that different format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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7. A method of transmitting information across a data network comprising at least one wireless network node,
the information being capable of being transmitted across the network by means of data in a plurality of different formats including a first format and a second format, the second format being less demanding of the network than the first format by means of compromising on the way in which the information is represented by the data, wherein the method comprises the steps of: -
a processor analyzing one or more characteristics of a status and a rate of change of a particular characteristic from which a prediction of a future status can be made, of at least part of a route from one node in the network to another node in the network, the route comprising at least one wireless link between two nodes within the network; the processor receiving a request from a software application module for an indication of which of the plurality of different formats data can be sent over said at least part of the route, in response, and in dependence on said one or more characteristics and said rate of change analyzed by the processor, the processor indicates which format or formats, if any, of the data among the plurality of different formats including at least the first format and the second format that can be supported by said at least part of the route, the processor periodically reanalyzing said one or more characteristics of a status and a rate of change of a particular characteristic from which a prediction of the future status can be made, of said at least part of a route, during transmission of a given collection of information, and in dependence on said one or more characteristics and said rate of change reanalyzed by the processor, indicating which format or formats, if any, of the data that can be supported by said at least part of the route, at least one of said formats being a format different from a previously indicated format or formats among the plurality of different formats including at least the first format and the second format. - View Dependent Claims (8, 10, 12, 13, 18)
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Specification