Application-specific traffic multiplexing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9264932-B2
Application number	US-201414279833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A system may be configured to multiplex traffic, on a per-application basis, over multiple networks. The traffic may be multiplexed based on weights, associated with each application, and key performance indicators (“KPIs”) associated with the networks. The system may output a first proportion of traffic, associated with the application, via a first network, and may output a second proportion of traffic, associated the application, via the second network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining, by a device, a first set of key performance indicators (“KPIs”) associated with a first network;
determining, by the device, a second set of KPIs associated with a second network, the second network being different from the first network;
generating, by the device, a set of scores associated with the first and second networks and further associated with first and second applications, the set of scores including:
a first score, for the first network and the first application, based on the first set of KPIs and a first set of weights, the first set of weights being associated with the first application,
a second score, for the first network and the second application, based on the first set of KPIs and a second set of weights, the second set of weights being associated with the second application,
a third score, for the second network and the first application, based on the second set of KPIs and the first set of weights, and
a fourth score, for the second network and the second application, based on the second set of KPIs and the second set of weights;

determining, by the device and based on the first score and the third score, a manner in which to output traffic, associated with the first application, over the first network and the second network; and
determining, by the device and based on the second score and the fourth score, a manner in which to output traffic, associated with the second application, over the first network and the second network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a particular set of KPIs, of the first and second sets of KPIs, includes at least one of:
latency,
throughput, or
packet loss.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a logical traffic flow from the first application;
generating a first traffic flow and a second traffic flow based on the logical traffic flow;
outputting the first traffic flow via the first network; and
outputting the second traffic flow via the second network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the first and second traffic flows includes:
adding information, to the first and second traffic flows, that allows the logical traffic flow to be reconstructed, from the first and second traffic flows, by a device that receives the first and second traffic flows.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the manner in which to output traffic, associated with the first application, over the first network and the second network, includes:
determining a first proportion of the traffic, associated with the first application, to output via the first network, and
determining a second proportion of the traffic, associated with the first application, to output via the second network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device includes a user device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving additional weighting information regarding at least one of:
the first network, or
the second network,

wherein generating the set of scores is further based on the additional weighting information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the set of scores is further based on a present location of the device.

9. A device, comprising:
a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions causes the processor to:
determine a first set of key performance indicators (“KPIs”) associated with a first network;
determine a second set of KPIs associated with a second network, the second network being different from the first network;
generate a set of scores associated with the first and second networks and further associated with first and second applications, the set of scores including:
a first score, for the first network and the first application, based on the first set of KPIs and a first set of weights, the first set of weights being associated with the first application,
a second score, for the first network and the second application, based on the first set of KPIs and a second set of weights, the second set of weights being associated with the second application,
a third score, for the second network and the first application, based on the second set of KPIs and the first set of weights, and
a fourth score, for the second network and the second application, based on the second set of KPIs and the second set of weights;

determine, based on the first score and the third score, a manner in which to output traffic, associated with the first application, over the first network and the second network; and
determine, based on the second score and the fourth score, a manner in which to output traffic, associated with the second application, over the first network and the second network.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein a particular set of KPIs, of the first and second sets of KPIs, includes at least one of:
latency,
throughput, or
packet loss.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:
generate a first traffic flow and a second traffic flow based on a logical traffic flow received from an application;
output the first traffic flow via the first network; and
output the second traffic flow via the second network.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to generate the first and second traffic flows, further causes the processor to:
add information, to the first and second traffic flows, that allows the logical traffic flow to be reconstructed, from the first and second traffic flows, by a device that receives the first and second traffic flows.

13. The device of claim 9 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine the manner in which to output traffic, associated with the first application, over the first network and the second network, further causes the processor to:
determine a first proportion of the traffic, associated with the first application, to output via the first network, and
determine a second proportion of the traffic, associated with the first application, to output via the second network.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first network includes a cellular network, and wherein the second network includes a Wi-Fi network.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the processor to:
receive additional weighting information regarding at least one of:
the first network, or
the second network,

wherein the set of scores is further based on the additional weighting information.

16. The device of claim 9 , wherein the set of scores is further based on a present location of the device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing a set of processor-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause a processor to:
determine a first set of key performance indicators (“KPIs”) associated with a first network;
determine a second set of KPIs associated with a second network, the second network being different from the first network;
generate a set of scores associated with the first and second networks and further associated with first and second applications, the set of scores including:
a first score, for the first network and the first application, based on the first set of KPIs and a first set of weights, the first set of weights being associated with the first application,
a second score, for the first

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Chen Ming
• Ren Dahai
• Zhang Lei

Classifications

• H04W28/0236 Primary

  radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay · CPC title

• H04L47/2491 Primary

  Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks · CPC title

• H04W28/02

  Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control · CPC title