Techniques for routing from an endpoint with simultaneous associations to multiple networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9722814-B2
Application number	US-201414271035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A node within a wireless endpoint device may be coupled to multiple heterogeneous networks simultaneously. The node is configured to select between the different networks based on various constraints associated with the endpoint device, applications executing on the endpoint device, traffic routed by the endpoint device, and constraints associated with the multiple networks. Based on these different constraints, and based on the current operating mode of the node, the node rates each network, and then selects the network with the highest rating to be used for routing purposes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting between heterogeneous networks, the method comprising:
acquiring a set of constraints associated with a network node;
determining a current operating mode associated with the network node;
prioritizing the set of constraints based on the current operating mode to generate a set of prioritized constraints;
acquiring, via one or more receiver devices, first information associated with the set of prioritized constraints from a first network to which the network node is coupled and second information associated with the set of prioritized constraints from a second network to which the network node is coupled;
generating a first rating for the first network based on the first information;
generating a second rating for the second network based on the second information;
determining that the first rating exceeds the second rating; and
in response to determining that the first rating exceeds the second rating, causing the network node to transmit or receive data on the first network.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of constraints includes one or more constraints associated with data traffic that the network node transmits or receives.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more constraints comprise a latency constraint associated with the data traffic, and wherein the operating mode comprises a low-latency operating mode.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the network node comprises an endpoint device, and the set of constraints includes one or more constraints associated with the endpoint device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more constraints comprise a power consumption constraint associated with the endpoint device, and wherein the operating mode comprises a power conservation mode.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of constraints includes one or more constraints associated with the first network and one or more constraints associated with the second network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more constraints associated with the first network comprise a first security constraint, the one or more constraints associated with the second network comprise a second security constraint, and wherein the operating mode comprises a secure operating mode.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein prioritizing the set of constraints comprises prioritizing the one or more constraints associated with the first network to generate one or more first prioritized network constraints, and wherein generating the first rating comprises:
weighting each constraint included in the one or more first prioritized network constraints based on an associated priority level to generate a first set of weighted constraints; and
accumulating the first set of weighted constraints to generate the first rating.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein prioritizing the set of constraints comprises prioritizing the one or more constraints associated with the second network to generate one or more second prioritized network constraints, and wherein generating the second rating comprises:
weighting each constraint included in the one or more second prioritized network constraints based on an associated priority level to generate a second set of weighted constraints; and
accumulating the second set of weighted constraints to generate the first rating.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more receiver devices comprise a wireless receiver.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit within a network node, cause the processing unit to select between heterogeneous networks, by performing the steps of:
prioritizing a set of constraints associated with the network node based on a current operating mode associated with the network node;
acquiring, via one or more receiver devices, first information associated with the set of constraints from a first network to which the network node is coupled and second information associated with the set of constraints from a second network to which the network node is coupled;
generating a first rating for the first network based on the first information;
generating a second rating for the second network based on the second information;
determining that the first rating exceeds the second rating; and
in response to determining that the first rating exceeds the second rating, causing the network node to transmit or receive data on the first network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the set of constraints includes one or more constraints associated with data traffic that the network node transmits or receives.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the one or more constraints comprise a latency constraint associated with the data traffic, and wherein the operating mode comprises a low-latency operating mode.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the network node comprises an endpoint device, and the set of constraints includes one or more constraints associated with the endpoint device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the one or more constraints comprise a power consumption constraint associated with the endpoint device, and wherein the operating mode comprises a power conservation mode.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the set of constraints includes one or more constraints associated with the first network and one or more constraints associated with the second network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more constraints associated with the first network comprise a first security constraint, the one or more constraints associated with the second network comprise a second security constraint, and wherein the operating mode comprises a secure operating mode.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein prioritizing the set of constraints comprises prioritizing the one or more constraints associated with the first network to generate one or more first prioritized network constraints, and wherein generating the first rating comprises:
weighting each constraint included in the one or more first prioritized network constraints based on an associated priority level to generate a first set of weighted constraints; and
accumulating the first set of weighted constraints to generate the first rating.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein prioritizing the set of constraints comprises prioritizing the one or more constraints associated with the second network to generate one or more second prioritized network constraints, and wherein generating the second rating comprises:
weighting each constraint included in the one or more second prioritized network constraints based on an associated priority level to generate a second set of weighted constraints; and
accumulating the second set of weighted constraints to generate the first rating.

20. A system for selecting between heterogeneous networks, comprising:
a memory unit storing program code comprising a software application;
a processing unit coupled to the memory unit and configured to execute the program code; and
a ne

Assignees

• Silver Spring Networks Inc
• Silver Springs Networks Inc

Inventors

• Victor Dalton
• Gottlib Elad
• Flammer Iii George H

Classifications

• H04W40/12

  based on transmission quality or channel quality · CPC title

• H04L12/5692 Primary

  Selection among different networks · CPC title