Multiple link communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788187-B2
Application number	US-201514826851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A communication device includes a Session Management Module (SMM) that controls data that is communicated via a first communication link and the data that is communicated via a second communication link and causes the following steps to be performed: discovering a second device via a first communication link, establishing a communication session between the communication device and the second device over a first subset of the communication links (the selection of the first subset of the communication links is a function of a communication link selection rule), exchanging a first type of data over the at least one of the first subset of communication links (the at least one of the first subset of communication links is selected in accordance with a communication link data selection rule), and ending the communication session between the communication device and the second device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
(a) discovering a first plurality of wireless communication links from a first device to a second device, wherein the first device comprises a first Session Management Module (SSM), and wherein the second device comprises a second Session Management Module (SMM);
(b) determining the bandwidth capacity for each of the first plurality of wireless communication links;
(c) selecting a second plurality of wireless communication links, wherein each of the second plurality of wireless communication links are included in the first plurality of wireless communication links, and wherein the selecting of (c) is a function of a preference indicator generated by a processor executing an application included in the first device;
(d) selecting a method of data compression, wherein the selected method of data compression is a function of the bandwidth capacity determined in (b); and
(e) communicating a single stream of data from the first device to the second device via the selected second plurality of wireless communication links, wherein each of the wireless communication links have a different communication characteristic, wherein a first portion of the data is communicated via a first wireless communication link of the second plurality of wireless communication links, and wherein a second portion of the data is communicated via a second wireless communication link of the second plurality of wireless communication links.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different communication characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: different frequency band, different communication protocol, and different communication medium.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of (a) and the selecting of (c) is performed by the first SMM on the first device, and wherein the first SMM is a combinatory logic circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of (a) and the selecting of (c) is performed by the first SMM, and wherein the first SMM is an application executing on a processor.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(c 1 ) enabling the selected second plurality of wireless communication links on the second device, wherein the enabling of (c 1 ) is performed by the second SMM in response to receiving a configuration command from the first SMM.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is video data, wherein the first portion of the data is I-frame data, and wherein the second portion of the data is P-frame data.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) detecting a change in the first plurality of wireless communication links;
(g) determining the bandwidth capacity for each of the first plurality of wireless communication links;
(h) selecting a third plurality of wireless communication links; and
(I) communicating data from the first device to the second device via the third plurality of wireless communication links, wherein the third plurality of wireless communication links are included in the first plurality of wireless communication links.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) detecting a new wireless communication link that is not included in the first plurality of wireless communication links;
(g) adding the new wireless communication link to the selected second plurality of wireless communication links, thereby generating a third plurality of wireless communication links; and
(h) communicating data from the first device to the second device via the third plurality of wireless communication links.

9. A method for managing a plurality of communication links between a first device and a second device, wherein each of the communication links have a unique characteristic not shared with any of the other communication links, the method comprising:
(a) discovering a service available on the second device via a first communication link;
(b) establishing a communication session between the first device and the second device over a first subset of the communication links, wherein the selection of the first subset of the communication links is a function of a communication link selection rule;
(c) communicating a first portion of a stream of data via a first communication link and a second portion of the stream of data via a second communication link, wherein the at least one of the first subset of communication links is selected in accordance with a communication link data selection rule; and wherein the communication link selection rule is a function of a preference generated by a processor executing an application included in the first device; and
(d) ending the communication session between the first device and the second device when the service is no longer available or needed.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication link selection data rule limits the bandwidth that can be used for each communication link.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication link selection rule requires that a communication link have a minimum signal-to-noise ratio.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein communication link selection rule is a policy set by a network controller.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication link data selection rule limits communication of a first type of data to one of the plurality of communication links.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication link data selection rule is a pattern of traffic.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication link data selection rule is a transmitter policy.

16. A communication device, comprising:
a first physical network port that communicates data to a first wireless communication link;
a second physical network port that communicates data to a second wireless communication link; and
a Session Management Module (SMM) that controls the data that is communicated via the first wireless communication link and the data that is communicated via the second wireless communication link, wherein the SMM causes the following steps to be performed:
(a) discovering a second device via a first communication link;
(b) establishing a communication session between the communication device and the second device over a first subset of the wireless communication links, wherein the selection of the first subset of the wireless communication links is a function of a communication link selection rule;
(c) communicating a first portion of a stream of data via a first wireless communication link and a second portion of the stream of data via a second wireless communication link, wherein the at least one of the first subset of wireless communication links is selected in accordance with a communication link data selection rule; and wherein the communication link selection rule and the communication link data selection rule are both set by a processor executing an application included in the communication device; and
(d) ending the communication session between the communication device and the second device.

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Wang Chao-Chun

Classifications

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W72/02

  Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal · CPC title

• H04W76/023

  Electricity · mapped topic