Method and system for utilizing commonality in data streams
View Patent ↗A device ( 132 ) for dynamically selecting a wireless communication mode for wirelessly communicating information to at least two wireless communication devices ( 104, 106 ) includes a packet data comparator ( 324 ) adapted to compare data packets in multiple data streams, each stream designated for transmission to a different one of multiple destination devices and also to identify at least two of the packets having identical information in at least a portion of the packets. The device ( 132 ) also includes an output ( 312 ) for sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode, and also for sending a remainder of the data streams to the at least two wireless communication devices in a unicast mode.
1. A method for dynamically selecting a wireless communication mode for wirelessly communicating information to at least two wireless communication devices, the method comprising:
comparing data packets in a plurality of data streams, each stream designated for transmission to a different one of a plurality of destination devices;
identifying at least two of the packets having identical information in at least a portion of the packets;
determining a bandwidth gain value for wirelessly sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in a multicast mode;
determining a cost value for the wirelessly sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode;
wirelessly sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode if the bandwidth gain value exceeds the cost value by a predetermined amount; and
wirelessly sending a remainder of the data streams to the at least two wireless communication devices in a unicast mode.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending an instruction to the at least two wireless communication devices to receive information in the multicast mode.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the instruction is an extension to a wireless unicast protocol.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information comprises:
wirelessly transmitting:
the identical information;
a plurality of device identifiers each identifying one of the at least two wireless communication devices that are to receive the identical information; and
an identifier for each of the at least two wireless communication devices that are to receive the identical information, identifying where in a series of data packets the identical information should be organized.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending an instruction to at least one of the wireless communication devices to move to a common communication channel.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning to each of the devices, before the wirelessly sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode, a universal identifier.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the assigning a universal identifier is performed by:
changing a current identifier; and
changing a current channel.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying at least two of the packets having identical information in at least a portion of the packets comprises comparing a first packet and an at least second packet and determining one or more of:
a first portion of addressing information within the first packet and a second portion of addressing information within the at least second packet are identical; and
a first portion of content within the first packet and a second portion of content within the at least second packet are the same.
9. An apparatus for dynamically selecting a wireless communication mode for wirelessly communicating information to at least two wireless communication devices, the apparatus comprising:
a packet data comparator that compares data packets in a plurality of data streams, each stream designated for transmission to a different one of a plurality of destination devices and identifies at least two of the packets having identical information in at least a portion of the packets;
a bandwidth calculator configured to:
determine a bandwidth gain value for sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in a multicast mode; and
determine a cost value for the sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode;
means for sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode if the bandwidth gain value exceeds the cost value by a predetermined amount; and
means for sending a remainder of the data streams to the at least two wireless communication devices in a unicast mode.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a wireless communication mode notifier that sends an instruction to the at least two wireless communication devices to receive information in the multicast mode.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the instruction is an extension to a wireless unicast protocol.
12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the means for sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information and the means for sending a remainder of the data streams is a wireless transmitter.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the wireless transmitter transmits:
the identical information;
a plurality of device identifiers each identifying one of the at least two wireless communication devices that are to receive the identical information; and
an identifier for each of the at least two wireless communication devices that are to receive the identical information, identifying where in a series of data packets the identical information should be organized.
14. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a means for sending an instruction to at least one of the wireless communication devices to move to a common communication channel.
15. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a processor configured to assign a universal identifier to each of the devices before the means for sending the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices sends the at least a portion of the packets having the identified identical information to the at least two wireless communication devices in the multicast mode.
16. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the identifying at least two of the packets having identical information in at least a portion of the packets comprises comparing a first packet and an at least second packet and determining one or more of:
a first portion of addressing information within the first packet and a second portion of addressing information within the at least second packet are identical; and
a first portion of content within the first packet and a second portion of content within the at least second packet are the same.