Multipath data streaming over multiple wireless networks
Embodiments described herein relate to real-time streaming of large quantities of time critical data over multiple distinct networks from a wireless communications device. More specifically, embodiments described herein may address challenges and problems of maintaining consistent data reception quality when faced with the anomalies of a moving sender that is sending data using a relatively unstable radio frequency (RF) method. This may be achieved by converting single source data into multiple data streams, placing them in transport buffers and storing them for forwarding. A plurality radio frequency interface modules provide wireless connectivity to a plurality of wireless networks for transmission over the plurality of networks. Links are maintained to provide feedback on network connections to allow for the transfer of data from one network to another, from one radio frequency interface module to another, and to adjust the amount of data being transmitted.
1. A system for transmitting large volumes of source data over a plurality of wireless networks comprising:
one or more computer memories;
a buffer management and transport controller, the buffer management and transport controller configured to divide an encoded data stream into a plurality of data packets for buffering into multiple transport buffers in the one or more computer memories; and
a plurality of radio frequency interfaces configured to wirelessly transmit the plurality of data packets to the plurality of wireless networks to aggregate throughput across the plurality of wireless networks, wherein the plurality of radio frequency interfaces are further configured to provide wireless connectivity conditions to the buffer management and transport controller regarding the plurality of wireless networks, wherein the plurality of wireless networks are operated by two or more network carriers;
wherein the buffer management and transport controller is further configured to process the wireless connectivity conditions to: for a data packet of the plurality of data packets and prior to a transmission of the data packet, withdraw the data packet from a transport buffer of the multiple transport buffers and select a radio frequency interface for the transmission of the data packet over at least one of the plurality of wireless networks.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a data transmission control and reassembly hardware processor configured to receive the plurality of data packets from the plurality of wireless networks for reassembly.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the data transmission control and reassembly hardware processor is configured to provide receiver feedback to the buffer management and transport controller regarding additional wireless connectivity conditions for the plurality of wireless networks, and wherein the buffer management and transport controller is further configured to process the receiver feedback to select the radio frequency interface for the transmission of the data packet.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer management and transport controller is configured to match an input rate for the plurality of data packets with a withdraw rate for the plurality of data packets at a transport buffer of the multiple transport buffers using the wireless connectivity conditions.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connectivity conditions comprise one-way network latency, and wherein the one-way network latency comprises a delay between when a data packet is transmitted and when the data packet is received.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one radio frequency interfaces of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces concurrently maintains multiple network connections to the plurality of wireless networks.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transport controller is further configured, using the received wireless connectivity conditions, to dynamically and selectively redirect a data packet of the plurality of data packets from one radio frequency interface to another radio frequency interface of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces, and from one available wireless network to another available wireless network of the plurality of wireless networks, whereby data throughput to a destination receiver is maintained.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source data is transmitted in real-time with a constant delay.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a data source configured to capture a continuous real-time stream of audio-video data for the encoded data stream.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connectivity conditions comprise information relating to:
an error rate for each of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces based on the assembled packets that are not delivered at the destination for re-assembly; and
a capacity condition for each of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces based on the assembled packets that are delivered at the destination for re-assembly.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer management and transport controller is configured to control:
delivery of each data packet of the plurality of data packets from a transport buffer of the multiple transport buffers to a corresponding radio frequency interface of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces; and
transmission, for re-assembly at a destination, of each data packet of the plurality of data packets from the plurality of radio frequency interfaces for wireless transmission over one of the plurality of wireless networks.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer management and transport controller is configured to use the received wireless connectivity conditions to control at least one of the quantity and the quality of the captured continuous real-time stream.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer management and transport controller is further configured to route redundant packets to the plurality of radio frequency interfaces for increased transmission reliability.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connectivity conditions are selected from the group consisting of: one-way network latency, glass-to-glass latency, transmit collisions at one or more said simultaneously available different wireless networks; the number of the interfaces in the wireless radio transmission with each said simultaneously available different wireless network; throughput requirements of the plurality of interfaces for the wireless radio transmission on each said simultaneously available different wireless network; coverage drop-off indicators; time between successful transmission attempts; status values; Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI); packet retransmissions; average packet loss per link; sender bandwidth; destination bandwidth; current available bandwidth; and combinations thereof.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer management and transport controller is further configured, using the wireless connectivity conditions, to control a transmission rate of data packets to a corresponding radio frequency interface module of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces from the multiple transport buffers.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces is configured to apply congestion control to establish and maintain a transmission rate of data packets.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces is configured to apply congestion control by determining a congestion avoidance threshold.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein an initial value of the congestion avoidance threshold is determined as a function of a measured transmission rate.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein a target transmission rate is determined based on at least one of the congestion avoidance threshold and a measured transmission latency.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of radio frequency interfaces is configured to transmit data packets at the target transmission rate.
21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the congestion avoidance threshold is increased when a measured transmission latency is within a pre-defined range.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radio frequency interfaces are configured to transmit the plurality of data packets to the plurality of wireless networks simultaneously or near simultaneously.
23. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of wireless networks have disparate network characteristics or conditions.
24. A method for transmitting large volumes of source data over a plurality of wireless networks, the method comprising:
dividing an encoded data stream into a plurality of data packets;
buffering the plurality of data packets into multiple transport buffers;
determining wireless connectivity conditions regarding the plurality of wireless networks, wherein the plurality of wireless networks are operated by two or more network carriers;
wirelessly transmitting the plurality of data packets to the plurality of wireless networks to aggregate throughput across the plurality of wireless networks; and
processing the wireless connectivity conditions to: for a data packet of the plurality of data packets and prior to a transmission of the data packet, withdraw the data packet from a transport buffer of the multiple transport buffers and dynamically select a radio frequency interface for the transmission of the data packet over at least one of the plurality of wireless networks.
25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising receiving the plurality of data packets from the plurality of wireless networks for reassembly.
26. The method of claim 24 , further comprising receiving receiver feedback regarding additional wireless connectivity conditions for the plurality of wireless networks, and further processing the receiver feedback to select the radio frequency interface for the transmission of the data packet.
27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the wireless transmitting comprises concurrently maintaining network connections to the plurality of wireless networks.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of data packets are transmitted such that source data is transmitted in real-time with a constant delay.
29. The method of claim 24 , further comprising capturing a continuous real-time stream of audio-video data, and encoding the captured stream of audio-video data to form the encoded data stream.
30. The method of claim 24 , wherein said wirelessly transmitting comprises applying congestion control to establish and maintain a transmission rate of data packets.