IP Library Granted Patent US 9,985,874
Granted Patent B2
US 9,985,874 · App. 14/872,173 · Granted May 29, 2018

Network traffic split among multiple paths

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,985,874
App. No.
14/872,173
Granted
May 29, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A transmitter includes a buffer programmed to queue packets and a computing device having a processor and a data storage medium. The computing device is programmed to generate at least two sub-packets from each of the plurality of packets stored in the queue. For each sub-packet, the computing device is programmed to identify a plurality of transmission opportunities. Each transmission opportunity is associated with one of a plurality of networks. The computing device is further programmed to select among the plurality of transmission opportunities and transmit the sub-packet over the network associated with the selected transmission opportunity.

Claims (35)

1. A transmitter comprising:

a buffer; and

a computing device having a processor and a non-transitory data storage medium, wherein the computing device is programmed to generate at least a first sub-packet and a second sub-packet from a packet stored in the buffer and identify a plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the first sub-packet and identify a plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the second sub-packet,

wherein each transmission opportunity is associated with one of a plurality of networks and wherein each transmission opportunity defines a different length of transmission time and at least one of a different time slot and a different amount of data transmission capacity available to transmit one of the first and second sub-packets over one of the plurality of networks, and

wherein the computing device is further programmed to select a first transmission opportunity from among the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the first sub-packet and transmit the first sub-packet over the network associated with the first transmission opportunity, and

wherein the computing device is further programmed to select a second transmission opportunity from among the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the second sub-packet and transmit the second sub-packet over the network associated with the second transmission opportunity.

2. The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission opportunity and the second transmission opportunity are associated with different networks.

3. The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is programmed to transmit the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet in a predetermined order.

4. The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is programmed to assign a first priority to the first sub-packet and a second priority to the second sub-packet, wherein the computing device is programmed to transmit the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet according to the first priority and the second priority.

5. The transmitter of claim 4 , wherein the second priority is higher than the first priority and the computing device is programmed to transmit the second sub-packet before the first sub-packet.

6. The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of networks includes a scrambled coded multiple access (SCMA) network.

7. The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is programmed to transmit the first sub-packet over a first network path associated with the first transmission opportunity and transmit the second sub-packet over a second network path associated with the second transmission opportunity after transmitting the first sub-packet over the first network path.

8. The transmitter of claim 7 , wherein the computing device is programmed to generate the first sub-packet according to a communication protocol associated with the first network path and further programmed to generate the second sub-packet according to a communication protocol associated with the second network path after generating the first sub-packet.

9. The transmitter of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is programmed to identify the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the second sub-packet after transmitting the first sub-packet over the first network path.

10. The transmitter of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is programmed to generate the first sub-packet after identifying the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the first sub-packet.

11. The transmitter of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is programmed to generate the second sub-packet after identifying the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the second sub-packet.

12. A telecommunications system comprising:

a transmitter programmed to queue packets and generate at least a first sub-packet and a second sub-packet from one of the packets, and wherein the transmitter is further programmed to:

identify a plurality of transmission opportunities for each of the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet, wherein each transmission opportunity is associated with one of a plurality of networks and wherein each transmission opportunity defines a different length of transmission time and at least one of a different time slot and a different amount of data transmission capacity available to transmit one of the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet,

select among the plurality of transmission opportunities, wherein selecting among the plurality of transmission opportunities includes selecting a first transmission opportunity from among the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the first sub-packet and selecting a second transmission opportunity from among the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the second sub-packet, and

transmit the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet over the networks associated with the first transmission opportunity and the second transmission opportunity, respectively; and

a receiver programmed to receive the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet transmitted over the networks associated with the first transmission opportunity and the second transmission opportunity, respectively.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is programmed to transmit the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet in a predetermined order.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitter is programmed to assign a first priority to the first sub-packet and a second priority to the second sub-packet and transmit the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet according to the first priority and the second priority.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 12 , wherein one of the plurality of networks includes a scrambled coded multiple access (SCMA) network, and wherein the transmitter and receiver are programmed to communicate over the SCMA network in addition to at least one other network.

16. A method comprising:

queuing a packet in a buffer;

generating a first sub-packet and a second sub-packet, from the packet queued in the buffer;

identifying a plurality of transmission opportunities for each of the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet, wherein each transmission opportunity is associated with one of a plurality of networks and wherein each transmission opportunity defines a different length of transmission time and at least one of a different time slot and a different amount of data transmission capacity available to transmit one of the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet;

selecting among the plurality of transmission opportunities, wherein selecting among the plurality of transmission opportunities includes selecting a first transmission opportunity from among the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the first sub-packet and selecting a second transmission opportunity from among the plurality of transmission opportunities available for transmitting the second sub-packet; and

transmitting the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet over the networks associated with the first transmission opportunity and the second transmission opportunity, respectively.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining a first priority associated with the first sub-packet;

determining a second priority associated with the second sub-packet; and

transmitting the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet according to the first priority and the second priority.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION NUMBER 15649418 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 050600 FRAME 0314. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENTS. Recorded Sep 3, 2020
From: WELLS FARGO, NATIONAL BANK ASSOCIATION
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053703/0367 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENTS Recorded Oct 1, 2019
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 050600/0314 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2018
From: HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION - AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046596/0472 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2015
From: BORDER, JOHN; TORRES, ROBERT
To: HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 036700/0264 →