Network assisted bonding
A device is provided for facilitating a media transmission over a wireless network. The device may control and manage a plurality of first wireless modems on a first end node side. The plurality of first wireless modems may be configured to transmit/receive a plurality of data streams over a plurality of wireless data channels to/from at least one second wireless modem on a second end node side. The device may receive network-related information from a network component associated with the wireless network. The network-related information may be used to adjust the distribution or receipt of the plurality of data streams between the plurality of first wireless modems, thereby enabling reconstitution of the media transmission from the plurality of data streams. In addition, the device may be configured to send performance-related information to the network component, thereby enabling a determination to be made about managing network resources of the wireless network.
1. A network management system configured to facilitate a data transmission over at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first network and a second network, the system comprising:
a network device located intermediate a first end node on a data transmission side and a second end node on a data reception side, wherein the network device is configured to manage at least a portion of an operation of a communications network, wherein the data transmission side is associated with a plurality of wireless modems associated with the at least two wireless communications networks and the data reception side is associated with at least one third IP network, and wherein the at least two wireless communications networks include a plurality of wireless data channels for connecting the plurality of wireless modems with the at least one third IP network; and
at least one processor located in either the first end node on the data transmission side or in the second end node on the data reception side, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive information regarding the first end node on the data transmission side from the network device, wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of past or current network conditions that influence a current or future capacity of at least one of the plurality of wireless data channels, and wherein the information from the network device is received substantially simultaneously to the data transmission over the at least two wireless communications networks; and
based on the received information from the network device, instruct the first end node to redistribute the plurality of data streams between the plurality of wireless modems to improve the data transmission.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network device is configured to manage at least a portion of the operation of at least one of the first network, the second network, and the third IP network.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network device is at least one of the following: an element in a network router, an element in base station, an element in a Radio Network Controller (RNC), and RAN (Radio Access Network).
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network device has a physical location distinguishably separated from the first end node and the second end node.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive information regarding one of the plurality of wireless data channels and to instruct the first end node to redistribute the plurality of data streams, based on the received information.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to predict performances of the at least two wireless communications networks and to manage data offloading between the at least two wireless communications networks based on the predicted performances.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to instruct the first end node to adjust its video encoder based on the received information.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the received information includes data reflective of performance or a change in the performance of at least two of the plurality of wireless modems.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the plurality of wireless modems are associated with a single wireless communications network.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of performances or a change in the performances of at least one of the first network, second network, and the third IP network.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of performances or a change in the performances of at least two of the first network, second network, and the third IP network.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of a network congestion state of at least one of the first network, second network, and the third IP network.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein data reflective of a network congestion state include at least one of the following: measured uplink data bandwidth, measured uplink data latency, measured downlink data bandwidth, measured downlink data latency, measured uplink round trip time, measured downlink round trip time, PDCP SDU Congestion Experienced (CE) Codepoint or Codepoint set, and ECN-Capable Transport (ECT) codepoint or codepoint set.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of expected bandwidth state of at least one of the first network, second network, and the third IP network.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of at least one of expected handover state and expected handover timing of at least one of the first network, second network, and the third IP network.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of expected degradation state of at least one of the first network, second network, and the third IP network.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data reflective of general service characteristics available in a modem other than the plurality of wireless modems.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes data about a wireless local area network (WLAN), other than the first network and the second network, that is available to first end node.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information from the network device includes at least one of: modulation-related information, barrier-related information, number of users served, information related to load on access channels, access-related information, and neighboring cells statistics.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network is a first cellular network, the second network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and the third IP network is a wireline-based network.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network is a cellular network, the second network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and the third IP network is a wireless network.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data reception side includes a plurality of modems associated with the third IP network and at least one additional wireless network.
23. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first end node and the second end node is a smartphone or a mobile router.
24. The system of claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the first network and others of the plurality of wireless data channels are associated with the second network.
25. The system of claim 1 , wherein improving the data transmission includes at least one of: managing data offloading between the at least two wireless communications networks, improving resources utilization of at least one of the at least two wireless communications networks, increasing handover efficiency in at least one of the at least two wireless communications networks.
26. The system of claim 1 , wherein improving the data transmission includes improving power consumption and/or bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of wireless modems.
27. The system of claim 1 , wherein improving the data transmission includes lowering costs associated with the data transmission.
28. A software product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising data and computer implementable instructions for carrying out a method for assisting management of a data transmission over at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first network and a second network, the method configured to be executed by a network device located intermediate a first end node on a data transmission side and a second end node on a data reception side, wherein the network device is configured to manage at least a portion of an operation of a communications network, wherein the data transmission side is associated with a plurality of wireless modems associated with the at least two wireless communications networks and the data reception side is associated with at least one third IP network, and wherein the at least two wireless communications networks include a plurality of wireless data channels for connecting the plurality of wireless modems with the at least one third IP network, the method comprising:
receiving performance-related information regarding a first end node on the data transmission side;
receiving network-related information that reflects a state of at least one data channel from the plurality of wireless data channels; and
based on the received performance-related information and the network-related information, lowering costs associated with the data transmission by instructing the first end node to redistribute the plurality of data streams between the plurality of wireless modems.
29. A network management system configured to facilitate a data transmission over at least two wireless communications networks, including at least a first network and a second network, the system comprising:
a network device located intermediate a first end node on a data transmission side and a second end node on a data reception side, wherein the network device is configured to manage at least a portion of an operation of a communications network, wherein a data transmission side includes a first end node associated with a plurality of wireless modems associated with the at least two wireless communications networks and a data reception side includes a second end node associated with at least one third IP network, and wherein the at least two wireless communications networks include a plurality of wireless data channels for connecting the plurality of wireless modems with the at least one third IP network; and
at least one processor located in either the first end node on the data transmission side or in the second end node on the data reception side, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive information regarding the second end node from the network device, wherein the information includes data reflective of past or current network conditions that influence a current or future capacity of at least one of the plurality of wireless data channels, and wherein the information from the network device is received substantially simultaneously to the data transmission over the at least two wireless communications networks; and
based on the received information, instruct the first end node to redistribute the plurality of data streams between the plurality of wireless modems to improve the data transmission.