Remote transmission system
A transmission apparatus includes a plurality of modems, which are configured to communicate via respective wireless communication channels and includes at least first and second modems configured to communicate respectively over separate first and second wireless communication networks. The transmission apparatus also includes a stream processor, which is configured to receive and process an incoming media stream so as to provide multiple upload streams for transmission by different ones of the modems, including first and second upload streams for transmission by the first and second modems, respectively.
1. A device configured to facilitate video transmission from a remote location, the device comprising:
a first modem connection for enabling transmission of a first plurality of packets from a first modem to a receiving location via a first wireless transmission channel in at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
a second modem connection for enabling transmission of a second plurality of packets from a second modem to the receiving location via a second wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
a third modem connection for enabling transmission of a third plurality of packets from a third modem to the receiving location via a third wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
a fourth modem connection for enabling transmission of a fourth plurality of packets from a fourth modem to the receiving location via a fourth wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location; and
at least one processor configured to:
receive the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets, wherein the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets are part of a single video stream; and
distribute the first plurality of packets to the first modem;
distribute the second plurality of packets to the second modem;
distribute the third plurality of packets to the third modem; and
distribute the fourth plurality of packets to the fourth modem.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to distribute the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets in a manner permitting reconstruction of the video stream at the receiving location.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to enable an additional plurality of packets to be transmitted to the receiving location via at least two of: the first wireless transmission channel, the second wireless transmission channel, the third wireless transmission channel and the fourth wireless transmission channel.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to enable transmission of at least one of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets to the receiving location via a communication route that includes an Internet connection and a cellular communication network.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wireless communication network includes at least two wireless communication networks, and the first plurality of packets is transmitted to the receiving location using a first wireless communication network, and the second plurality of packets is transmitted to the receiving location using a second wireless communication network different from the first wireless communication network.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to create a virtual broadband upload connection using upload capacity of the first modem, the second modem, the third modem and the fourth modem.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein during a transmission period, the first plurality of packets is greater in number than each of the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets, resulting in more packets transmitted via the first wireless transmission channel than via each of the second wireless transmission channel, the third wireless transmission channel and the fourth wireless transmission channel.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to be powered by a mobile power source.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to distribute the first plurality of packets over the first wireless transmission channel while the second plurality of packets are transmitted over the second wireless transmission channel.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to enable transmission of at least one of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets via a first cellular communication network, and enable transmission of at least one other of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets via a second cellular communication network different from the first cellular communication network.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the video stream associated with the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets is a live video stream, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to enable packet distribution in a manner permitting the video stream to be reconstructed at the receiving location.
12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one WiFi modem, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to distribute, a fifth plurality of packets to the WiFi modem.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wireless communication network includes a plurality of wireless communication networks, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically adjust distribution of at least one of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets based at least in part on differences in bandwidth between the plurality of wireless communication networks.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor includes at least one modem manager configured to manage transmission of packets via at least the first wireless transmission channel, the second wireless transmission channel, the third wireless transmission channel and fourth wireless transmission channel.
15. A device configured to facilitate video transmission from a remote location, the device comprising:
at least one processor configured to receive and distribute at least a first plurality of packets, a second plurality of packets, a third plurality of packets, and a fourth plurality of packets, wherein the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets are associated with a single video stream, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
enable transmission of the first plurality of packets to a receiving location via a first wireless transmission channel in at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
enable transmission of the second plurality of packets to the receiving location via a second wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
enable transmission of the third plurality of packets to the receiving location via a third wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location; and
enable transmission of the fourth plurality of packets to the receiving location via a fourth wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor includes at least one modem manager configured to manage transmission of packets via at least the first wireless transmission channel, the second wireless transmission channel, the third wireless transmission channel and fourth wireless transmission channel.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to enable transmission of at least one of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets via a first cellular communication network, and enable transmission of at least one other of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets via a second cellular communication network different from the first cellular communication network.
18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to distribute of the first plurality of packets to a first modem, the second plurality of packets to a second modem, the third plurality of packets to a third modem, and the fourth plurality of packets to a fourth modem, and each of the four modems lacks sufficient performance to singularly transmit the video stream at a desired quality, while the combined performance of the four modems has sufficient performance to transmit the plurality of data packets in a manner permitting the video stream to be reconstructed at the receiving location at the desired quality.
19. The device of claim 15 , wherein the video stream is a live video stream and the at least one processor is further configured to enable: transmission of the first plurality of packets at a first transmission rate, transmission of the second plurality of packets at a second transmission rate, transmission of the third plurality of packets at a third transmission rate, and transmission of the fourth plurality of packets at a fourth transmission rate such that a combination of all the transmission rates enables reconstruction of the video stream at the receiving location.
20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust at least one of the first transmission rate, the second transmission rate, the third transmission rate, and the fourth transmission rate, to compensate for a change in throughput of the at least one wireless communication network.
21. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to manage transmission of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets via the first transmission channel, the second transmission channel, the third transmission channel and the fourth transmission channel, based on at least one performance factor chosen from a group consisting of: modem rate, bandwidth, modem reliability, operating license limitations, network congestion, modem error rate, transmission latency and connection quality.
22. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to assign an identifier to each packet of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality, and to enable packet transmission from the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets in non-serial order.
23. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to manage a video encoder configured to adjust at least one compression rate of video transmitted in the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets received.
24. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store in a buffer at least some of the of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets.
25. The device of claim 15 , wherein the least one processor is further configured to distribute the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets based on feedback information from the receiving location, and wherein the feedback information is reflective of performance.
26. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the feedback information via a back channel and to adjust quality of the live video stream based on the feedback information.
27. The device of claim 15 , further comprising at least one WiFi modem, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to distribute, via an Internet connection, a fifth plurality of packets to the receiving location using the WiFi modem.
28. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one wireless communication network includes a plurality of wireless communication networks, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically adjust distribution of at least one of the first plurality of packets, the second plurality of packets, the third plurality of packets and the fourth plurality of packets based, at least in part, on differences in bandwidth between the plurality of wireless communication networks.
29. A method for transmitting live video from a remote location, the method comprising:
splitting a video stream into a plurality of packets;
distributing a first group of the plurality of packets to a first modem, a second group of the plurality of packets to a second modem, a third group of the plurality of packets to a third modem, and a fourth group of the plurality of packets to a fourth modem;
transmitting the first group of packets to a receiving location via a first wireless transmission channel in at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
transmitting the second group of packets to the receiving location via a second wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
transmitting the third group of packets to a receiving location via a third wireless transmission channel in at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
transmitting the fourth group of packets to the receiving location via a fourth wireless transmission channel in the at least one wireless communication network wirelessly accessible from the remote location;
wherein the transmission of the first group of packets, the second group of packets, the third group of packets and the fourth group of packets enables reconstructing the video stream at the receiving location.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein transmission of the first group packets is at a first transmission rate, transmission of the second group packets is at a second transmission rate, transmission of the third group packets is at a third transmission rate, and transmission of the fourth group packets is at a fourth transmission rate, and a combination of all of the transmission rates enables reconstruction of the video stream at the receiving location.