Multiple gateway device, multiplex line communication system, multiple line communication method and program

A multichannel gateway that is connected to a terminal and two or more communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line, comprising:

• a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a line manager that detects the status of the communication units and updates the line information;
• a packet acquirer that acquires a packet for transmission from the terminal to be transmitted to another terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determiner that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet divider that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when the segmentation necessity determiner determines that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitter that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented by the packet divider or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding communication unit, wherein
• the line information includes information that indicates the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed;
• and
• the segmentation necessity determiner adds the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed when calculating the segment sizes.

A multiplex transmission line communication system that comprises:

• a transmitting-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a transmitting-side terminal and two or more transmitting-side communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line;
• and a receiving-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a receiving-side terminal and two or more receiving-side communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line;
• wherein
• the transmitting-side terminal
• transmits a packet for transmission intended for the receiving-side terminal to the transmitting-side multichannel gateway;
• the transmitting-side multichannel gateway comprises:
• a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a line manager that detects the status of the transmitting-side communication units and updates the line information;
• a packet acquirer that acquires a packet for transmission from the transmitting-side terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determiner that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet divider that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when the segmentation necessity determiner determines that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitter that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented by the packet divider or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding transmitting-side communication unit;
• wherein
• the transmitting-side communication unit
• uses an established communication line to transmit the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side multichannel gateway to the receiving-side communication unit;
• the receiving-side communication unit
• transmits the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side communication unit to the receiving-side multichannel gateway;
• the receiving-side multichannel gateway comprises:
• a packet receiver that receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side communication unit;
• and
• a packet combiner that, when the packet for communication has been segmented, combines and restores the packet, and transmits the packet for transmission to the receiving-side terminal;
• and
• the receiving-side terminal
• receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side multichannel gateway, wherein
• the packet divider attaches headers to each of the packets for transmission that were segmented into the segments, and generates transmission packets;
• the packet transmitter transmits the transmission packets to the corresponding respective communication units;
• and
• the segmentation necessity determiner, based on the segment sizes, determines for the packet for transmission whether or not the packet size of the transmission packet that is to be transmitted using the line having the narrowest communication bandwidth is greater than the size of the packet header for that line, and when the packet size of the transmission packet that is to be transmitted using the line having the narrowest communication bandwidth is greater than the size of the packet header for that line, determines to segment the packet for transmission.

A multiplex transmission line communication system that comprises:

• a transmitting-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a transmitting-side terminal and two or more transmitting-side communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line;
• and a receiving-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a receiving-side terminal and two or more receiving-side communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line;
• wherein
• the transmitting-side terminal
• transmits a packet for transmission intended for the receiving-side terminal to the transmitting-side multichannel gateway;
• the transmitting-side multichannel gateway comprises:
• a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a line manager that detects the status of the transmitting-side communication units and updates the line information;
• a packet acquirer that acquires a packet for transmission from the transmitting-side terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determiner that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet divider that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when the segmentation necessity determiner determines that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitter that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented by the packet divider or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding transmitting-side communication unit;
• wherein
• the transmitting-side communication unit
• uses an established communication line to transmit the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side multichannel gateway to the receiving-side communication unit;
• the receiving-side communication unit
• transmits the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side communication unit to the receiving-side multichannel gateway;
• the receiving-side multichannel gateway comprises:
• a packet receiver that receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side communication unit;
• and
• a packet combiner that, when the packet for communication has been segmented, combines and restores the packet, and transmits the packet for transmission to the receiving-side terminal;
• and
• the receiving-side terminal
• receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side multichannel gateway, wherein
• the line information includes information that indicates the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed;
• and
• the segmentation necessity determiner adds the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed when calculating the segment sizes.

A multiplex transmission line communication method that is executed by a multiplex transmission line communication system that comprises:

• a transmitting-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a transmitting-side terminal and two or more transmitting-side communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line;
• and a receiving-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a receiving-side terminal and two or more receiving-side communication units that establish two or more lines
• of one logical line;
• wherein
• the transmitting-side terminal executes
• a step of a transmitting a packet for transmission intended for the receiving-side terminal to the transmitting-side multichannel gateway;
• the transmitting-side multichannel gateway executes
• a line managing step that detects the status of the transmitting-side communication units and updates the line information that is stored in a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a packet acquisition step that acquires a packet for transmission from the transmitting-side terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determining step that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet dividing step that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when in the segmentation necessity determining step it was determined that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitting step that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented in the packet dividing step or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding transmitting-side communication unit;
• the transmitting-side communication unit executes
• a step that uses an established communication line to transmit the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side multichannel gateway to the receiving-side communication unit;
• the receiving-side communication unit executes
• a step that transmits the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side communication unit to the receiving-side multichannel gateway;
• the receiving-side multichannel gateway executes
• a packet receiving step that receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side communication unit;
• and
• a packet combining step that, when the packet for communication has been segmented, combines and restores the packet, and transmits the packet for transmission to the receiving-side terminal;
• and
• the receiving-side terminal executes
• a step that receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side multichannel gateway, wherein
• the transmitting-side multichannel gateway attaches headers to each of the packets for transmission that were segmented into the segments, and generates transmission packets in the packet dividing step;
• transmits the transmission packets to the corresponding respective communication units in the packet transmitting step;
• and
• based on the segment sizes, determines for the packet for transmission whether or not the packet size of the transmission packet that is to be transmitted using the line having the narrowest communication bandwidth is greater than the size of the packet header for that line, and when the packet size of the transmission packet that is to be transmitted using the line having the narrowest communication bandwidth is greater than the size of the packet header for that line, determines to segment the packet for transmission in the segmentation necessity determining step.

A multiplex transmission line communication method that is executed by a multiplex transmission line communication system that comprises:

• a transmitting-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a transmitting-side terminal and two or more transmitting-side communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line;
• and a receiving-side multichannel gateway that is connected to a receiving-side terminal and two or more receiving-side communication units that establish two or more lines
• of one logical line;
• wherein
• the transmitting-side terminal executes
• a step of a transmitting a packet for transmission intended for the receiving-side terminal to the transmitting-side multichannel gateway;
• the transmitting-side multichannel gateway executes
• a line managing step that detects the status of the transmitting-side communication units and updates the line information that is stored in a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a packet acquisition step that acquires a packet for transmission from the transmitting-side terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determining step that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet dividing step that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when in the segmentation necessity determining step it was determined that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitting step that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented in the packet dividing step or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding transmitting-side communication unit;
• the transmitting-side communication unit executes
• a step that uses an established communication line to transmit the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side multichannel gateway to the receiving-side communication unit;
• the receiving-side communication unit executes
• a step that transmits the packet for transmission that was received from the transmitting-side communication unit to the receiving-side multichannel gateway;
• the receiving-side multichannel gateway executes
• a packet receiving step that receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side communication unit;
• and
• a packet combining step that, when the packet for communication has been segmented, combines and restores the packet, and transmits the packet for transmission to the receiving-side terminal;
• and
• the receiving-side terminal executes
• a step that receives the packet for transmission from the receiving-side multichannel gateway, wherein
• the line information includes information that indicates the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed;
• and
• the transmitting-side multichannel gateway adds the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed when calculating the segment sizes in the segmentation necessity determining step.

A computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer that is connected to a terminal and two or more communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line to function as:

• a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a line manager that detects the status of the communication units and updates the line information;
• a packet acquirer that acquires a packet for transmission from the terminal to be transmitted to another terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determiner that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet divider that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when the segmentation necessity determiner determines that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitter that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented by the packet divider or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding communication unit, wherein
• the packet divider attaches headers to each of the packets for transmission that were segmented into the segments, and generates transmission packets;
• the packet transmitter transmits the transmission packets to the corresponding respective communication units;
• and
• the segmentation necessity determiner, based on the segment sizes, determines for the packet for transmission whether or not the packet size of the transmission packet that is to be transmitted using the line having the narrowest communication bandwidth is greater than the size of the packet header for that line, and when the packet size of the transmission packet that is to be transmitted using the line having the narrowest communication bandwidth is greater than the size of the packet header for that line, determines to segment the packet for transmission.

A computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer that is connected to a terminal and two or more communication units that establish two or more lines of one logical line to function as:

• a memory that stores line information including information that indicates for each line whether or not the line is established, and information that indicates the communication bandwidth of each line;
• a line manager that detects the status of the communication units and updates the line information;
• a packet acquirer that acquires a packet for transmission from the terminal to be transmitted to another terminal;
• a segmentation necessity determiner that, based on the line information and according to the communication bandwidth of each line, calculates segment sizes for the packet for transmission so that when that packet is segmented the transmission time for each respective line will be the same, then based on the segment sizes, determines whether or not dividing the packet for transmission is necessary;
• a packet divider that segments the packet for transmission into the segments when the segmentation necessity determiner determines that segmentation is necessary;
• and
• a packet transmitter that transmits the packet for transmission that was segmented by the packet divider or the packet for transmission that has not been segmented to the corresponding communication unit, wherein
• the line information includes information that indicates the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed;
• and
• the segmentation necessity determiner adds the estimated time remaining until packet transmission using the line will be completed when calculating the segment sizes.