Aggregating multiple communication networks
OwnerSunil Dwarka Prasad, Rahul Shrivastavinventors
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described herein for aggregating network traffic over two or networks via which a mobile device or user equipment (UE) accesses a core network, such as a network providing the Internet and other services to the mobile device. In some embodiments, the systems and methods manage, provision, and/or direct network traffic (e.g., upload or uplink traffic and/or download or downlink traffic) within a communications network to different access networks via a network aggregation node, such as a node placed within an IP layer established between the access networks and the core network.
Claims20
A method for managing network traffic within a communications network, the method comprising:
- intercepting, at a network aggregation node associated with an internet protocol (IP) layer of the communications network, a first communication message transmitted from a dual-mode mobile device to the communications network;
- determining, from the intercepted first communication message, a network identity and IP address associated with access of the communications network by the dual-mode mobile device over a first access network;
- intercepting, at the network aggregation node associated with the internet protocol (IP) layer of the communications network, a second communication message transmitted from the dual-mode mobile device to the communications network;
- determining, from the intercepted second communication message, a network identity and IP address associated with access of the communications network by the dual-mode mobile device over a second access network;
- receiving, at the network aggregation node associated with the IP layer of the communications network, downlink traffic sent from the communications network to the dual-mode mobile device;
- and
- transmitting the received downlink traffic from the network aggregation node to the dual-mode mobile device by:
- transmitting a first portion of the received downlink traffic to the dual-mode mobile device over the first access network;
- and
- transmitting a second portion of the received downlink traffic to the dual-mode mobile device over the second access network.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for handling network traffic within a communications network, the method comprising:
- intercepting a first communication message transmitted from a dual-mode mobile device to the communications network;
- determining, from the intercepted first communication message, a network identity and IP address associated with access of the communications network by the dual-mode mobile device over a first access network;
- intercepting a second communication message transmitted from the dual-mode mobile device to the communications network;
- determining, from the intercepted second communication message, a network identity and IP address associated with access of the communications network by the dual-mode mobile device over a second access network;
- receiving downlink traffic sent from the communications network to the dual-mode mobile device;
- and
- transmitting the received downlink traffic to the dual-mode mobile device by:
- transmitting a first portion of the received downlink traffic to the dual-mode mobile device over the first access network;
- and
- transmitting a second portion of the received downlink traffic to the dual-mode mobile device over the second access network.
A communications network, comprising:
- a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network;
- a wireless network;
- a core network that provides access to the Internet;
- and
- a network aggregation node configured to:
- direct uplink traffic sent from a mobile device to the core network via the LTE network;
- and
- direct downlink traffic sent from the core network to the mobile device via the wireless network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.