Multipath coding for packet latency reduction

A destination node arranged to receive data from one or more source nodes across a network, the network having a plurality of paths between the destination node and the one or more source nodes, the destination node comprising a processor and a memory configured to:

• receive at least one of a plurality of original packets associated with a first path;
• receive at least one coded packets associated with a second path, the coded packets each being based upon α+β+1 uncoded packets scheduled for transmission on the first path, wherein α is an integer equal to or greater than zero, β is an integer equal to or greater than zero, and α+β is greater than zero, and β is determined based on relative delays of the first and second paths;
• and
• decode the coded packets and retrieve information of original packets based upon information in the coded packets.

In a network having a plurality of nodes with at least one of the plurality of nodes corresponding to a source node and at least one of the plurality of nodes corresponding to a destination node, and having a plurality of paths between at least one source node and at least one destination node, in a source node (S), a method for transmitting packets comprising:

• preparing at least one of a plurality of uncoded packets for transmission on a first one (P1) of the plurality of paths from the source node (S) to a destination node (D);
• generating a first coded packet for transmission on a second, different one (P2) of the plurality of paths from the source node (S) to the destination node (D), the first coded packet based upon a set of uncoded packets, wherein the set of uncoded packets comprises:
• a next uncoded packet to be transmitted by the source node;
• α previously transmitted uncoded packets where α is an integer equal to or greater than zero;
• and
• β uncoded packets that are to be transmitted after the next uncoded packet where β is an integer equal to or greater than zero;
• wherein β is determined based on relative delays of the first one (P1) of the plurality of paths and the second one (P2) of the plurality of paths, wherein the sum of α and β is greater than zero.

In at a destination node arranged to operate in a multipath system, a method comprising:

• receiving at least one of a plurality of original packets associated with a first path;
• receiving at least one coded packets associated with a second path, the coded packets each being based upon α+β+1 uncoded packets scheduled for transmission on the first path, wherein α is an integer equal to or greater than zero, β is an integer equal to or greater than zero, α+β is greater than zero, and β is determined based on relative delays of the first and second paths;
• and
• decoding the coded packets and retrieving information of original packets based upon information in the coded packets.