Multi-channel communication system and method based on class of service requirements

Abstract

A communication transaction or use case is broken down into constituent parts having different class of service (COS) requirements. The parts are matched to different links or channels having respective COS characteristics and communicated over the links or channels, and then aggregated at the receiver.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A communication system, comprising: 
 at least a first node; and    at least a second node communicating with the first node pursuant to a single use case having at least first and second portions characterized by respective class of service (COS) requirements, the nodes communicating with each other using respective first and second channels for the first and second portions, the parts being assigned to the respective channels based at least in part on the COS requirements.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each node aggregates received portions.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one channel is bidirectional.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein both channels are bidirectional.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first node is an online game server and the second node is a client station.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first channel is a satellite link and the second channel is a terrestrial link.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the terrestrial link is used to communicate at least one of: TCP acknowledgements, and client-originated game choices, and the satellite link is used to communicate at least game world state changes from the server to the client station.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the use case has at least first, second, and third portions communicated over respective first, second, and third channels.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second node is a mobile communication device, the first channel is a point-to-point wireless communication link, the second channel is a 802.11 link, and the third channel is a wireless broadcast link.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein service between the first node and the wireless communication device is initiated over at least one of: the first and second channel, and multimedia data is communicated from the first node pursuant to the service over the third channel.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least audio data originating from a user of the wireless communication device is communicated to the first node using the first channel, and TCP transactions are communicated using the second channel.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the point-to-point wireless communication link is a CDMA link and the wireless broadcast link is a VHF, UHF, SHF, or EHF link.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first node is a satellite, the first channel is a satellite link, and the second channel is a terrestrial link.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the satellite is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, the satellite link is at least one of: an L, S, or C band LEO link or a Ku, K, or Ka band LEO/MEO/GEO link, and the terrestrial link is a 1xEv-DO link.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first portion is a base layer of a multimedia stream and the second portion is at least one enhancement layer of the multimedia stream.  
     
     
         16 . A method for communication during a single use case between a first communication system node and second communication system node, the use case having at least first and second parts characterized by respective first and second communication service requirements, the method comprising: 
 establishing a first channel based on the first service requirement;    establishing a second channel based on the second service requirement; and    using the first and second channels for communication between the nodes.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising: 
 partitioning the use case into the first and second parts; and    identifying COS requirements of the first and second parts.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 identifying potentially available channels between the nodes; and    identifying COS characteristics of the channels.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 matching channels to parts based at least in part on the identifying COS acts.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each node aggregates received parts.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one channel is bidirectional.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein both channels are bidirectional.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first node is an online game server and the second node is a client station.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first channel is a satellite link and the second channel is a terrestrial link.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the terrestrial link is used to communicate at least one of: TCP acknowledgements, and client-originated game choices, and the satellite link is used to communicate at least game world state changes from the server to the client station.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the use case has at least first, second, and third parts communicated over respective first, second, and third channels.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the second node is a mobile communication device, the first channel is a point-to-point wireless communication link, the second channel is a 802.11 link, and the third channel is a wireless broadcast link.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein service between the first node and the wireless communication device is initiated over at least one of: the first and second channel, and multimedia data is communicated from the first node pursuant to the service over the third channel.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein at least audio data originating from a user of the wireless communication device is communicated to the first node using the first channel, and TCP transactions are communicated using the second channel.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the point-to-point wireless communication link is a CDMA link and the wireless broadcast link is a VHF, UHF, SHF, or EHF link.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first node is a satellite, the first channel is a satellite link, and the second channel is a terrestrial link.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the satellite is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, the satellite link is at least one of: an L, S, or C band LEO link or a Ku, K, or Ka band LEO/MEO/GEO link, and the terrestrial link is a IxEv-DO link.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first part is a base layer of a multimedia stream and the second part is at least one enhancement layer of the multimedia stream.  
     
     
         34 . A client station capable of communicating over at least two communication links, each with a respective COS, for communicating with at least a first node using both links incident to a single use case, comprising: 
 at least one processor assigning at least first and second parts of the use case to the first and second links based on the respective COS.    
     
     
         35 . The client station of  claim 34 , wherein the processor aggregates parts received from the first node over the first and second links.  
     
     
         36 . The client station of  claim 34 , wherein at least one link is bidirectional.  
     
     
         37 . The client station of  claim 36 , wherein both links are bidirectional.  
     
     
         38 . The client station of  claim 34 , wherein the first node is an online game server.  
     
     
         39 . The client station of  claim 38 , wherein the first link is a satellite link and the second link is a terrestrial link.  
     
     
         40 . The client station of  claim 39 , wherein the terrestrial link is used to communicate at least one of: TCP acknowledgements, and client-originated game choices, and the satellite link is used to communicate at least game world state changes from the server to the client station.  
     
     
         41 . The client station of  claim 34 , wherein at least first, second, and third parts communicated over respective first, second, and third links.  
     
     
         42 . The client station of  claim 41 , wherein the client station is a mobile communication device, the first link is a point-to-point wireless communication link, the second link is a 802.11 link, and the third link is a wireless broadcast link.  
     
     
         43 . The client station of  claim 42 , wherein service between the first node and the client station is initiated over at least one of: the first and second link, and multimedia data is communicated from the first node pursuant to the service over the third link.  
     
     
         44 . The client station of  claim 43 , wherein at least audio data originating from a user of the client station is communicated to the first node using the first link, and TCP transactions are communicated using the second link.  
     
     
         45 . The client station of  claim 42 , wherein the point-to-point wireless communication link is a CDMA link and the wireless broadcast link is a VHF, UHF, SHF, or EHF link.  
     
     
         46 . The client station of  claim 34 , wherein the first node is a satellite, the first link is a satellite link, and the second link is a terrestrial link.  
     
     
         47 . The client station of  claim 46 , wherein the satellite is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, the satellite link is at least one of: an L, S, or C band LEO link or a Ku, K, or Ka band LEO/MEO/GEO link, and the terrestrial link is a IxEv-DO link.  
     
     
         48 . The client station of  claim 46 , wherein the first part is a base layer of a multimedia stream and the second part is at least one enhancement layer of the multimedia stream.  
     
     
         49 . A system for communication during a single use case between a first communication system node and second communication system node, the use case having at least first and second parts characterized by respective first and second communication service requirements, comprising: 
 means for establishing a first channel based on the first service requirement;    means for establishing a second channel based on the second service requirement; and    means for using the first and second channels for communication between the nodes.    
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49 , comprising: 
 means for partitioning the use case into the first and second parts; and    means for identifying COS requirements of the first and second parts.    
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 means for identifying available channels between the nodes; and    means for identifying COS characteristics of the channels.    
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , further comprising: 
 means for matching channels to parts based at least in part on the identifying COS acts.