Data stream division to increase data transmission rates

Abstract

A method and system for matching bandwidth is provided. The method includes receiving by a first interface device, data. The data is divided into a plurality of data packets and stored within an internal buffer. A first data packet is transmitted to a first communication device communicatively coupled to the first interface device. The first data packet is transmitted from the first communication device to a second interface device via a first communication network. A second data packet is transmitted to a second communication device communicatively coupled to the first interface device. The second data packet is transmitted from the second communication device to the second interface device via a second communication network associated with the second communication device.

1 . A method for selecting a network channel, wherein a data stream division apparatus divides a first data set into a plurality of data packets and stores the plurality of data packets in one or more internal transmission buffers of the data stream division apparatus, the method comprising:
 first sampling, by the data stream division apparatus, a state of a first network of a plurality of networks;   second sampling, by the data stream division apparatus, a state of a second network of the plurality of networks;   determining, by the data stream division apparatus based on results of the first sampling and the second sampling, a data transfer viability of the first network and the second network;   selecting, by the data stream division apparatus, either the first network or the second network, wherein the selecting is performed as a function of at least one of a user specified and an automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network;   transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a first data packet of the plurality of data packets to a destination device via a communication device over a selected network, the selected network being either the first network or the second network;   further selecting, by the data stream division apparatus, either the first network or the second network of the plurality of networks, wherein the selecting is performed as a function of the at least one of a user specified and the automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network; and   further transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a second data packet of the plurality of data packets to the destination device via the communication device over the selected network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the data stream division apparatus, prior to either the selecting or the further selecting, determining that the one or more internal transmission buffers comprise storage capacity sufficient to contain the first data set. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first network and the second network do not use an identical set of communications protocols 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a third data packet of the plurality of data packets to the destination device via the communication device over either the first network or the second network, wherein the third data packet is distinct from both the first data packet and the second data packet; and   instructing the destination device, by the data stream division apparatus, to store the first, second, and third data packets in their original sequence in the internal data buffer of the destination device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data stream division apparatus comprises a discrete device of a plurality of discrete devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data stream division apparatus is comprised by a computing apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the computing apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of: a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a game console, a WiFi mobile device, a portable media player, a PDA, a server, a router device, a cellular telephone, and an other mobile device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a satellite dish, a wireless access point, a PDA, a hardwired router, a radio transmitter/receiver, an infra-red communication device, a microwave dish, and a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first sampling and the second sampling occur simultaneously. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 analyzing, by the data stream division apparatus, based on the first sampling and the second sampling of the state of the first network and the second network, an average bandwidth/latency/reliability (b/l/r) over a last 5 seconds, an average b/l/r over a last 5 minutes, an average b/l/r for a current session.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first sampling and the second sampling occur sequentially. 
     
     
         12 . A data-stream division apparatus comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, the memory unit comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, implements a method comprising:
 receiving, by the data stream division apparatus, a first data set;   dividing, by the data stream division apparatus, the first data set into a plurality of data packets;   storing, by the data stream division apparatus, the plurality of data packets in one or more internal transmission buffers comprised by the apparatus;   first sampling, by the data stream division apparatus, a state of a first network of a plurality of networks;   second sampling, by the data stream division apparatus, a state of a second network of the plurality of networks;   determining, by the data stream division apparatus based on results of the first sampling and the second sampling, a data transfer viability of the first network and the second network;   selecting, by the data stream division apparatus, either the first network or the second network, wherein the selecting is performed as a function of at least one of a user specified and an automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network;   transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a first data packet of the plurality of data packets to a destination device via a communication device over a selected network, the selected network being either the first network or the second network;   further selecting, by the data stream division apparatus, either the first network or the second network of the plurality of networks, wherein the selecting is performed as a function of the at least one of a user specified and the automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network; and   further transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a second data packet of the plurality of data packets to the destination device via the communication device over the selected network.   
     
     
         13 . The data stream division apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the data stream division apparatus is comprised by a computing apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . The data stream division apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the computing apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of: a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a game console, a WiFi mobile device, a portable media player, a PDA, a server, a router device, a cellular telephone, and an other mobile device. 
     
     
         15 . The data stream division apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the communication device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a satellite dish, a wireless access point, a PDA, a hardwired router, a radio transmitter/receiver, an infra-red communication device, a microwave dish, and a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a data-stream division apparatus implements a method, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the data stream division apparatus, a first data set;   dividing, by the data stream division apparatus, the first data set into a plurality of data packets;   storing, by the data stream division apparatus, the plurality of data packets in one or more internal transmission buffers comprised by the apparatus;   first sampling, by the data stream division apparatus, a state of a first network of a plurality of networks;   second sampling, by the data stream division apparatus, a state of a second network of the plurality of networks;   determining, by the data stream division apparatus based on results of the first sampling and the second sampling, a data transfer viability of the first network and the second network;   selecting, by the data stream division apparatus, either the first network or the second network, wherein the selecting is performed as a function of at least one of a user specified and an automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network;   transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a first data packet of the plurality of data packets to a destination device via a communication device over a selected network, the selected network being either the first network or the second network;   further selecting, by the data stream division apparatus, either the first network or the second network of the plurality of networks, wherein the selecting is performed as a function of the at least one of a user specified and the automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network; and   further transmitting, by the data stream division apparatus, a second data packet of the plurality of data packets to the destination device via the communication device over the selected network.   
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a data stream division apparatus comprising a first data buffer, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a first data set, divide the first data set into a plurality of data packets, and store the plurality of data packets within the first data buffer;   a destination device comprising a second data buffer; and   a first network and a second of the plurality of networks, the first network and the second network being sampled by the data stream division apparatus, the results of the sampling being used to determine a data transfer viability of the first network and the second network, further wherein the first network or the second network is selected by the data stream division apparatus as a function of at least one of a user specified or automatically generated weighted score assigned to the first network and the second network.   
     
     
         18 . A method for increasing speed of a data connection to the Internet, the method comprising:
 combining two or more network channels to increase a speed of a connection between the Internet and a network accessible device, the network accessible device associated with a network channel having a bandwidth, wherein combining two or more available network channels to increase the speed of the connection includes:
 enabling the network accessible device to tether to other network accessible devices through wired or wireless connections, each of the other network accessible devices associated with a network channel having a bandwidth, wherein tethering to the other network accessible devices results in an aggregated bandwidth available for the network accessible device to utilize when sending data over the Internet, the aggregated bandwidth defined by a total available bandwidth from the bandwidth associated with the network accessible device and the bandwidth from all or some of the other network accessible devices; 
   wherein, an at least one of a user specified and system assigned parameter determines whether to utilize all available network channels for maximum bandwidth usage or to utilize the available network channels as one or more primary network channels with at least one of the remaining network channels used as a secondary network channel.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the network accessible devices and the other network accessible devices share the same ISP resources. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the network accessible device is a computing apparatus. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the computing apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of: a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a game console, a WiFi mobile device, a portable media player, a PDA, a server, a router device, a cellular telephone, and an other mobile device. 
     
     
         22 . A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a data-stream division apparatus implements a method, the method comprising:
 combining two or more network channels to increase a speed of a connection between the Internet and a network accessible device, the network accessible device associated with a network channel having a bandwidth, wherein combining two or more available network channels to increase the speed of the connection includes:
 enabling the network accessible device to tether to other network accessible devices through wired or wireless connections, each of the other network accessible devices associated with a network channel having a bandwidth, wherein tethering to the other network accessible devices results in an aggregated bandwidth available for the network accessible device to utilize when sending data over the Internet, the aggregated bandwidth defined by a total available bandwidth from the bandwidth associated with the network accessible device and the bandwidth from all or some of the other network accessible devices; 
   wherein, an at least one of a user specified and system assigned parameter determines whether to utilize all available network channels for maximum bandwidth usage or to utilize the available network channels as one or more primary network channels with at least one of the remaining network channels used as a secondary network channel.   
     
     
         23 . A data-stream division apparatus comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, the memory unit comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, implements a method comprising:
 combining two or more network channels to increase a speed of a connection between the Internet and a network accessible device, the network accessible device associated with a network channel having a bandwidth, wherein combining two or more available network channels to increase the speed of the connection includes:
 enabling the network accessible device to tether to other network accessible devices through wired or wireless connections, each of the other network accessible devices associated with a network channel having a bandwidth, wherein tethering to the other network accessible devices results in an aggregated bandwidth available for the network accessible device to utilize when sending data over the Internet, the aggregated bandwidth defined by a total available bandwidth from the bandwidth associated with the network accessible device and the bandwidth from all or some of the other network accessible devices; 
   wherein, an at least one of a user specified and system assigned parameter determines whether to utilize all available network channels for maximum bandwidth usage or to utilize the available network channels as one or more primary network channels with at least one of the remaining network channels used as a secondary network channel.