Method and corresponding device for improved bandwidth utilization

Abstract

Method and corresponding device for improved bandwidth utilization featuring optimized transmission of information packets on a backhaul connection, by concatenating a few VoIP packets into a big packet with optional internal header compression. The concatenated packets are transmitted efficiently through the backhaul channel and rearranged at the receiving side. In an embodiment of the present invention, compression is applied to the concatenated packets featuring the most waste.

1 . A method for transmitting data packets within an asynchronous packet-based communication network, said method comprising:
 (a) wirelessly receiving two or more data packets at a communication node within the asynchronous packet-based communication network;   (b) concatenating the two or more data packets into one wireless superpacket;   (c) upon either a maximum allowable length of the superpacket being reached or a maximum allowable delay for any of the one or more packets concatenated into the superpacket being reached, wirelessly transmitting, within the asynchronous network, the wireless super-packet to a destination.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said concatenating and said transmitting are performed in consideration of parameters relating to the asynchronous network and parameters of the two or more packets. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said concatenating and said transmitting are performed in consideration of current values of dynamic parameters relating to the asynchronous network and parameters of the two or more packets. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of deciding whether to concatenate a given received packet or transmit the given received packet without concatenation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the performance of a user that transmitted the given packet is an input parameter to the step of deciding whether to concatenate the given received packet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein measuring the performance of the user comprises calculating the received jitter and packet loss. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transmitting is dependent on a transmission condition comprising at least one of the following: a maximum size of said super-packet, a maximum delay for said super-packet, or a maximum number of users. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the asynchronous network is a wireless network and said transmitting consists of wirelessly transmitting. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication node is a backhaul communication node and said transmitting is to a backhaul destination. 
     
     
         10 . A network appliance for transmitting data packets within an asynchronous packet-based communication network, said appliance comprising:
 (a) wirelessly receiving circuitry adapted to receive two or more data packets;   (b) concatenating circuitry adapted to concatenate the two or more data packets into one wireless superpacket;   (c) wireless transmission circuitry adapted to, upon either a maximum allowable length of the superpacket being reached or a maximum allowable delay for any of the one or more packets concatenated into the superpacket being reached, wirelessly transmit, within the asynchronous network, the wireless super-packet to a destination.   
     
     
         11 . The appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein said concatenating circuitry and said transmission circuitry are further adapted to perform the concatenation and the transmission, respectively, in consideration of parameters relating to the asynchronous network and parameters of the two or more packets. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance according to  claim 10 , further comprising processing circuitry including decision logic adapted to decide whether to concatenate a given received packet or transmit the given received packet without concatenation. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance according to  claim 11 , wherein the parameters of the two or more packets includes: traffic type, sensitivity to delay, or Quality of Service (QoS). 
     
     
         14 . The appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein said transmission circuitry is further adapted to transmit the superpacket within the asynchronous network dependent on a transmission condition comprising at least one of the following: a maximum size of said super-packet, a maximum delay for said super-packet, or a maximum number of users. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein the asynchronous network is a wireless network and said transmission circuitry is further adapted to wirelessly transmit the superpacket within the asynchronous wireless network. 
     
     
         16 . The appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein said transmission circuitry is further adapted to transmit the superpacket within the asynchronous network dependent on a transmission condition, which transmission condition comprises a maximum delay condition and wherein the maximum delay condition is calculated according to at least one of the following: a network performance, a measured jitter, a measured delay, a measured packet loss, a user's priority, a type of application running, a transmission rate, a number of retransmissions, hidden stations, or collisions. 
     
     
         17 . The appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein said network appliance is a backhaul communication node and said transmission circuitry is adapted to transmit the superpacket to a backhaul destination. 
     
     
         18 . A system for facilitating network communications within an asynchronous packet-based communication network, said system comprising:
 (a) wirelessly receiving circuitry adapted to receive two or more data packets;   (b) a concatenating device including circuitry adapted to concatenate the two or more data packets into one wireless superpacket;   (c) wireless transmission circuitry adapted to, upon either a maximum allowable length of the superpacket being reached or a maximum allowable delay for any of the one or more packets concatenated into the superpacket being reached, wirelessly transmit, within the asynchronous network, the wireless super-packet to a destination;   wherein said concatenating device is external to said receiving and transmission circuitry.   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein said concatenating device and said transmission circuitry are further adapted to perform the concatenation and the transmission, respectively, in consideration of parameters relating to the asynchronous network and parameters of the two or more packets. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein said concatenating device and said transmission circuitry are further adapted to perform the concatenation and the transmission, respectively, in consideration of current values of dynamic parameters relating to the asynchronous network and parameters of the two or more packets.