Multipath TCP Subflow Establishment and Control

Abstract

Techniques for electronic devices to control a multipath transmission control protocol (MPTCP) connection. An MPTCP connection between two endpoints may be established. The MPTCP connection may include at least one MPTCP subflow. At least one of the endpoints may be configured to act as a master with respect to the MPTCP connection. The master may perform one or more control operations on the MPTCP connection, while if one of the endpoints is not a master, that endpoint may not perform control operations on the MPTCP connection. The control operations may include initiating or establishing new MPTCP subflows or modifying a priority level of one or more MPTCP subflows of the MPTCP connection.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An electronic device, comprising:
 one or more network interfaces; and   one or more processors operably coupled to the one or more network interfaces;   wherein the one or more processors and the one or more network interfaces are configured to:
 establish a multipath transmission control protocol (MPTCP) connection with a remote endpoint, wherein the MPTCP connection comprises at least a first MPTCP subflow and one or more second MPTCP subflows, wherein the first MPTCP subflow corresponds to a first radio access technology (RAT) and the one or more second MPTCP subflows correspond to one or more respective second RATs, and wherein the electronic device is configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection; and 
 wherein, in being configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection, the electronic device is configured to:
 designate the first MPTCP subflow as an active subflow that is used as the default subflow for transmission during the MPTCP connection; and 
 designate the one or more second MPTCP subflows as one or more respective backup subflows that are used for transmission during the MPTCP connection when the active subflow fails. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first RAT is a wireless local area network (WLAN) RAT, and   wherein the one or more second RATs include a cellular RAT.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the one or more processors and the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:   detect that a transmission to the remote endpoint using the first MPTCP subflow has failed; and   at least in part in response to detecting that the transmission to the remote endpoint using the first MPTCP subflow has failed, promote a particular subflow of the one or more second MPTCP subflows to be the active subflow, and demote the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein designating a second MPTCP subflow as a backup subflow comprises including a “backup” flag in a message transmitted to the remote endpoint using the second MPTCP subflow.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic device is mobile, and wherein the remote endpoint is a fixed endpoint.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the one or more processors and the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:   receive a transmission from the remote endpoint via a particular second subflow of the one or more second MPTCP subflows; and   at least in part in response to receiving the transmission from the remote endpoint via the particular second subflow, promote the particular second subflow to be the active subflow and demote the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the one or more processors and the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:   receive an indication from the remote endpoint that the remote endpoint is also configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection; and   wherein promoting the particular second subflow to be the active subflow and demoting the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows is performed further based at least in part on receiving the indication.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising one or more processors configured to cause a wireless device to:
 establish a multipath transmission control protocol (MPTCP) connection with a remote endpoint, wherein the MPTCP connection comprises at least a first MPTCP subflow and one or more second MPTCP subflows, wherein the first MPTCP subflow corresponds to a first radio access technology (RAT) and the one or more second MPTCP subflows correspond to one or more respective second RATs, and wherein the wireless device is configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection; and   wherein, in being configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection, the wireless device is configured to:
 designate the first MPTCP subflow as an active subflow that is used as the default subflow for transmission during the MPTCP connection; and 
 designate the one or more second MPTCP subflows as one or more respective backup subflows that are used for transmission during the MPTCP connection when the active subflow fails. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the first RAT is a wireless local area network (WLAN) RAT, and   wherein the one or more second RATs include a cellular RAT.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless device to:
 detect that a transmission to the remote endpoint using the first MPTCP subflow has failed; and 
 at least in part in response to detecting that the transmission to the remote endpoint using the first MPTCP subflow has failed, promote a particular subflow of the one or more second MPTCP subflows to be the active subflow, and demote the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein designating a second MPTCP subflow as a backup subflow comprises including a “backup” flag in a message transmitted to the remote endpoint using the second MPTCP subflow.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the wireless device is mobile, and wherein the remote endpoint is a fixed endpoint.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless device to:
 receive a transmission from the remote endpoint via a particular second subflow of the one or more second MPTCP subflows; and 
 at least in part in response to receiving the transmission from the remote endpoint via the particular second subflow, promote the particular second subflow to be the active subflow and demote the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless device to:   receive an indication from the remote endpoint that the remote endpoint is also configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection; and   wherein promoting the particular second subflow to be the active subflow and demoting the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows is performed further based at least in part on receiving the indication.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium, comprising program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause an electronic device to:
 establish a multipath transmission control protocol (MPTCP) connection with a remote endpoint, wherein the MPTCP connection comprises at least a first MPTCP subflow and one or more second MPTCP subflows, wherein the first MPTCP subflow corresponds to a first radio access technology (RAT) and the one or more second MPTCP subflows correspond to one or more respective second RATs, and wherein the electronic device is configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection; and   wherein, in being configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection, the electronic device is configured to:
 designate the first MPTCP subflow as an active subflow that is used as the default subflow for transmission during the MPTCP connection; and 
 designate the one or more second MPTCP subflows as one or more respective backup subflows that are used for transmission during the MPTCP connection when the active subflow fails. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first RAT is a wireless local area network (WLAN) RAT, and   wherein the one or more second RATs include a cellular RAT.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the electronic device to:   detect that a transmission to the remote endpoint using the first MPTCP subflow has failed; and   at least in part in response to detecting that the transmission to the remote endpoint using the first MPTCP subflow has failed, promote a particular subflow of the one or more second MPTCP subflows to be the active subflow, and demote the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 15 ,
 wherein designating a second MPTCP subflow as a backup subflow comprises including a “backup” flag in a message transmitted to the remote endpoint using the second MPTCP subflow.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the electronic device is mobile, and wherein the remote endpoint is a fixed endpoint.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the electronic device to:   receive an indication from the remote endpoint that the remote endpoint is also configured to act as master with respect to the MPTCP connection;   receive a transmission from the remote endpoint via a particular second subflow of the one or more second MPTCP subflows; and   at least in part in response to receiving the indication and receiving the transmission from the remote endpoint via the particular second subflow, promote the particular second subflow to be the active subflow and demote the first MPTCP subflow to be one of the backup subflows.