Aggregation Gateway Bandwidth Tunneling

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing home gateway systems face limitations in increasing bandwidth due to the cost and restrictions of physical lines, leading to low transmission efficiency between the home gateway and the Internet.

Innovation Solution

A packet processing method and device that utilize an aggregation gateway to establish and manage multiple tunnels between the home gateway and the aggregation gateway, allowing for the selection of the most efficient tunnel based on available bandwidth to maximize transmission bandwidth, using Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) for packet encapsulation and sequencing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If multiple physical lines are added to increase bandwidth, then transmission bandwidth is improved, but cost and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidphysical line configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple access networks (first access network and second access network) into a single unified network connection through the aggregation gateway. Instead of treating them as separate physical lines requiring individual configuration, the gateway aggregates their bandwidth resources and presents them as a single logical connection to the home gateway, thereby increasing bandwidth without proportionally increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The aggregation gateway acts as an intermediary between the home gateway and multiple access networks. It receives tunnel establishment requests, manages multiple tunnels independently, and coordinates their usage to provide aggregated bandwidth. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of managing multiple physical lines from the home gateway while still utilizing all available bandwidth resources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a single physical line is used to connect home gateway to Internet, then device complexity is reduced, but transmission bandwidth is limited and difficult to improve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork configurationVSAvoidtransmission bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The aggregation gateway provides multi-functionality by simultaneously supporting connections from multiple access networks and serving multiple home gateways. It performs tunnel establishment, bandwidth aggregation, packet routing, and quality of service management all through a single device, thereby providing enhanced bandwidth capabilities without requiring complex configuration at the home gateway side

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a single-dimension physical line connection to a multi-dimensional tunnel-based virtual connection space. Instead of being constrained by the physical properties of a single line, the system creates multiple virtual tunnels through software, allowing bandwidth aggregation while maintaining simple physical infrastructure. This dimensional shift from physical to virtual enables bandwidth scaling without proportional increases in physical complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Quantity of substance

If bandwidth is increased by adding more physical lines, then transmission capacity is improved, but transmission efficiency decreases due to management overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidtransmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The aggregation gateway implements feedback mechanisms by dynamically monitoring the status and performance of each tunnel. It receives tunnel establishment requests, tracks tunnel usage, and adjusts packet routing based on real-time conditions. This feedback loop enables efficient utilization of aggregated bandwidth while maintaining optimal transmission performance across all connected access networks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3487150B1Packet processing method and device
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3487150B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3487150B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3487150B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a packet processing method and a device, where the packet processing method includes: receiving, by an aggregation gateway, a first tunnel establishment request message sent by a home gateway, and sending a first tunnel establishment success message to the home gateway; receiving, by the aggregation gateway, a second tunnel establishment request message sent by the home gateway, and sending a second tunnel establishment success message to the home gateway; associating, by the aggregation gateway, a first tunnel with a second tunnel according to an identifier of the home gateway; and sending a downlink packet to the home gateway by using the first tunnel and/or the second tunnel. The embodiments of the present invention may increase bandwidth.