Multipath Subflow Establishment Using Same-Operator IP Pairing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multipath transmission technologies fail to improve transmission performance in complex network environments, often leading to degraded performance compared to single-path transmission, especially when sub-flows are established across different network operators.

Innovation Solution

The method ensures that sub-flows are established between networks accessed by the same operator by using operator identifiers to match IP address pairs, thereby optimizing transmission performance and reducing network resource burden.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple sub-flows are established across different network operators to increase data throughput, then the multipath connection can leverage multiple networks, but transmission performance degrades due to cross-operator network incompatibilities and routing inefficiencies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata throughputVSAvoidtransmission performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the multipath connection by operator type, creating separate sub-flow groups for different operators (e.g., mobile operator sub-flows, Wi-Fi sub-flows). This segmentation prevents cross-operator interference while maintaining the benefits of multiple paths within each operator's network, resolving the contradiction between using multiple networks and maintaining transmission performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an operator identifier as an intermediary parameter that mediates sub-flow establishment decisions. By using operator identifiers to match and group sub-flows, the system ensures that sub-flows are established only within the same operator network, avoiding cross-operator performance degradation while still enabling multipath transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If sub-flows are established for all available IP address pairs to maximize path utilization, then more networks are leveraged, but the complexity of managing and matching operator identifiers increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath utilizationVSAvoidoperator identifier matching complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by obtaining and storing operator identifiers for all IP addresses before establishing sub-flows. This advance preparation allows the system to efficiently match IP addresses with their corresponding operators during sub-flow establishment, reducing the complexity of real-time decision-making while maintaining high path utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by treating each IP address pair with specific operator identifier matching rules. Instead of applying a uniform approach to all sub-flows, the system customizes the establishment process based on the specific operators involved, optimizing each sub-flow's configuration according to its operator context and reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3780885B1Method, apparatus and system for establishing subflows of multipath connection
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3780885B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3780885B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3780885B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application provides a subflow establishment method. A local-end device obtains an identifier of an operator currently accessed by a network interface card of the local end device. The local-end device obtains a plurality of IP addresses of a peer-end device and identifiers of operators to which the plurality of IP addresses are homed; and establishes, by matching a plurality of operators corresponding to the local-end device and the plurality of operators corresponding to the peer-end device, a subflow between an IP address pair homed to a same operator. In this way, the established subflow does not cross operators as far as possible. This reduces negative impact of cross-operator communication of some subflows on transmission performance of a multipath connection, thereby better leveraging an advantage of the multipath connection in transmission performance in comparison with a single-path connection.