Terminal Bandwidth Pooling via Local Network Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia content streaming technologies face challenges with insufficient bandwidth, leading to prolonged waiting times or failure during high-data-volume downloads, especially when relying on a single Internet connection, and require costly and difficult network modifications to access additional bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
A method where a terminal intercepts content download requests, discovers nearby terminals connected via a local network, and shares bandwidth by sending data segments through a dedicated protocol layer, allowing the terminal to access additional bandwidth without modifying the network infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single Internet connection is used for content downloading, then the network infrastructure remains simple and unchanged, but the bandwidth is insufficient leading to prolonged waiting times or download failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple Internet connections from different terminals through a local network to create a pooled bandwidth resource. The gateway aggregates available bandwidth from multiple terminals, allowing the system to overcome the limitations of any single connection and achieve higher overall download speeds without modifying the core Internet infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary device that mediates between the local network terminals and the Internet. It manages the pooling of bandwidth resources, routes download requests appropriately, and coordinates the aggregation of data segments from multiple sources, thereby enabling bandwidth sharing without requiring changes to the Internet infrastructure itself.
2Quantity of substance
If proxy modules are installed on the Internet network to manage connections between terminals and server, then additional bandwidth can be accessed, but the network infrastructure requires physical modification which is expensive and difficult to adapt
Solution Approach 1:
The solution enables terminals to self-organize and share bandwidth resources through the gateway without requiring external network infrastructure modifications. The system uses existing local network capabilities and standard protocols to achieve bandwidth pooling, making the network adaptable and easy to deploy without expensive physical changes or operator intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway serves multiple functions: it acts as a bandwidth aggregator, a connection manager, a protocol translator, and a coordination point for multiple terminals. This multi-functional design allows the system to achieve complex bandwidth sharing goals using a single versatile device rather than requiring multiple specialized infrastructure components.
3Quantity of substance
If bandwidth pooling is implemented through operator intervention on the network, then additional bandwidth can be provided, but the system lacks adaptability when needs change or new needs appear in different areas
Solution Approach 1:
The bandwidth pooling system is dynamic and can be easily configured for different scenarios. The gateway can adapt to varying bandwidth needs by dynamically adjusting which terminals are included in the pool, modifying resource allocation based on current demand, and reconfiguring connections as needed. This flexibility allows the system to respond quickly to changing requirements without permanent infrastructure changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a method for downloading content to a first terminal (T1) from a server, the terminal (T1) carrying out the following steps: - intercepting (E12) a request to download content previously sent by the terminal (T1) to the server, - discovering (E13) a second terminal (T2) connected to the terminal (T1) via a local network, during which the terminal (T1) receives (E16), from the terminal (T2), a message (OF BP2) offering to share a wide-area telecommunications network (WAN2) of the terminal (T2), with a view to said downloading, the message containing an identifier of a port associated with the terminal (T2), - determining (E17) at least one data segment of the content to be downloaded depending on the offer of sharing, - establishing (E18) communication from the terminal (T1), during which the terminal (T1) transmits (E180), via said local network, to the port of the terminal (T2), a request to download the determined segment, then receives (E181), from the terminal (T2), said segment, which has previously been obtained by the terminal (T2) following a connection by the latter to said server, via said wide-area network (WAN2), by means of identification information of the server sent by the terminal (T1) during the discovery step.