	US 12,445,388 B2
	Techniques to reduce latency spikes in multipath communication systems
Markus Amend, Nidda (DE); and Nathalie Romo Moreno, Riedstadt (DE)
Assigned to Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn (DE)
Appl. No. 18/859,583
Filed by Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn (DE)
PCT Filed Apr. 27, 2023, PCT No. PCT/EP2023/061165 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 24, 2024, PCT Pub. No. WO2023/209116, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 2, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 22170418 (EP), filed on Apr. 28, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0175434 A1, May 29, 2025
Int. Cl. H04L 47/283 (2022.01); H04L 43/0852 (2022.01); H04L 45/24 (2022.01)

CPC H04L 47/283 (2013.01) [H04L 43/0852 (2013.01); H04L 45/24 (2013.01)]

12 Claims

1. A method for increasing the efficiency of a multipath (MP) communication network, the method comprising:

providing at least a first communication path and a second communication path between a sender entity and a receiver entity;

determining timing information about the first communication path and about the second communication path, wherein the timing information comprises a latency L1 of the first communication path and a latency L2 of the second communication path, a round trip time R1 of the first communication path and a round trip time R2 of the second communication path, and/or timestamps of a data field of a first data packet sent via the first communication path and a second data packet sent via the second communication path, wherein the latency is a travel time of a data packet between the sender entity and the receiver entity;

calculating a latency difference ΔL by using the timing information of the first communication path and of the second communication path;

delaying data packets to be sent over a communication path out of the first and second communication paths with the shorter latency value by a time interval T_Delaythat has at least the length of the latency difference AL, wherein the delaying is performed by the sender entity, the receiver entity, and/or a server associated to a telecommunication provider;

transmitting data packets over the first and second communication paths;

queuing the transmitted data packets in a reordering queue;

reordering, by the reordering queue, the data packets; and

providing, by the reordering queue, the data packets to the receiver entity;

wherein:

i) when T_static>L_i: T_Delayhas at least the length of the latency difference ΔL plus (T_static−L_i), wherein T_staticis the time length of a static expiration timer of the reordering queue of the receiver entity, and L_iis the highest latency value of the first or the second communication path, wherein the data packets to be sent over the communication path with the shorter latency are delayed by T_Delay=ΔL plus (T_static−L_i), and wherein data packets to be sent over a communication path out of the first and second communication paths with the higher latency are delayed by T_Delay=(T_static−L_i); or

ii) when T_dynamic>L_i: T_Delayhas at least the length of the latency difference ΔL plus (T_dynamic−L_i), wherein T_dynamicis the time length of a dynamic expiration timer of the reordering queue of the receiver entity, and L_iis the highest latency value of the first or the second communication path, wherein the data packets to be sent over the communication path with the shorter latency are delayed by T_Delay=ΔL plus (T_dynamic−L_i), and wherein the data packets to be sent over the communication path with the higher latency are delayed by T_Delay=(T_dynamic−L_i).