Patent ID: 8553721
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of processing a sequence of packet fragments transmitted as data units over a plurality of bonded communication lines, the method comprising: recovering different ones of the packet fragments from the data units that are received without error over the plurality of bonded communication lines which form a single logical link; transferring the recovered packet fragments to a bonding sublayer for packet reassembly until the next packet fragment in the sequence to be processed by the bonding sublayer cannot be recovered because of a transmission error on one or more of the bonded communication lines, wherein handshake logic included in or associated with the bonding sublayer controls the transfer of the recovered packet fragments from one or more physical sublayers to the bonding sublayer; buffering, under control of the handshake logic, the recovered packet fragments after the transmission error is detected without transferring the buffered packet fragments to the bonding sublayer unless the transmission error is corrected or the packet fragment having the transmission error is skipped; and requesting retransmission of one or more erroneous data units over the one or more bonded communication lines that caused the transmission error.