Patent ID: 8139491

Claim:
A node to utilize a plurality of paths including at least each of a first path and a second path, the node comprising: a selector to obtain prediction times of arrival of a plurality of packets queued to a reception queue at another node based upon estimation values of a delay and a velocity of each path, said first path having a first velocity, said second path having a second velocity less than the first velocity, where the selector is to decide transmission paths of said plurality of the packets based upon said prediction arrival times, so that an order of arrival of said plurality of the packets at said another node becomes equal to an order in which said plurality of the packets arrived, where the selector is to select the packet, from said plurality of packets, that is predicted to arrive at said another node without causing congestion to occur in each path irrespective of a sequence of said plurality of the packets within the reception queue; and, a transmitter to transmit only the selected packet on said decided transmission path, such that after a first packet of said plurality of packets has already been transmitted via said second path having the second velocity less than the first velocity, a second packet that is to arrive prior to the first packet is then transmitted via said first path having the first velocity greater than the second velocity, such that said second path having the second velocity is a default path, and said first path having the first velocity greater than the second velocity is selected just for the packets that are to arrive prior to other packets that have already been transmitted via said second path.