Patent ID: 8640174

Claim:
A method for retrieving content by a wireless communication device having a first radio access interface for communication with a first access network and a second radio access interface for communication with a second access network, the method in the wireless communication device comprising: receiving a request for retrieval of content from a remote server; retrieving data of the requested content as a continuous stream of data over a first radio access technology connection and via the first radio access interface; determining an amount of retrieved data stored in a playback buffer of the wireless communication device; determining if the data retrieved meets a content playback threshold, the content playback threshold being defined by a data rate required to provide continuous playback of the requested content by the wireless communication device, wherein determining if the data retrieved meets the content playback threshold includes comparing the determined amount of retrieved data with a pre-defined amount of data, the pre-defined amount of data being based on the amount of data which is required by the wireless communication device to provide continuous playback of the content by the wireless communication device for a first period of time, and determining the data retrieved does not meet the content playback threshold when the determined amount of retrieved data stored in the playback buffer is less than the pre-defined amount of data for a second period of time; activating the second radio access interface for retrieval of data of the requested content over a second radio access technology connection when the data retrieved over the first radio access technology connection is determined not to meet the content playback threshold; using the first and second radio access interfaces to retrieve part of the requested content during a multipath time period, the first and second radio access interfaces being used during at least one multipath time period to retrieve at least one part of the requested content; for each part of the requested content to be retrieved during a multipath time period, dividing the part of the requested content into at least a first portion for retrieval over the first radio access technology connection and at least a second portion for retrieval over the second radio access technology connection, wherein the first and second portions are selected such that retrieval of the first and second portions during the multipath time period is estimated to meet the content playback threshold, and retrieving simultaneously during the multipath time period the first portion of the part of the requested content over the first radio access technology connection and the second portion of a part of the requested content over the second radio access technology connection.