QoS-aware network-supported architecture to distribute application flows over multiple network interfaces for B3G users

Users in the Beyond-Third-Generation (B3G) wireless system expect to receive ubiquitous communication services with customised quality-of-service (QoS) commitments for different applications, preferably in a way as transparent as possible. Ideally, flows belonging to diverse applications can be automatically and optimally distributed (or handed off) among the most appropriate access networks for multihomed users. To contribute to realising this vision, we propose a novel architecture to achieve QoS-aware policy-based flow handoffs for multihomed users, especially those equipped with more than a single personal device. In this architecture, advanced network intelligence enables a personal gateway to handle flow distributions dynamically for all the devices behind it according to the applications' QoS requirements and the current available network resources. The essential procedures in this architecture are described. Following that, the flow handoff delay is analysed and numerical results are illustrated. To prove the proposed concepts, up-to-date implementations with experimental results are also presented.