Distributing communication of a data stream among multiple devices

Abstract

A first example device disclosed herein comprises memory including computer readable instructions and a processor to execute the instructions to access a group code and a group size from a second device, the group code to identify a group of devices to be included in a stream splitting session to distribute communication of a data stream, the group size to specify a number of devices included in the group of devices, the group of devices including the first device and the second device. The processor is also to initiate transmission of a request including the group code and the group size to a distribution system to establish the stream splitting session. The processor is further to forward a first portion of the data stream from the distribution system to the second device for aggregation with a second portion of the data stream at the second device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 transmission, by first receiving equipment comprising a processor, of a request, to distribution equipment, to establish a first data connection to join a stream splitting session, wherein the request corresponds to a number of ports of the distribution equipment to be assigned to the stream splitting session;   based on a response from the distribution equipment, facilitating, by the first receiving equipment, establishing the first data connection with the distribution equipment; and   facilitating, by the first receiving equipment, receiving, during the stream splitting session via the first data connection, a first portion of a data stream of the stream splitting session, via a first port of the number of ports, wherein second receiving equipment receives, during the stream splitting session, a second portion of the data stream for the stream splitting session, via a second port of the number of ports.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising combining, by the first receiving equipment, the first portion of the data stream with the second portion of the data stream received from the second receiving equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forwarding, by the first receiving equipment, the first portion of the data stream to the second receiving equipment, wherein the first portion of the data stream is forwarded for combining with the second portion of the data stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the data stream and the second portion of the data stream were generated by the distribution equipment respectively based on first streaming capability information corresponding to first streaming capabilities of the first receiving equipment and second streaming capability information corresponding to second streaming capabilities of the second receiving equipment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the request comprises a first request, wherein the method further comprises facilitating, by the first receiving equipment, receiving, from the second receiving equipment, a second request to join the stream splitting session, and wherein the second request comprises the second streaming capability information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the request further comprises the first streaming capability information and the second streaming capability information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 monitoring, by the first receiving equipment, the second streaming capabilities; and   based on a change in the second streaming capabilities, forwarding, by the first receiving equipment, updated streaming capability information to the distribution equipment.   
     
     
         8 . A user equipment, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 communicating, on behalf of a group of user equipment, a multi-device streaming request to streaming equipment for the group of user equipment to join a stream splitting session for a data stream, established by the streaming equipment; 
 establishing the stream splitting session; and 
 receiving, during the stream splitting session, a first portion of the data stream via a port of a number of ports assigned to the group of user equipment, wherein other user equipment, of the group of user equipment other than the user equipment, receive, during the stream splitting session, respective different portions of the data stream via ones of the number of ports. 
   
     
     
         9 . The user equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the number of ports is a first number, wherein the multi-device streaming request comprises a request for the number of ports to be assigned, and wherein the number of ports corresponds to a second number of the respective different portions of the data stream. 
     
     
         10 . The user equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the respective different portions of the data stream correspond to portions that are split from the data stream and communicated concurrently to the group of user equipment. 
     
     
         11 . The user equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the user equipment is designated a leader of the group of user equipment, and wherein the multi-device streaming request comprises a size of the group of user equipment. 
     
     
         12 . The user equipment of  claim 11 , wherein the number of ports is at least equal to the size of the group of user equipment. 
     
     
         13 . The user equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the respective different portions of the data stream received by the other user equipment were generated for the other user equipment based on respective device capabilities of the other user equipment. 
     
     
         14 . The user equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 monitoring the respective device capabilities of the other user equipment of the group of user equipment; and   based on a change in device capabilities, communicating an updated multi-device streaming request to the streaming equipment.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a first network device to perform operations, comprising:
 initiating a first data communication session with a distribution device to initiate stream division of a stream by the distribution device, wherein initiating the first data communication session comprises allocation of a number of communications ports of the distribution device to the stream splitting, resulting in allocated ports; and   receiving, using the first data communication session, via a first communication port of the allocated ports, a first part of the stream, wherein, based on the stream division, a second network device receives, via a second communication port, of the allocated ports, a second part of the stream, wherein the stream was divided by the distribution device into the first part and the second part of the stream.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving the second part of the stream from the second network device; and   aggregating the first part of the stream with the second part of the stream.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise, communicating the first part of the stream to the second network device, and wherein the first part of the stream is forwarded for combining with the second part of the stream. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first part of the stream and the second part of the stream were generated by the distribution device respectively based on first device capabilities of the first network device and second device capabilities of the second network device. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise,
 identifying the second device capabilities; and   communicating the second device capabilities to the distribution device.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 monitoring reception of the second part of the stream by the second network device for a detected change in the second device capabilities; and   based on the detected change in the second device capabilities, forwarding updated streaming capability information for the second network device to the distribution device.