| 摘要 |
A proxy node, a proxy node method and a computer program product are disclosed. The proxy node comprises: reception logic operable to receive data from a first node for transmission to a second node over a communications link; determination logic operable to determine a selected proxy node from a group of proxy nodes, the selected proxy node being one of the group of proxy nodes where a difference in a communications link characteristic of a communications link between the proxy node, the selected proxy node and the second node and a communications link characteristic of a communications link between the proxy node and the second node falls within a threshold amount; and transmission logic operable to establish a rateless coded communications link for transfer of the data with the selected proxy node. In this way, the proxy node can provide the functionality required to take advantage of rateless coding without requiring any modification of existing nodes. In particular, the proxy node may select another proxy node from a group via which data can be transmitted to the second node, but the communications link via that selected node still achieves desired characteristics. That is to say, although the characteristics of the communications link may be slightly worse than the link directly between the proxy node and the second node, as long as those characteristics fall within the threshold amount, then end-to-end improvements between the proxy node and the second node can still be achieved through the use of rateless coding between the proxy node and the selected proxy node. |
