Packet distribution and selection in soft handoff for IP-based base stations among multiple subnets
First Claim
1. A method for carrying out soft handoff of a mobile station from a first base station served by a first wireline subnet to a second base station served by a second wireline subnet, wherein each subnet has a link layer different than the link layer of the wireless network serving the mobile station and the mobile station has initially a first IP address compatible with the first wireline subnet and wherein the first base station is served by a nearest router, the method comprising storing the first IP address and a shadow address in the nearest router, the shadow address corresponding to the mobile station and having a format compatible with the link layer of the first wireline subnet, assigning a second IP address to the mobile station compatible with the second wireline subnet, communicating the second IP address from the mobile station to nearest router via the first base station, and transmitting a frame containing the packet as conveyed by the sending device from the nearest router over the first wireline subnet to the first base station as determined by the shadow address and over the second wireline subnet to the second base station based upon the second IP address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for assigning an address (“shadow address”) to a mobile station that is compatible with the layer-2 address on the wireline network which serves the mobile station. The shadow address is then used as a wireline identifier for the destination address for frames ultimately destined for the mobile station. The shadow address is stored in a watch list for serving base stations, and any base station receiving a frame with a shadow address in its watch list process the frame to forward it the to mobile station. In this way, the shadow address facilitates carrying out soft handoff and smooth handoff.
97 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for carrying out soft handoff of a mobile station from a first base station served by a first wireline subnet to a second base station served by a second wireline subnet, wherein each subnet has a link layer different than the link layer of the wireless network serving the mobile station and the mobile station has initially a first IP address compatible with the first wireline subnet and wherein the first base station is served by a nearest router, the method comprising
storing the first IP address and a shadow address in the nearest router, the shadow address corresponding to the mobile station and having a format compatible with the link layer of the first wireline subnet, assigning a second IP address to the mobile station compatible with the second wireline subnet, communicating the second IP address from the mobile station to nearest router via the first base station, and transmitting a frame containing the packet as conveyed by the sending device from the nearest router over the first wireline subnet to the first base station as determined by the shadow address and over the second wireline subnet to the second base station based upon the second IP address.
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7. A method for carrying out soft handoff of a mobile station from a first base station served by a first wireline subnet to a second base station served by a second wireline subnet, wherein each subnet has a link layer different than the link layer of the wireless network serving the mobile station and the mobile station has initially a first IP address compatible with the first wireline subnet, the method comprising
assigning a shadow address to the mobile station, the shadow address corresponding to the mobile station and having a format compatible with the link layer of the first wireline subnet, identifying a nearest router serving the first base station, storing the first IP address and the shadow address of the mobile station in the nearest router, assigning a second IP address to the mobile station compatible with the second wireline subnet, communicating the second IP address from the mobile station to nearest router via the first base station, and transmitting a frame containing the packet as conveyed by the sending device from the nearest router over the first wireline subnet to the first base station as determined by the shadow address and over the second wireline subnet to the second base station based upon the second IP address.
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10. A method for carrying out IP layer soft handoff of a mobile station from a first base station served by a first wireline subnet to a second base station served by a second wireline, wherein each subnet has a link layer different than the link layer of the wireless network serving the mobile station and the mobile station has initially a first IP address compatible with the first wireline subnet, the method comprising
identifying a nearest router serving the first base station, assigning a shadow address to a mobile station by the first base station, the shadow address having the same format as the link layer address of the first wireline subnet, storing the shadow address and the first IP address in the nearest router, associating the mobile station with the second base station including the assignment of a second IP address to the mobile station, communicating the second IP address from the mobile station to nearest router via the first base station for storage, transmitting a frame containing the packet as conveyed by the sending device from the nearest router over the first wireline subnet to the first base station as determined by the shadow address and over the second wireline subnet to the second base station based upon the second IP address, and propagating the packet from the first base station to the mobile station using the IP layer of the wireless network, and concurrently propagating the packet from the second base station using the IP layer of the wireless network.
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15. A system for carrying out soft handoff of a mobile station from a first base station served by a first wireline subnet to a second base station served by a second wireline subnet, wherein each subnet has a link layer different than the link layer of the wireless network serving the mobile station and the mobile station has initially a first IP address compatible with the first wireline subnet, and wherein the first base station is served by a nearest router, the system comprising
a storage device for storing the first IP address and a shadow address in the nearest router, the shadow address corresponding to the mobile station and having a format compatible with the link layer of the first wireline subnet, a processor for assigning a second IP address to the mobile station compatible with the second wireline subnet, a sending device for communicating the second IP address from the mobile station to nearest router via the first base station, and a transmitter for transmitting a frame containing the packet as conveyed by the sending device from the nearest router over the first wireline subnet to the first base station as determined by the shadow address and over the second wireline subnet to the second base station based upon the second IP address.
Specification