Redundant packet selection and manipulation in wireless communications systems

• US 20050243714A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Billy G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A communications system includes a mobile unit that transmits content and a number of base transceiver stations that receive the content from the mobile unit. Each base transceiver station determines a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station, generates a graded packet including the value and the content, and communicates the graded packet. The system also includes a router that receives the graded packets, combines different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, and communicates the improved packet. The different portions from the graded packets collectively represent the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a mobile unit operable to transmit content;

a plurality of base transceiver stations, each base transceiver station operable to;

receive the content from the mobile unit;

determine a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

generate a graded packet including the value and the content; and

communicate the graded packet; and

a router operable to;

receive redundant graded packets generated at the base transceiver stations;

combine different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content; and

communicate the improved packet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is further operable to:

determine that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combine different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is further operable to:

evaluate each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets;

estimate the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation; and

generate an improved packet including the estimated correct value for each bit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein evaluating each corresponding bit comprises performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is further operable to:

select two or more of the graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

combine different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is operable to transmit a packet that includes the content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

8. A network device, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station; and

a processor operable to combine different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combine different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to:

evaluate each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets;

estimate the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation; and

generate an improved packet including the estimated correct value for each bit.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein evaluating each corresponding bit comprises performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to:

select two or more of the graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

combine different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

14. A method of creating an improved packet, comprising:

receiving a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station; and

combining different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combining different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

evaluating each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets;

estimating the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation; and

generating an improved packet including the estimated correct value for each bit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein evaluating each corresponding bit comprises performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting two or more of the graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

combining different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

20. Software for creating an improved packet, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

receive a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station; and

combine different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

21. The software of claim 20, further operable to:

determine that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combine different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

22. The software of claim 20, further operable to:

evaluate each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets;

estimate the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation; and

generate an improved packet including the estimated correct value for each bit.

23. The software of claim 22, wherein evaluating each corresponding bit comprises performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits.

24. The software of claim 20, further operable to:

select two or more of the graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

combine different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

25. The software of claim 20, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

26. A network device, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station; and

means for combining different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. A communications system, comprising:

a first mobile unit operable to transmit a first content;

a second mobile unit operable to transmit a second content;

a plurality of base transceiver stations, each base transceiver station operable to;

receive the content from at least one of the mobile units;

determine a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

generate a graded packet including the value and the content; and

communicate the graded packet; and

one or more routers collectively operable to;

receive a plurality of first graded packets including the first content and a plurality of second graded packets including the second content;

select one of the first graded packets based on the values included in the first graded packets;

select one of the second graded packets based on the values included in the second graded packets;

mix the first content of the selected first graded packet and the second content of the selected second graded packet to create a mixed packet including the first and second contents; and

communicate the mixed packet.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the selecting steps and the mixing step are performed by a single router.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the selecting steps and the mixing step are performed by multiple routers.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the one or more routers comprise:

a first router operable to;

receive the plurality of first graded packets and the plurality of second graded packets;

select one of the first graded packets based on the values included in the first graded packets;

select one of the second graded packets based on the values included in the second graded packets; and

communicate the selected packets; and

a second router operable to;

receive the selected packets;

mix the first content of the selected first graded packet and the second content of the selected second graded packet to create a mixed packet including the first and second contents; and

communicate the mixed packet.

36. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

a third mobile unit operable to transmit a third content to a plurality of the base transceiver stations; and

an additional router operable to;

receive a plurality of third graded packets including the third content;

select one of the third graded packets based on the values included in the third graded packets;

receive a first mixed packet including the first and second content;

mix the third content of the selected third graded packet and the first and second content to create a second mixed packet including the first, second, and third contents; and

communicate the second mixed packet.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein:

the first mobile unit is operable to transmit a packet that includes the first content; and

the second mobile unit is operable to transmit a packet that includes the second content.

38. (canceled)

39. A network device, comprising:

an interface operable to;

receive a plurality of first graded packets from two or more of a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the first graded packets include a first content received from a first mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the first mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

receive a plurality of second graded packets from two or more of the plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the second graded packets include a second content received from a second mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the second mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

a processor operable to;

select one of the first graded packets based on the values included in the first graded packets;

select one of the second graded packets based on the values included in the second graded packets;

mix the first content of the selected first graded packet and the second content of the selected second graded packet to create a mixed packet including the first and second contents; and

communicate the mixed packet.

40. (canceled)

41. A method for mixing packets, comprising:

receiving a plurality of first graded packets from two or more of a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the first graded packets include a first content received from a first mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the first mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

receiving a plurality of second graded packets from two or more of the plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the second graded packets include a second content received from a second mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the second mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

selecting one of the first graded packets based on the values included in the first graded packets;

selecting one of the second graded packets based on the values included in the second graded packets;

mixing the first content of the selected first graded packet and the second content of the selected second graded packet to create a mixed packet including the first and second contents; and

communicating the mixed packet.

42. (canceled)

43. Software for mixing packets, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

receive a plurality of first graded packets from two or more of a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the first graded packets include a first content received from a first mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the first mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

receive a plurality of second graded packets from two or more of the plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the second graded packets include a second content received from a second mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the second mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

select one of the first graded packets based on the values included in the first graded packets;

select one of the second graded packets based on the values included in the second graded packets;

mix the first content of the selected first graded packet and the second content of the selected second graded packet to create a mixed packet including the first and second contents; and

communicate the mixed packet.

44. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

46. (canceled)