Methods and apparatus for using multiple wireless links with a wireless terminal

• US 20060218298A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Knapp, Edward, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/243 using M+N parallel active paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/16 based on interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

Mobile nodes support simultaneous OFDM links with multiple points of network attachment. A MN may simultaneously use multiple IP addresses, allowing packets addressed to the mobile to be routed over different paths. Alternatively, the MN may have a single IP address with packets corresponding to different applications, e.g., identified by packet header information, being routed over different paths. Thus packets corresponding to one application, e.g., a voice application, may be routed over one wireless link while packets corresponding to another application, e.g., a data application such as E-mail, may be routed over another wireless link, while packets corresponding to still another application, e.g., a broadcast TV service may be communicated over another wireless link. The direction of communication, latency, reliability and other QoS characteristics of the different wireless links may be considered in path selection to provide MN'"'"'s user with cost effective service while still meeting minimum application requirements.

Claims

1. A communications, method comprising:

operating a network node to receive packets directed to a wireless terminal;

operating the network node to select one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links with a wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets; and

communicating said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected OFDM link for delivery over the selected OFDM wireless link to said wireless terminal.

2. The communications, method of claim 1, wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links includes:

using an indicator providing application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

3. The communications method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM communications links include a first OFDM communications link corresponding to a first carrier frequency and a second OFDM communications link corresponding to a second carrier frequency, both said first and second carrier frequencies being within a frequency band which can be received and processed by said wireless terminal thereby allowing the wireless terminal to receive both carrier frequencies using a single receiver at the same time.

4. The communications method of claim 2,

wherein said application information indicates the type of application;

and

wherein said indicated type of application is one of;

a voice application, a data application, and a broadcast application.

5. The communication method of claim 2, wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links includes:

using information regarding application requirements to determine which of the plurality of links to use in routing packets.

6. The communications method of claim 5, wherein said information regarding application requirements includes at least one of:

packet delivery latency, bandwidth requirements, data rates and amount of data.

7. The communications method of claim 2, wherein said network node is a home agent, the method further comprising:

operating the home agent to store at least one of multiple Care-of Addresses and multiple Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal.

8. The communications method of claim 2, wherein different Care-of Addresses or different Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal correspond to different ones of said plurality of links.

9. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising operating the network node to receive link quality information corresponding to the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links;

and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes;

using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained links.

10. The communications method of claim 9, further comprising operating the network node to receive attachment point loading information;

and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes selecting the communications link as a function of network attachment point loading information.

11. The communications method of claim 9, further comprising operating the network node to receive link interference information;

and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes selecting the communications link as a function of the received link interference information.

12. A network node for use in a communications network, comprising:

means for receiving packets directed to a wireless terminal;

means for selecting one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links with a wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets; and

means for communicating said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected OFDM link for delivery over the selected OFDM wireless link to said wireless terminal.

13. The network node of claim 12, wherein said means for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links includes:

means for using an indicator providing application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

14. The network node of claim 13, wherein said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM communications links include a first OFDM communications link corresponding to a first carrier frequency and a second OFDM communications link corresponding to a second carrier frequency, both said first and second carrier frequencies being within a frequency band which can be received and processed by said wireless terminal thereby allowing the wireless terminal to receive both carrier frequencies using a single receiver at the same time.

15. The network node of claim 13,

wherein said application information indicates the type of application;

and

wherein said indicated type of application is one of;

a voice application, a data application, and a broadcast application.

16. The network node of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links includes:

means for using information regarding application requirements to determine which of the plurality of links to use in routing packets.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein said information regarding application requirements includes at least one of:

packet delivery latency, bandwidth requirements, data rates and amount of data.

18. The network node of claim 13, wherein said network node is a home agent, the network node further comprising:

means for storing at least one of multiple Care-of Addresses and multiple Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal.

19. The network node of claim 13, wherein different Care-of Addresses or different Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal correspond to different ones of said plurality of links.

20. The network node of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving link quality information corresponding to the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links;

and

wherein said means for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes;

means for using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained links.

21. The network node of claim 20, means for receiving attachment point loading information;

and

wherein said means for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes means for selecting the communications link as a function of network attachment point loading information.

22. The wireless terminal of claim 20, further comprising means for receiving link interference information;

and

wherein said means for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes means for selecting the communications link as a function of the received link interference information.

23. A network node, comprising:

a receiver for receiving packets from another network node including an address corresponding to a wireless terminal;

a routing control module for selecting one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links with a wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets to said wireless terminal; and

transmitter for communicating said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected OFDM link for delivery over the selected OFDM wireless link to said wireless terminal.

24. The network node of claim 23, wherein said routing control module includes:

an application information indicator processing module for using an indicator included in a received packet which provides application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

25. The network node of claim 24, wherein said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM communications links include a first OFDM communications link corresponding to a first carrier frequency and a second OFDM communications link corresponding to a second carrier frequency, both said first and second carrier frequencies being within a frequency band which can be received and processed by said wireless terminal thereby allowing the wireless terminal to receive both carrier frequencies using a single receiver at the same time.

26. The network node of claim 24, wherein said routing control module includes:

an application requirements determination module for determining application requirements to be taken into consideration when selecting between the plurality of available links to use in routing packets.

27. The network node of claim 24, wherein said network node is a home agent, the network node further comprising:

memory including at least one of multiple Care-of Addresses and multiple Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal.

28. The network node of claim 24, wherein different Care-of Addresses or different Co-located Care-of Addresses stored in said memory corresponding to the wireless terminal correspond to different ones of said plurality of links.

29. The network node of claim 23, further comprising:

a link quality information module for receiving link quality information providing information on the quality of at least some of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links; and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links includes;

using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained links.

30. A method of operating a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

maintaining first and second OFDM communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

receiving tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link communicating packets corresponding to a first application;

receiving tones used to communicate signals over the second OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the second communications link communicating packets corresponding to a second application; and

recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links.

31. The method of claim 30,

wherein said first and second OFDM links are to two different base stations;

and

wherein at least one of said first and second OFDM links is a bi-directional communications link, the communications method further comprising;

transmitting at least some packets over said bi-directional communications link.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said first OFDM link uses a first carrier frequency and said second OFDM link uses a second carrier frequency, said first and second carrier frequencies being different;

wherein said steps of receiving tones corresponding to the first communications link and receiving tones corresponding to the second communications link include;

passing a received signal including carrier frequencies corresponding to said first and second OFDM links through a single analog receiver filter, said received signal including said tones corresponding to said first communications link and said tones corresponding to said second communications link; and

wherein said step of recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links includes;

digitizing the filtered signal produced by said analog receiver filter; and

processing tones in said digitized signal using a first digital receiver chain to recover said first packets and processing tones in said digitized signal using a second digital receiver chain to recover said second packets.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said first and second OFDM links use different tone blocks.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein said first and second OFDM links are to different sectors of the same base station.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein said first OFDM communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second OFDM communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

maintaining a third communications link with a third network point of attachment concurrently with said first and second communications links being maintained; and

receiving packets corresponding to a third application over the third communications link.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said first and third communication links are bi-directional communications links and said second communications link is a uni-directional communications-link.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

transmitting packets corresponding to the first applications over the first OFDM communications link; and

transmitting packets corresponding to the third application over the third communications link.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said first application is a data application, said second application is a downlink video broadcast application, and said third application is a voice application.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein recovering packets corresponding to said first application includes processing received OFDM downlink signals from the first attachment point;

and wherein recovering packets corresponding to the second application includes processing OFDM downlink signals from the second attachment point; and

wherein receiving packets corresponding to the third application includes processing CDMA downlink signals from a third attachment point.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein maintaining first and second communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment includes maintaining two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and a second IP address associated with the second application.

42. A wireless terminal, comprising:

means for maintaining first and second OFDM communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

means for receiving tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link communicating packets corresponding to a first application;

means for receiving tones used to communicate signals over the second OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the second communications link communicating packets corresponding to a second application; and

means for recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links.

43. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein at least one of said first and second OFDM links is a bidirectional communications link, the wireless terminal further comprising:

means for transmitting at least some packets over said bi-directional communications link.

44. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first OFDM link uses a first carrier frequency and said second OFDM link uses a second carrier frequency, said first and second carrier frequencies being different, the wireless terminal further comprising:

means for passing a received signal including carrier frequencies corresponding to said first and second OFDM links through a single analog receiver filter, said received signal including said tones corresponding to said first communications link and said tones corresponding to said second communications link;

means for digitizing the filters signal produced by said analog receiver filter; and

means for processing tones in said digitized signal using a first digital receiver chain to recover said first packets and processing tones in said digitized signal using a second digital receiver chain to recover said second packets.

45. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first and second OFDM links use different tone blocks.

46. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first and second OFDM links are to different sectors of the same base station.

47. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first OFDM communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second OFDM communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

48. The wireless terminal of claim 42, further comprising:

means for maintaining a third communications link with a third network points of attachment concurrently with said first and second communications links being maintained;

means for receiving packets corresponding to a third application over the third communications link.

49. The wireless terminal of claim 48, wherein said first and third communication links are bidirectional communications links and said second communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

50. The wireless terminal of claim 49, further comprising:

means for transmitting packets corresponding to the first applications over the first OFDM communications link; and

means for transmitting packets corresponding to the third application over the third communications link.

51. The wireless terminal of claim 50, wherein said first application is a data application, said second application is a downlink video broadcast application, and said third application is a voice application.

52. The wireless terminal of claim 49, wherein said means for recovering packets corresponding to said first application includes means for processing received OFDM downlink signals from the first attachment point;

and

wherein said means for recovering packets corresponding to the second application includes means for processing OFDM downlink signals from the second attachment, point; and

wherein said means for receiving packets corresponding to the third application includes means for processing CDMA downlink signals from a third attachment point.

53. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said means for maintaining first and second communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment includes means for maintaining two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and a second IP address associated with the second application.

54. A wireless terminal, comprising:

memory including link state information for maintaining first and second OFDM communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

a receiver module for simultaneously receiving tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link and tones used to communicate signals over the second OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link communicating packets corresponding to a first application, said tones used to communicate signals over the second communications link communicating packets corresponding to a second application; and

a packet module for recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links.

55. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein at least one of said first and second OFDM links is a bi-directional communications link, the wireless terminal further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting at least some packets over said bi-directional communications link.

56. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said first and second OFDM links are to the same base station but use first and second carrier frequencies, said first and second carrier frequencies being different, the receiver module including:

a single analog receiver filter for passing said tones corresponding to said first and second communications links;

an analog to digital converter for digitizing the filtered signal produced by said analog receiver filter; and

first and second digital signal processing modules, said first digital signal processing module processing tones in said digitized signal corresponding to the first communications link using a first digital receiver chain to recover said first packets, said second digital signal processing module processing tones corresponding to said second communications link to recover said second packets.

57. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said first OFDM communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second OFDM communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

58. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said memory further includes:

stored state information for maintaining a third communications link with a third network points of attachment concurrently with said first and second communications links being maintained; and

wherein said receiver module further includes a third digital signal processing module for recovering packets corresponding to a third application from signals communicated over the third communications link.

59. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said state information stored in memory corresponding to the first and second communications links includes two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and first communications link and a second IP address associated with the second,application and second communications link.

60. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a network node to implement a communications method, the method comprising:

operating the network node to receive packets directed to a wireless terminal;

operating the network node to select one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links with a wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets; and

operating the network node to communicate said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected OFDM link for delivery over the selected OFDM wireless link to said wireless terminal.

61. The computer readable medium of claim 60, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

using an indicator providing application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links as part of said step of operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

62. The computer readable medium of claim 61, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

using information regarding application requirements to determine which of the plurality of links to use in routing packets as part of said step of operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

63. The computer readable medium of claim 60, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

operating the network node to receive link quality information corresponding to the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links; and

using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained links as part of said step of operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links.

64. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a wireless terminal to implement a communications method, the method comprising:

maintaining first and second OFDM communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

receiving tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the first OFDM communications link communicating packets corresponding to a first application;

receiving tones used to communicate signals over the second OFDM communications link, said tones used to communicate signals over the second communications link communicating packets corresponding to a second application; and

recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein said first OFDM link uses a first carrier frequency and said second OFDM link uses a second carrier frequency, said first and second carrier frequencies being different, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

passing a received signal including carrier frequencies corresponding to said first and second OFDM links through a single analog receiver filter as part of said steps of receiving tones corresponding to the first communications link and receiving tones corresponding to the second communications link, said received signal including said tones corresponding to said first communications link and said tones corresponding to said second communications link;

digitizing the filtered signal produced by said analog receiver filter as part of said step of recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links; and

processing tones in said digitized signal using a first digital receiver chain to recover said first packets and processing tones in said digitized signal using a second digital receiver chain to recover said second packets as part of said step of recovering packets from received tones corresponding to said first and second OFDM communications links.

66. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein said first OFDM communications link is a bidirectional communications link and said second OFDM communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

67. The computer readable medium of claim 66, wherein said first and third communication links are bidirectional communications links and said second communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

68. The computer readable medium of claim 67, wherein said first application is a data application, said second application is a downlink video broadcast application, and said third application is a voice application.

69. The computer readable medium of claim 68 further embodying machine executable instructions for:

processing received OFDM downlink signals from the first attachment point as part of said step of recovering packets corresponding to said first application; and

processing OFDM downlink signals from the second attachment point as part of said step of recovering packets corresponding to the second application includes; and

processing CDMA downlink signals from a third attachment point as part of said step of receiving packets corresponding to the third application.

70. The computer readable medium of claim 64 further embodying instructions for:

maintaining two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and a second IP address associated with the second application as part of said step of maintaining first and second communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment.