METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING A SET OF COMMUNICATIONS CONNECTION RELATED INFORMATION
First Claim
1. A method of operating an access terminal in a network, the method comprising:
- transmitting a connection request to a first access point with which said access terminal has a connection, said connection request indicating that said access terminal seeks to establish an active connection with a second access point;
receiving a connection response message from said first access point; and
updating, based on the received connection response message, a set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus related to management of active connections between an access terminal and access points are described. An access terminal maintains and manages active set information. The active set information identifies a set of access points with which the access terminal has an active connection. In some embodiments, the active set information includes allocated resources assigned to the access terminal corresponding to the different access points in the active set. Layer 2 Transport Tunneling is used, in various embodiments, to communicate connection request and/or connection response information, between access points. In some embodiments, the access terminal optionally assists in coordinating MAC resources allocated to the access terminal by different access points.
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Citations
124 Claims
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1. A method of operating an access terminal in a network, the method comprising:
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transmitting a connection request to a first access point with which said access terminal has a connection, said connection request indicating that said access terminal seeks to establish an active connection with a second access point; receiving a connection response message from said first access point; and updating, based on the received connection response message, a set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An access terminal for use in a network, the access terminal comprising:
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a wireless transmitter module for transmitting a connection request to a first access point with which said access terminal has a connection, said connection request indicating that said access terminal seeks to establish an active connection with a second access point; a wireless receiver module for receiving a connection response message from said first access point; memory including a set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection; and a connection management module for updating, based on the received connection response message, said set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An access terminal for use in a network, the access terminal comprising:
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wireless transmitter means for transmitting a connection request to a first access point with which said access terminal has a connection, said connection request indicating that said access terminal seeks to establish an active connection with a second access point; means for receiving a connection response message from said first access point; memory means including a set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection; and means for updating, based on the received connection response message, said set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus comprising:
a processor for use in an access terminal, the processor configured to; transmit a connection request to a first access point with which said access terminal has a connection, said connection request indicating that said access terminal seeks to establish an active connection with a second access point; receive a connection response message from said first access point; and update, based on the received connection response message, a set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for operating an access terminal in a network to implement a method for communicating with other communications devices, the method comprising:
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transmitting a connection request to a first access point with which said access terminal has a connection, said connection request indicating that said access terminal seeks to establish an active connection with a second access point; receiving a connection response message from said first access point; and updating, based on the received connection response message, a set of information indicating access points with which said access terminal has an active connection. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of operating a first access point, the method comprising:
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receiving a connection request from an access terminal with which said first access point has an active connection, said connection request including an identifier corresponding to a second access point with which said access terminal is seeking to establish an active connection; forwarding at least a portion of the connection request to said second access point; receiving from the second access point a connection response message; and forwarding the connection response message to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A first access point comprising:
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a wireless receiver module for receiving a connection request from an access terminal with which said first access point has an active connection, said connection request including an identifier corresponding to a second access point with which said access terminal is seeking to establish an active connection; a connection request forwarding module for forwarding at least a portion of the connection request to said second access point; a network interface module for receiving from the second access point a connection response message; and a connection response forwarding module for forwarding the connection response message to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A first access point comprising:
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wireless receiver means for receiving a connection request from an access terminal with which said first access point has an active connection, said connection request including an identifier corresponding to a second access point with which said access terminal is seeking to establish an active connection; first forwarding means for forwarding at least a portion of the connection request to said second access point; means for receiving from the second access point a connection response message; and second forwarding means for forwarding the connection response message to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. An apparatus comprising:
a processor for use in a first access point, the processor configured to; receive a connection request from an access terminal with which said first access point has an active connection, said connection request including an identifier corresponding to a second access point with which said access terminal is seeking to establish an active connection; forward at least a portion of the connection request to said second access point; receive from the second access point a connection response message; and forward the connection response message to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for operating a first access point to implement a method for communicating with other communications devices, the method comprising:
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receiving a connection request from an access terminal with which said first access point has an active connection, said connection request including an identifier corresponding to a second access point with which said access terminal is seeking to establish an active connection; forwarding at least a portion of the connection request to said second access point; receiving from the second access point a connection response message; and forwarding the connection response message to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A method of operating a second access point, having a connection with a first access point which has an active connection with an access terminal, the method comprising:
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receiving a connection request communicated from the first access point to the second access point indicating that said access terminal is seeking to establish a connection with said second access point; generating a connection response message; and communicating the connection response to said first access point for forwarding to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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99. A second access point, having a connection with a first access point which has an active connection with an access terminal, the second access point comprising:
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an I/O interface module for receiving a connection request communicated from the first access point to the second access point indicating that said access terminal is seeking to establish a connection with said second access point; a connection response generation module for generating a connection response message; and wherein said I/O interface module also communicates the connection response to said first access point for forwarding to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109)
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110. A second access point, having a connection with a first access point which has an active connection with an access terminal, the second access point comprising:
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I/O interface means for receiving a connection request communicated from the first access point to the second access point indicating that said access terminal is seeking to establish a connection with said second access point; means for generating a connection response message; and wherein said I/O interface means also communicates the connection response to said first access point for forwarding to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (111, 112, 113, 114)
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115. An apparatus comprising:
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a processor for use in a second access point having a connection with a first access point which has an active connection with an access terminal, the processor configured to; receive a connection request communicated from the first access point to the second access point indicating that said access terminal is seeking to establish a connection with said second access point; generate a connection response message; and communicate the connection response to said first access point for forwarding to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (116, 117, 118, 119)
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120. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for operating a second access point, having a connection with a first access point which has an active connection with an access terminal, to implement a method for communicating with other communications devices, the method comprising:
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receiving a connection request communicated from the first access point to the second access point indicating that said access terminal is seeking to establish a connection with said second access point; generating a connection response message; and communicating the connection response to said first access point for forwarding to said access terminal. - View Dependent Claims (121, 122, 123, 124)
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Specification