DATA ROUTING VIA LOWER LAYERS IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080101356A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mudireddy, Srinivas R., Vangala, Venkata Satish Kumar, Payyappilly, Ajith T., Babbar, Uppinder S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• 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 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques for routing data via lower layer paths through lower layers of a protocol stack are described. A lower layer path may be composed of a flow for packets, a link at a link layer, and a channel at a physical layer. A packet may be received from an application. A most preferred lower layer path for the packet may be selected from among at least one available lower layer path. The available lower layer path(s) may be arranged in an order of preference based on treatment of packets (e.g., best effort or QoS), protocols used at the link layer, channel types at the physical layer, and/or other factors. The packet may be sent via the selected lower layer path. A highest precedence lower layer path for the packet may be set up (e.g., in parallel) if this path is not among the at least one available lower layer path.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to receive a packet to send, to select a most preferred lower layer path for the packet from among at least one available lower layer path, and to send the packet via the selected lower layer path; and

a memory coupled to the processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each available lower layer path carries data through a link layer and a physical layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each available lower layer path comprises a flow for packets, a link at a link layer, and a channel at a physical layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the link corresponds to a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) instance in High Rate Packet Data (HRPD).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a lower layer path with a quality of service (QoS) flow if specified for the packet and available, and to select a lower layer path with a best effort flow if the lower layer path with the QoS flow is not specified for the packet or is not available.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to filter the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one quality of service (QoS) flow, and to select a lower layer path with a QoS flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the QoS flow.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to send the packet on a traffic channel if the QoS flow is activated and a link for the selected lower layer path is connected.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to send the packet on a signaling channel if the QoS flow is activated, the link is not connected, and the signaling channel is available and capable of carrying the packet.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to filter the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one best effort flow, and to select a lower layer path with a best effort flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the best effort flow.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to send the packet on a traffic channel if the best effort flow is activated and a link for the selected lower layer path is connected.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to send the packet on a signaling channel if the best effort flow is activated, the link is not connected, and the signaling channel is available and capable of carrying the packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lower layer path comprises a flow, and wherein the at least one available lower layer path is arranged in an order of preference based on treatment of packets, with a quality of service (QoS) flow having higher preference than a best effort flow.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one available lower layer path is arranged in an order of preference based on protocols used at a link layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one available lower layer path is arranged in an order of preference based on channel types at a physical layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to set up a highest precedence lower layer path for the packet if not among the at least one available lower layer path.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a packet to send;

selecting a most preferred lower layer path for the packet from among at least one available lower layer path; and

sending the packet via the selected lower layer path.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting the most preferred lower layer path for the packet comprises

selecting a lower layer path with a quality of service (QoS) flow if specified for the packet and available, and

selecting a lower layer path with a best effort flow if the lower layer path with the QoS flow is not specified for the packet or is not available.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting the most preferred lower layer path for the packet comprises

filtering the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one quality of service (QoS) flow, and

selecting a lower layer path with a QoS flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the QoS flow.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting the most preferred lower layer path for the packet comprises

filtering the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one best effort flow, and

selecting a lower layer path with a best effort flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the best effort flow.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting up a highest precedence lower layer path for the packet if not among the at least one available lower layer path.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a packet to send;

means for selecting a most preferred lower layer path for the packet from among at least one available lower layer path; and

means for sending the packet via the selected lower layer path.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for selecting the most preferred lower layer path for the packet comprises

means for selecting a lower layer path with a quality of service (QoS) flow if specified for the packet and available, and

means for selecting a lower layer path with a best effort flow if the lower layer path with the QoS flow is not specified for the packet or is not available.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for selecting the most preferred lower layer path for the packet comprises

means for filtering the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one quality of service (QoS) flow, and

means for selecting a lower layer path with a QoS flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the QoS flow.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for selecting the most preferred lower layer path for the packet comprises

means for filtering the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one best effort flow, and

means for selecting a lower layer path with a best effort flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the best effort flow.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for setting up a highest precedence lower layer path for the packet if not among the at least one available lower layer path.

26. A processor-readable media for storing instructions to:

receive a packet to send;

select a most preferred lower layer path for the packet from among at least one available lower layer path; and

send the packet via the selected lower layer path.

27. The processor-readable media of claim 26, and further for storing instructions to:

select a lower layer path with a quality of service (QoS) flow if specified for the packet and available, and

select a lower layer path with a best effort flow if the lower layer path with the QoS flow is not specified for the packet or is not available.

28. The processor-readable media of claim 26, and further for storing instructions to:

filter the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one quality of service (QoS) flow, and

select a lower layer path with a QoS flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the QoS flow.

29. The processor-readable media of claim 26, and further for storing instructions to:

filter the packet with at least one packet filter for at least one best effort flow, and

select a lower layer path with a best effort flow as the most preferred lower layer path for the packet if the packet matches a packet filter for the best effort flow.

30. The processor-readable media of claim 26, and further for storing instructions to:

set up a highest precedence lower layer path for the packet if not among the at least one available lower layer path.