METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MOBILE WIMAX THREE-WAY DOWNLINK CONCURRENT PROCESSING AND THREE-WAY HANDOVER

• US 20090285178A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Kuo-Chun, Chin, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for establishing multiple connections between a wireless device and multiple base stations and transferring data using these connections via different segments of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame are provided. The multiple connections may be used for multi-way (e.g., three-way) concurrent processing, multi-way (e.g., three-way) handover, or a hybrid between concurrent processing and multi-way handover in an effort to increase data throughput for the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) establishing a first connection with a first base station, wherein the first connection involves the transfer of data using a first signal based on a first segment of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame;

(b) establishing a second connection with a second base station, wherein the second connection involves the transfer of data using a second signal based on a second segment of the OFDMA frame; and

(c) exchanging data with the first and second base stations via the first and second connections within a time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second segments have different downlink (DL) data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising concurrently processing the different DL data from the first and second segments.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein concurrently processing comprises adjusting for delays between the first and second signals based on the first and second segments, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the delays comprise transmission delays between the first and second base stations and/or propagation delays in receiving the first and second signals based on the first and second segments, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second segments are from the same service and have the same downlink (DL) data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

(d) selecting between the first or the second segment based on a bandwidth grant; and

(e) using the selected segment for wireless communication.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising (f) ignoring the first or the second segment that was not selected.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising repeating (c) through (e) with a new OFDMA frame, wherein the selected segment may be a different one of the first and seconds segments on an OFDMA frame-by-frame basis.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a third connection with a third base station, wherein the third connection involves the transfer of data using a third signal based on a third segment of the OFDMA frame; and

exchanging data with the first, second, and third base stations via the first, second, and third connections within the time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third segments have different downlink (DL) data from at least two different services.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first, second, and third segments have different downlink (DL) data from three different services.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first, second, and third segments are from the same service and have the same downlink (DL) data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting between the first, second, or the third segment based on a bandwidth grant; and

using the selected segment for wireless communication.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising ignoring two of the first, second, and third segments that were not selected.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining signal strength of the first and second signals; and

deleting one of the first and second connections whose signal strength is below a drop threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining signal strength of a third signal based on a third segment of an OFDMA frame; and

adding a third connection with a third base station if the signal strength of the third signal is above an add threshold and if the third segment uses different subchannel groups than the first or the second segments.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining signal strength of a third signal based on a third segment of an OFDMA frame; and

replacing one of the first and second connections with a third connection to a third base station if the signal strength of the third signal is above an add threshold and is greater than a signal strength of the first or the second signal by at least a margin.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the OFDMA frame has a format in accordance with one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 family of standards.

20. A receiver for wireless communication, comprising:

first connection-establishing logic configured to establish a first connection with a first base station, wherein the first connection involves the transfer of data using a first signal received by the receiver and based on a first segment of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame;

second connection-establishing logic configured to establishing a second connection with a second base station, wherein the second connection involves the transfer of data using a second signal received by the receiver and based on a second segment of the OFDMA frame; and

data logic configured to exchange data with the first and second base stations via the first and second connections within a time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

21. The receiver of claim 20, wherein the first and second segments have different downlink (DL) data and the data logic is configured to concurrently process the different DL data from the first and second segments.

22. The receiver of claim 21, wherein the data logic is configured to adjust for delays between the first and second signals based on the first and second segments, respectively.

23. The receiver of claim 20, further comprising selection logic configured to select between the first or the second segment based on a bandwidth grant, wherein the first and second segments are from the same service.

24. The receiver of claim 20, further comprising third connection-establishing logic configured to establish a third connection with a third base station, wherein the third connection involves the transfer of data using a third signal based on a third segment of the OFDMA frame and wherein the data logic is configured to exchange data with the first, second, and third base stations via the first, second, and third connections within the time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

25. The receiver of claim 20, wherein the OFDMA frame has a format in accordance with one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 family of standards.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for establishing a first connection with a first base station, wherein the first connection involves the transfer of data using a first signal based on a first segment of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame;

means for establishing a second connection with a second base station, wherein the second connection involves the transfer of data using a second signal based on a second segment of the OFDMA frame; and

means for exchanging data with the first and second base stations via the first and second connections within a time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for establishing a third connection with a third base station, wherein the third connection involves the transfer of data using a third signal based on a third segment of the OFDMA frame and wherein the means for exchanging data is a means for exchanging data with the first, second, and third base stations via the first, second, and third connections within the time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the OFDMA frame has a format in accordance with one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 family of standards.

29. A mobile device, comprising:

first connection-establishing logic configured to establish a first connection with a first base station, wherein the first connection involves the transfer of data using a first signal based on a first segment of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame;

second connection-establishing logic configured to establishing a second connection with a second base station, wherein the second connection involves the transfer of data using a second signal based on a second segment of the OFDMA frame; and

a receiver front end for receiving the first and second signals from the first and second base stations via the first and second connections within a time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

30. The mobile device of claim 29, further comprising third connection-establishing logic configured to establish a third connection with a third base station, wherein the third connection involves the transfer of data using a third signal based on a third segment of the OFDMA frame and wherein the receiver front end is for receiving the first, second, and third signals from the first, second, and third base stations via the first, second, and third connections within the time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

31. The mobile device of claim 29, wherein the OFDMA frame has a format in accordance with one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 family of standards.

32. A computer-readable medium containing a program for wireless communication, which, when executed by a processor, performs operations comprising:

(a) establishing a first connection with a first base station, wherein the first connection involves the transfer of data using a first signal based on a first segment of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame;

(b) establishing a second connection with a second base station, wherein the second connection involves the transfer of data using a second signal based on a second segment of the OFDMA frame; and

(c) transferring data using the first and second connections within a time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising concurrently processing different DL data from the first and second segments, wherein concurrently processing comprises adjusting for delays between the first and second signals based on the first and second segments, respectively.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising:

(d) selecting between the first or the second segment based on a bandwidth grant, wherein the first and second segments are from the same service and have the same downlink (DL) data; and

(e) using the selected segment for wireless communication.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising:

establishing a third connection with a third base station, wherein the third connection involves the transfer of data using a third signal based on a third segment of the OFDMA frame; and

exchanging data with the first, second, and third base stations via the first, second, and third connections within the time period bounded by the OFDMA frame.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third segments have different downlink (DL) data from at least two different services.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, further comprising:

selecting between the first, second, or the third segment based on a bandwidth grant, wherein the first, second, and third segments are from the same service and have the same downlink (DL) data; and

using the selected segment for wireless communication.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the OFDMA frame has a format in accordance with one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 family of standards.