CONCENTRATOR FOR MULTIPLEXING ACCESS POINT TO WIRELESS NETWORK CONNECTIONS

• US 20090316604A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Damanjit, Horn, Gavin B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate multiplexing communications from multiple downstream access points to one or more upstream access points. In particular, a concentrator component is provided that can establish a single transport layer connection with an upstream access point along with multiple application layer connections over the single transport layer connection for each of multiple downstream access points and/or related mobile devices. The downstream access points and/or mobile devices can provide identifiers to the concentrator component, which can utilize the identifiers to track communications with the upstream access points. In this regard, the upstream access points can additionally include identifiers received from the concentrator component in subsequent communications to facilitate identifying the appropriate downstream access point and/or mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

extracting a locally unique identifier from a downlink packet received from an access point;

determining a mobile device identifier and a disparate access point identifier related to the locally unique identifier;

replacing the locally unique identifier in the downlink packet with the mobile device identifier; and

transmitting the downlink packet to a disparate access point related to the disparate access point identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the disparate access point identifier from the disparate access point during a connection establishment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving the mobile device identifier from the disparate access point during a disparate connection establishment for a mobile device related to the mobile device identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing the locally unique identifier in a routing table with the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an uplink packet from the disparate access point;

determining an association between the uplink packet and the access point based at least in part on an access point identifier; and

transmitting the uplink packet to the access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the uplink packet is associated with the access point based at least in part on an address over which the uplink packet is received from the disparate access point.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining a routing table of disparate access point identifiers to access point identifiers, wherein the association between the uplink packet and the access point is determined based at least in part on a routing table entry related to the disparate access point.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising adding an entry to the routing table based at least in part on a request received from the disparate access point for association with the access point.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

extracting the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier from the uplink packet;

determining the locally unique identifier as related to the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier; and

replacing the mobile device identifier in the uplink packet with the locally unique identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier are application level identifiers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the locally unique identifier as related to the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier includes locating the locally unique identifier in a routing table that maps locally unique identifiers to received mobile device identifiers and serving disparate access point identifiers.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a transport layer connection with the access point.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising establishing application layer connections with the access point over the transport layer connection for the disparate access point or additional disparate access points associated with the access point.

14. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

obtain a locally unique identifier in a downlink packet received from an access point;

discern a mobile device identifier and a disparate access point identifier related to the locally unique identifier;

replace the locally unique identifier in the downlink packet with the mobile device identifier; and

transmit the downlink packet to a disparate access point related to the disparate access point identifier; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain an uplink packet from the disparate access point;

discern an association between the uplink packet and the access point based at least in part on an access point identifier; and

transmit the uplink packet to the access point.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to maintain a routing table of disparate access point identifiers to access point identifiers, wherein the association between the uplink packet and the access point is discerned based at least in part on a routing table entry related to the disparate access point.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to insert an entry to the routing table based at least in part on a request received from the disparate access point for association with the access point.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

discern the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier from the uplink packet;

generate the locally unique identifier as related to the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier; and

replace the mobile device identifier in the uplink packet with the locally unique identifier.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

means for extracting a locally unique identifier from a downlink packet received from an access point;

means for determining a mobile device identifier related to the locally unique identifier and replacing the locally unique identifier in the downlink packet with the mobile device identifier;

means for determining a disparate access point identifier related to the locally unique identifier; and

means for transmitting the downlink packet to a disparate access point related to the disparate access point identifier.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for transmitting the downlink packet to the disparate access point further receives the disparate access point identifier from the disparate access point during a connection establishment.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for determining the mobile device identifier stores the locally unique identifier in a routing table with the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for transmitting the downlink packet further receives an uplink packet from the disparate access point and the means for extracting the locally unique identifier further transmits the uplink packet to the access point.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the disparate access point related to the downlink packet additionally determines an association between the uplink packet and the access point based at least in part on an access point identifier.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the uplink packet is associated with the access point based at least in part on an address over which the uplink packet is received.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for determining the disparate access point related to the downlink packet further maintains a routing table of disparate access point identifiers to access point identifiers, wherein the association between the uplink packet and the access point is determined based at least in part on a routing table entry related to the disparate access point.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for determining the disparate access point related to the downlink packet adds an entry to the routing table based at least in part on a request received from the disparate access point for association with the access point.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for determining the mobile device identifier further extracts the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier from the uplink packet and determines the locally unique identifier as related to the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for determining the mobile device identifier further replaces the mobile device identifier in the uplink packet with the locally unique identifier.

29. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to extract a locally unique identifier from a downlink packet received from an access point;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a mobile device identifier and a disparate access point identifier related to the locally unique identifier;

code for causing the at least one computer to replace the locally unique identifier in the downlink packet with the mobile device identifier; and

code for causing at least one computer to transmit the downlink packet to a disparate access point related to the disparate access point identifier.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to receive the disparate access point identifier from the disparate access point during a connection establishment.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to obtain the mobile device identifier from the disparate access point during a disparate connection establishment for a mobile device related to the mobile device identifier.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to store the locally unique identifier in a routing table with the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to:

receive an uplink packet from the disparate access point;

determine an association between the uplink packet and the access point based at least in part on an access point identifier; and

transmit the uplink packet to the access point.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to maintain a routing table of disparate access point identifiers to access point identifiers, wherein the association between the uplink packet and the access point is determined based at least in part on a routing table entry related to the disparate access point.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to add an entry to the routing table based at least in part on a request received from the disparate access point for association with the access point.

36. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to:

extract the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier from the uplink packet;

determine the locally unique identifier as related to the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier; and

replace the mobile device identifier in the uplink packet with the locally unique identifier.

37. An apparatus, comprising:

an upstream connection component that extracts a locally unique identifier from a downlink packet received from an access point;

a mobile device routing component that determines a mobile device identifier related to the locally unique identifier and replaces the locally unique identifier in the downlink packet with the mobile device identifier;

an access point routing component that determines a disparate access point identifier related to the locally unique identifier; and

a downstream connection component that transmits the downlink packet to a disparate access point related to the disparate access point identifier.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the downstream connection component further receives the disparate access point identifier from the disparate access point during a connection establishment.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the mobile device routing component stores the locally unique identifier in a routing table with the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the downstream connection component further receives an uplink packet from the disparate access point and the upstream connection component further transmits the uplink packet to the access point.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the access point routing component additionally determines an association between the uplink packet and the access point based at least in part on an access point identifier.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the uplink packet is associated with the access point based at least in part on an address over which the uplink packet is received.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the access point routing component further maintains a routing table of disparate access point identifiers to access point identifiers, wherein the association between the uplink packet and the access point is determined based at least in part on a routing table entry related to the disparate access point.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the access point routing component adds an entry to the routing table based at least in part on a request received from the disparate access point for association with the access point.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the mobile device routing component extracts the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier from the uplink packet.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the mobile device routing component further determines the locally unique identifier related to the mobile device identifier and the disparate access point identifier and further replaces the mobile device identifier in the uplink packet with the locally unique identifier.

47. A method, comprising:

inserting a unique identifier in an application layer connection setup message and substantially all corresponding messages to facilitate determining an access point related to the corresponding messages; and

transmitting the application layer connection setup message and the corresponding messages to a network component.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

receiving one or more response messages related to the corresponding messages; and

verifying an identifier in the one or more response messages against the unique identifier to confirm proper routing of the one or more response messages.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising forwarding the one or more response messages to one or more mobile devices based at least in part on a disparate identifier in the one or more response messages.

50. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

insert a unique identifier in an application layer connection setup message and substantially all corresponding messages to facilitate determining an access point related to the corresponding messages; and

transmit the application layer connection setup message and the corresponding messages to a network component; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

51. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 50, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive one or more response messages related to the corresponding messages; and

verify an identifier in the one or more response messages against the unique identifier to confirm proper routing of the one or more response messages.

52. An apparatus, comprising:

means for inserting a unique identifier in an application layer connection setup message and substantially all corresponding messages to facilitate determining an access point related to the corresponding messages; and

means for transmitting the application layer connection setup message and the corresponding messages to a network component.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, further comprising means for receiving one or more response messages related to the corresponding messages, wherein the means for inserting the unique identifier verifies an identifier in the one or more response messages against the unique identifier to confirm proper routing of the one or more response messages.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising means for forwarding the one or more response messages to one or more mobile devices based at least in part on a disparate identifier in the one or more response messages.

55. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to insert a unique identifier in an application layer connection setup message and substantially all corresponding messages to facilitate determining an access point related to the corresponding messages; and

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit the application layer connection setup message and the corresponding messages to a network component.

56. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing the at least one computer to receive one or more response messages related to the corresponding messages; and

code for causing the at least one computer to verify an identifier in the one or more response messages against the unique identifier to confirm proper routing of the one or more response messages.

57. An apparatus, comprising:

an identifier specification component that inserts a unique identifier in an application layer connection setup message and substantially all corresponding messages to facilitate determining an access point related to the corresponding messages; and

an uplink transmission component that transmits the application layer connection setup message and the corresponding messages to a network component.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, further comprising a downlink receiving component that receives one or more response messages related to the corresponding messages, wherein the identifier specification component verifies an identifier in the one or more response messages against the unique identifier to confirm proper routing of the one or more response messages.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, further comprising a mobile device communication component that forwards the one or more response messages to one or more mobile devices based at least in part on a disparate identifier in the one or more response messages.