METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING FRACTIONAL SYSTEM SELECTION BY A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20120077505A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wietfeldt, Richard D., Chrisikos, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Techniques for performing fractional system selection by a wireless device are described. The wireless device may have at least one application that is active and a plurality of radios that are available for use. The wireless device may perform fractional system selection and map different portions of an application to different radios. In one design, the wireless device may determine a mapping of different fractions of the application to different radios based on the requirements of the application, capabilities of the radios, interference between the radios, etc. The wireless device may map a first fraction of the application to a first radio and may map a second fraction of the application to a second radio. The wireless device may exchange (e.g., send or receive) data for the first fraction of the application via the first radio and may exchange data for the second fraction of the application via the second radio.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

mapping a first fraction of an application to a first radio on a wireless device;

mapping a second fraction of the application to a second radio on the wireless device;

exchanging data for the first fraction of the application via the first radio; and

exchanging data for the second fraction of the application via the second radio.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping a fraction of a second application to the first radio; and

exchanging data for the fraction of the second application via the first radio.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping a third fraction of the application to a third radio on the wireless device; and

exchanging data for the third fraction of the application via the third radio.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first and second fractions of the application to map to the first and second radios, respectively, based on requirements of the application and capabilities of the first and second radios.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a mapping of at least one application to a plurality of radios, the at least one application including the application, and the plurality of radios including the first and second radios; and

mapping the first and second fractions of the application to the first and second radios based on the mapping of the at least one application to the plurality of radios.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mapping of the at least one application to the plurality of radios indicates a particular fraction of each application to map to each of the plurality of radios.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the mapping comprises

determining the mapping of the at least one application to the plurality of radios based on requirements of the application, or at least one preference of the application, or at least one profile applicable for the application, or capabilities of the plurality of radios, or power consumption of the wireless device to support communication via the plurality of radios, or loading on at least one wireless network with which the plurality of radios communicate, or interference between the plurality of radios, or channel conditions, or throughput, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving information indicative of the loading of the at least one wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the mapping comprises

determining the mapping of the at least one application to the plurality of radios based on at least one objective function.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing percentage of the first fraction of the application mapped to the first radio, or percentage of the second fraction of the application mapped to the second radio, or both.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping the first fraction of the application comprises mapping at least one flow of the application to the first radio, and wherein the mapping the second fraction of the application comprises mapping at least one other flow of the application to the second radio.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a flow initially mapped to the first radio; and

moving the flow from the first radio to the second radio or a third radio on the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein an overall throughput of the first and second fractions of the first application is greater than a throughput of the first radio and a throughput of the second radio.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the application has a highest priority among a plurality of applications active on the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of radios including the first and second radios based on interference between the radios, or channel conditions, or throughput, or a combination thereof, without considering requirements of the application.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of radios including the first and second radios based on requirements of the application and based further on interference between the radios, or channel conditions, or throughput, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second fractions of the application are statically mapped to the first and second radios for an entire duration in which the application is active.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein fractions of the application are dynamically mapped to available radios on the wireless device based on requirements of the application and capabilities of the available radios.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein fractions of the application are mapped to available radios on the wireless device at designated times.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein fractions of the application are mapped to available radios on the wireless device when triggered by events, and wherein the events relate to changes in requirements of the application, or changes in the available radios, or changes in capabilities of the available radios, or a combination thereof.

21. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for mapping a first fraction of an application to a first radio on a wireless device;

means for mapping a second fraction of the application to a second radio on the wireless device;

means for exchanging data for the first fraction of the application via the first radio; and

means for exchanging data for the second fraction of the application via the second radio.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for mapping a fraction of a second application to the first radio; and

means for exchanging data for the fraction of the second application via the first radio.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining the first and second fractions of the application to map to the first and second radios, respectively, based on requirements of the application and capabilities of the first and second radios.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining a mapping of at least one application to a plurality of radios, the at least one application including the application, and the plurality of radios including the first and second radios; and

means for mapping the first and second fractions of the application to the first and second radios based on the mapping of the at least one application to the plurality of radios.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for changing percentage of the first fraction of the application mapped to the first radio, or percentage of the second fraction of the application mapped to the second radio, or both.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for mapping the first fraction of the application comprises means for mapping at least one flow of the application to the first radio, and wherein the means for mapping the second fraction of the application comprises means for mapping at least one other flow of the application to the second radio.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for identifying a flow initially mapped to the first radio; and

means for moving the flow from the first radio to the second radio or a third radio on the wireless device.

28. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to map a first fraction of an application to a first radio on a wireless device, to map a second fraction of the application to a second radio on the wireless device, to exchange data for the first fraction of the application via the first radio, and to exchange data for the second fraction of the application via the second radio.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to map a fraction of a second application to the first radio, and to exchange data for the fraction of the second application via the first radio.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the first and second fractions of the application to map to the first and second radios, respectively, based on requirements of the application and capabilities of the first and second radios.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a mapping of at least one application to a plurality of radios, the at least one application including the application, and the plurality of radios including the first and second radios, and to map the first and second fractions of the application to the first and second radios based on the mapping of the at least one application to the plurality of radios.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to change percentage of the first fraction of the application mapped to the first radio, or percentage of the second fraction of the application mapped to the second radio, or both.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to map at least one flow of the application to the first radio, and to map at least one other flow of the application to the second radio.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a flow initially mapped to the first radio, and to move the flow from the first radio to the second radio or a third radio on the wireless device.

35. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to map a first fraction of an application to a first radio on a wireless device,

code for causing the at least one computer to map a second fraction of the application to a second radio on the wireless device,

code for causing the at least one computer to exchange data for the first fraction of the application via the first radio, and

code for causing the at least one computer to exchange data for the second fraction of the application via the second radio.

36. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

mapping a fraction of a first application to a radio on a wireless device;

mapping a fraction of a second application to the radio;

exchanging data for the fraction of the first application via the radio; and

exchanging data for the fraction of the second application via the radio.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

mapping a second fraction of the first application to a second radio; and

exchanging data for the second fraction of the first application via the second radio.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

mapping a fraction of a third application to the radio; and

exchanging data for the fraction of the third application via the radio.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

selecting the radio based on requirements of the first and second applications, or capabilities of the radio, or both.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the radio has a highest preference or a highest priority among a plurality of radios on the wireless device.

41. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for mapping a fraction of a first application to a radio on a wireless device;

means for mapping a fraction of a second application to the radio;

means for exchanging data for the fraction of the first application via the radio; and

means for exchanging data for the fraction of the second application via the radio.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for mapping a second fraction of the first application to a second radio; and

means for exchanging data for the second fraction of the first application via the second radio.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for selecting the radio based on requirements of the first and second applications, or capabilities of the radio, or both.

44. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to map a fraction of a first application to a radio on a wireless device, to map a fraction of a second application to the radio, to exchange data for the fraction of the first application via the radio, and to exchange data for the fraction of the second application via the radio.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the at least one processor is configured to map a second fraction of the first application to a second radio, and to exchange data for the second fraction of the first application via the second radio.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the radio based on requirements of the first and second applications, or capabilities of the radio, or both.

47. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to map a fraction of a first application to a radio on a wireless device,

code for causing the at least one computer to map a fraction of a second application to the radio,

code for causing the at least one computer to exchange data for the fraction of the first application via the radio, and

code for causing the at least one computer to exchange data for the fraction of the second application via the radio.