SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEAMLESS DATA STREAM TRANSFER DURING BAND SWITCH BETWEEN WIRELESS STATIONS

• US 20140254349A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jia, Zhanfeng, Du, Shu, HomChaudhuri, Sandip
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/066 Combined feedback for a number of channels, e.g. over several subcarriers like in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [OFDM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/04 using frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/40 using split connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0252 per individual bearer or channel dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/125 using a measured number of retransmissions as a link metric
• 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

One innovation includes an apparatus, for wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a first wireless channel and a second wireless channel, including a memory unit that is configured to store a first data packet and a second data packet, the first data packet and the second data packet have consecutive sequence numbers. The apparatus further includes a processor configured to retrieve the first data packet and the second data packet from the memory unit, a transceiver that is configured to transmit the first data packet to the communication system via the first channel, to receive a first acknowledgement from the communication system and to transmit the second data packet to the communication system via the second channel after the processor detects that the first acknowledgement comprises a positive acknowledgement of the first reception information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wirelessly communicating with a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory unit configured to store a first data packet and a second data packet, the first data packet and the second data packet having consecutive sequence numbers;

a processor operationally coupled to the memory unit and configured to retrieve the first data packet and the second data packet from the memory unit; and

a transceiver operationally coupled to the processor, the transceiver including a wireless first channel and a wireless second channel to communicate data, the apparatus being configured to transmit the first data packet to the communication system via the first channel, to receive via the first channel a first acknowledgement from the communication system comprising reception information associated with the first data packet, and to transmit the second data packet to the communication system via the second channel after the apparatus determines that the first acknowledgement includes reception information that indicates successful reception of the first data packet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel is configured to communicate data at a first frequency and the second channel is configured to communicate data at a second frequency, the second frequency being different than the first frequency.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication system simultaneously monitors both the first channel and the second channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the apparatus receives that the first acknowledgement indicates the first data packet was not received, the apparatus is further configured to

re-transmit the first data packet to the communication system via at least one of the first channel or the second channel;

and

receive a second acknowledgement via the first or second channel that was used to re-transmit the first data packet, the second acknowledgement including reception information that indicates reception status of the re-transmitted first data packet by the communication system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the apparatus fails to receive the first acknowledgement for a length of time, the apparatus is further configured to

re-transmit the first data packet to the communication system via at least one of the first channel or the second channel;

and

receive a second acknowledgement via the first or second channel that was used to re-transmit the first data packet, the second acknowledgement including reception information that indicates reception status of the re-transmitted first data packet by the communication system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory unit is further configured to store a third data packet, wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve the third packet, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to

transmit the first packet and the third packet and to the communication system via the first channel;

and

receive via the first channel a second acknowledgement comprising reception information associated with the first data packet and the third data packet from the communication system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the apparatus receives that the second acknowledgement indicates that the first data packet was not received, the apparatus is further configured to

re-transmit the first data packet to the communication system via at least one of the first channel or the second channel;

and

receive a third acknowledgement via the first or second channel that was used to re-transmit the first data packet, the third acknowledgement including reception information that indicates reception status of the re-transmitted first data packet by the communication system.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the apparatus fails to receive the second acknowledgement for a length of time, the apparatus is further configured to

re-transmit the first packet and the third packet and to the communication system via at least one of the first channel or the second channel;

and

receive a third acknowledgement via the first or second channel that was used to re-transmit the first data packet, the third acknowledgement including reception information that indicates reception status of the re-transmitted first data packet by the communication system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to transmit the second data packet to another communication system when the apparatus receives the first acknowledgement indicates a successful reception of the first data packet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus shares at least the transceiver with the another communication system.

11. An apparatus for wirelessly communicating with a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory unit configured to store information associated with the first channel and the second channel;

a processor operationally coupled to the memory unit, the processor configured to retrieve the information from the memory unit; and

a transceiver operationally coupled to the processor, the transceiver including a wireless first channel and a wireless second channel to communicate data, the apparatus being configured to receive a first data packet from the communication system via the first channel, to transmit via the first channel a first acknowledgement comprising reception information associated with the first data packet, and to receive a second packet from the communication system via the second channel, the first packet and the second packet having consecutive sequence numbers.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further configured to

receive the first data packet from the communication system via the first channel, the first channel operating at a first frequency;

transmit the first acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel; and

receive the second packet via the second channel, the second channel operating at a second frequency.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus simultaneously monitors the first channel and the second channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further configured to generate the first acknowledgement to indicate that a failed reception of the first packet when the apparatus fails to receive the first data packet, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to receive the first packet from the communication system via the first channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to generate the first acknowledgement to indicate a successful reception of the first packet when the apparatus successfully receives the first packet.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

receive the one first packet and a third packet from the communication system via the first channel; and

transmit a second acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel, the second acknowledgement including reception information that indicates reception status of at least one of the first packet or the third packet.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to generate the second acknowledgement to indicate information associated with a failed reception of the first packet when the apparatus fails to receive the first packet, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to receive the first packet from the communication system via the first channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein when the apparatus successfully receives the first packet and the third packet, the second acknowledgement comprises information associated with successful reception of the first packet and successful reception of the third packet.

19. A method of wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a first wireless channel and a second wireless channel, the method comprising:

transmitting a first data packet to the communication system via the first channel;

receiving a first acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the first acknowledgement including reception information that indicates whether a successful reception of the first data packet occurred; and

transmitting the second data packet to the communication system via the second channel when the first acknowledgement indicates a successful reception of the first data packet.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting the first data packet comprises transmitting the first data packet to the communication system via the first channel at a first frequency, wherein receiving the first acknowledgement comprises receiving the first acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, and wherein transmitting the second data packet comprises transmitting the second data packet via the second channel at a second frequency.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the communication system simultaneously monitors the first wireless channel and the second wireless channel.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

re-transmitting the first data packet to the communication system via the first channel when the first acknowledgement indicates that the first data packet was not received; and

receiving a second acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the second acknowledgement including reception information associated with the re-transmitted first data packet.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

re-transmitting the first data packet to the communication system the first channel when the first acknowledgement was not received for a length of time; and

receiving a second acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the second acknowledgement comprising reception information associated with the re-transmitted first data packet.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the first packet and the third packet and to the communication system via the first channel; and

receive a second acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the second acknowledgement including reception information associated with at least one of the first data packet or the third data packet.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

re-transmitting the first data packet to the communication system via the first channel when the second acknowledgement indicates that the first data packet was not successfully received; and

receiving a third acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the third acknowledgement including reception information associated with the re-transmitted first data packet.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

re-transmitting the first packet and the third packet and to the communication system via the first channel when the second acknowledgement was not successfully received for a length of time; and

receiving a third acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the third acknowledgement including third reception information associated with the at least one of the first data packet or the third data packet.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the second data packet to another communication system when the first acknowledgement indicates that the first data packet was received.

28. A method of wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a wireless first channel and a wireless second channel, the method comprising:

receiving a first data packet from the communication system via the first channel,

transmitting a first acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel, the first acknowledgement including first reception information associated with the received first data packet, and

receiving a second packet from the communication system via the second channel, the first packet and the second packet having consecutive sequence numbers.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving the first data packet comprises receiving the first data packet from the communication system via the first channel at a first frequency, wherein transmitting the first acknowledgement comprises transmitting the first acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel, and wherein receiving the second data packet comprises receiving the second data packet via the second channel at a second frequency.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the wireless first channel and the wireless second channel.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

setting the first acknowledgement to indicate that the first data packet was not received; and

receiving a re-transmission of the first packet from the communication system via at least one of the first channel or the second channel when the first data packet was not received.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises setting the first acknowledgement to indicate that the first packet was successfully received.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the one first packet and a third packet from the communication system via the first channel; and

transmitting a second acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel, the second acknowledgement including reception information associated with at least one of the first packet or the third packet.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the method comprises:

setting the second acknowledgement to indicate that the first packet was not received; and

receiving the first packet from the communication system via the first channel when the first packet was not received via the first channel.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the method comprises setting the second acknowledgement to indicate a successful reception of the first packet and a successful reception of the third packet when the first packet and the third packet are successfully received.

36. An apparatus for of wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a wireless first channel and a wireless second channel, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing a first data packet and a second data packet, the first data packet and the second data packet having consecutive sequence numbers;

means for processing operationally coupled to the storing means and configured to retrieve the first data packet and the second data packet from the storing means;

means for transmitting a first data packet to the communication system via the first channel;

means for receiving a first acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the first acknowledgement including reception information associated with the first data packet; and

means for transmitting the second data packet to the communication system via the second channel after the apparatus receives that the first acknowledgement includes a positive acknowledgement of reception of the first data packet.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for storing comprises a memory unit, wherein the means for processing comprises a processor, wherein the means for transmitting the first data packet comprises a transmitter, wherein the means for receiving the first acknowledgement comprises a receiver, and the means for transmitting the second data packet comprises the transmitter.

38. An apparatus for wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a wireless first channel and a wireless second channel, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first data packet from the communication system via the first channel,

means for transmitting a first acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel, the first acknowledgement comprising first reception information associated with the first data, and

means for receiving a second packet from the communication system via the second channel, the first packet and the second packet having consecutive sequence numbers.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the means for receiving the first data packet comprises a receiver, wherein the means for transmitting the first acknowledgement comprises a transmitter, and wherein the means for receiving the second packet comprises the receiver.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

transmit a first data packet to the communication system via a first channel,

receive a first acknowledgement from the communication system via the first channel, the first acknowledgement comprising reception information associated with the first data packet, and

determine if the first acknowledgement indicates a successful transmission of the first data packet; and

transmit the second data packet to the communication system via the second channel if it is determined that the transmission of the first data packet was successful.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

receive a first data packet from the communication system via a first channel,

transmit a first acknowledgement to the communication system via the first channel, the first acknowledgement comprising reception information associated with the first data packet, and

receive a second packet from the communication system via the second channel, the first packet and the second packet having consecutive sequence numbers.

42. An apparatus for wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a wireless first channel and a second channel, comprising:

a first buffer configured to store data packets from the first channel;

a second buffer configured to store data packets from the second channel;

a memory unit configured to store information comprising

a first start sequence number of the first buffer,

a first window size of the first buffer,

a second start sequence number of the second buffer, and

a second window size of the second buffer; and

a processor operationally coupled to the first buffer, the second buffer and the memory unit, the processor configured to copy the first start sequence number to the second start sequence number, and to copy the first window size to the second window size.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the first channel and the second channel are wireless channels.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the first channel is a logic channel connected to the communication system, and wherein the second channel is another logic channel connected to another communication system.

45. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the memory unit is further configured to store information related to a next expected sequence number.

46. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the processor is further configured to

retrieve the next expected sequence number,

receive a first data packet from the first channel, the first data packet including a first sequence number,

insert the first data packet into the first buffer when the first sequence number is less than the next expected sequence number,

receive a block acknowledgement request frame from the first channel, the block acknowledgement request frame comprising a third start sequence number, and

set the next expected sequence number to be the third start sequence number.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the processor is further configured to

receive a second data packet from the second channel, the second data packet comprising a second sequence number, and

insert the second data packet into the second buffer when the second sequence number is less than the next expected sequence number.

48. A method of wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a first channel and a second channel, the method comprising:

copying a first start sequence number of a first buffer to a second start sequence number of a second buffer; and

copying a first window size of the first buffer to a second window size of the second buffer, the first buffer configured to store data packets from the first channel, and the second buffer configured to store data packets from the second channel.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the first channel and the second channel are two wireless channels.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the first channel is a logic channel connected to the communication system;

and wherein the second channel is another logic channel connected to another communication system.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving a next expected sequence number;

receiving a first data packet from the first channel, the first data packet comprising a first sequence number;

inserting the first data packet into the first buffer when the first sequence number is less than the next expected sequence number;

receiving a block acknowledgement request frame from the first channel, the block acknowledgement request frame comprising a third start sequence number; and

setting the next expected sequence number to be the third start sequence number.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second data packet from the second channel, the second data packet comprising a second sequence number; and

inserting the second data packet into the second buffer when the second sequence number is less than the next expected sequence number.

53. An apparatus for wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a first channel and a second channel, the apparatus comprising:

means for copying a first start sequence number of a first buffer to a second start sequence number of a second buffer; and

means for copying a first window size of the first buffer to a second window size of the second buffer, the first buffer configured to store data packets from the first channel, and the second buffer configured to store data packets from the second channel.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the means for copying the first start sequence number of the first buffer comprises a processor and a memory unit, and wherein the means for copying the first window size of the first buffer comprises at least a processor and a memory unit.

55. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

copy a first start sequence number of a first buffer to a second start sequence number of a second buffer; and

copy a first window size of the first buffer to a second window size of the second buffer, the first buffer configured to store data packets from the first channel, and the second buffer configured to store data packets from the second channel.