ESTABLISHING MULTIPLE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN A USER EQUIPMENT AND WIRELESS ACCESS NETWORK NODES

• US 20140269632A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Blankenship, Yufei Wu, Cai, Zhijun, Gao, Shiwei, Xu, Hua
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0069 in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections

Abstract

A control plane connection is established between a user equipment (UE) and a first wireless access network node. Signaling in the control plane connection is used for establishing a plurality of connections between the UE and corresponding additional plurality of wireless access network nodes, to communicate user plane data between the UE and the additional wireless access network nodes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a control plane connection between a user equipment (UE) and a first wireless access network node; and

establishing a plurality of upper layer connections between the UE and a set of wireless access network nodes using signaling in the control plane connection, to communicate user plane data between the UE and the set of wireless access network nodes, wherein the set of wireless access network nodes includes at least a second and a third wireless access network node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the plurality of upper layer connections comprises establishing the plurality of upper layer connections at a protocol layer at or above a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of upper layer connections use a same carrier frequency or use different carrier frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating data over at least two of the plurality of the upper layer connections using at least two simultaneous physical layer connections.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE has a transceiver to communicate data over at least two of the plurality of the upper layer connections in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating data packets of a bearer over at least two of the upper layer connections.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating two different bearers with two different upper layer connections separately.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user plane data communicated over the upper layer connections is distributed by a data distribution entity at the first wireless access network node or at a network node in a core network.

9. A first wireless access network node comprising:

a communication component to communicate with a plurality of secondary wireless access network nodes; and

at least one processor configured to;

establish a control plane connection with a user equipment (UE); and

establish a plurality of upper layer connections between the UE and the secondary wireless access network nodes using signaling in the control plane connection, the plurality of upper layer connections to communicate user plane data between the UE and the secondary wireless access network nodes.

10. The first wireless access network node of claim 9, wherein the user plane data is distributed by a data distribution entity across the plurality of upper layer connections, wherein the data distribution entity is provided in a node selected from among:

the first wireless access network node, a gateway, one of the secondary wireless access network nodes, and a node in a core network.

11. The first wireless access network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine whether a portion of the user plane data is to be offloaded to a selected one of the secondary wireless access network nodes;

send a message to the selected wireless access network node to request offloading of the portion of the user plane data to the selected secondary wireless access network node; and

in response to the selected secondary wireless access network node accepting the request, send a message to the UE instructing the UE to establish an upper layer connection with the selected secondary wireless access network node.

12. The first wireless access network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine whether to remove an upper layer connection between a selected one of the secondary wireless access network nodes and the UE;

send a message to the selected wireless access network node to indicate that the selected wireless access network node is to no longer communicate a portion of the user plane data; and

send a message to the UE instructing the UE to disconnect from the selected secondary wireless access network node.

13. The first wireless access network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine whether a portion of the user plane data is to be offloaded to a selected one of the secondary wireless access network nodes;

send a message to the selected wireless access network node to request offloading of the portion of the user plane data to the selected secondary wireless access network node; and

route at least one bearer to the selected secondary wireless access network node.

14. A method comprising:

establishing a control plane connection between a user equipment (UE) and a first wireless access network node;

coordinating transmission configuration for a group of wireless access network nodes for serving the UE, wherein the group comprises two or more wireless access network nodes other than the first wireless access network node; and

controlling establishment of a plurality of physical layer connections between the UE and the group of wireless access nodes, wherein the plurality of physical layer connections are for communicating user plane data between the UE and the group of wireless access network nodes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coordinating is performed by a controller selected from among a central controller integrated into the first wireless access network node, a central controller connected to the group of wireless access network nodes, and a wireless access network node in the group.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein coordinating the transmission configuration comprises coordinating transmission of reference signals sent by the wireless access network nodes in the group.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein coordinating the transmission configuration further comprises assigning a group identifier to at least two of the wireless access network nodes in the group.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein coordinating the transmission configuration comprises configuring the wireless access network nodes in the group to send a same packet of user plane data in a transmission time interval, or to send different packets of user plane data in a transmission time interval.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein coordinating the transmission configuration comprises configuring the wireless access network nodes in the group so that at most one wireless network node physically transmits to the UE in a transmission time interval.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein coordinating the transmission configuration comprises configuring non-overlapping frequency resources or non-overlapping time domain resources for at least two wireless access network nodes in the group.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein coordinating the transmission configuration comprises configuring at least two component carriers so that the at least two component carriers are available for data communication.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein at least two of the plurality of physical layer connections are established in a manner transparent to the UE.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining transmission of a first type of user plane data from a first wireless access node at a first transmission time interval to the UE, and transmission of a second type of user plane data from a second wireless access node at a second transmission time interval.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first type of user plane data and the second type of user plane data have different delay requirement.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising

controlling establishment of a physical connection between the UE and the first wireless access node for communicating user plane data between the UE and the first wireless access network node.