TECHNIQUES FOR RECEIVING PACKETS OVER AGGREGATED CONNECTIONS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20170118793A1
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: LIU, Feilu, BALASUBRAMANIAN, Srinivasan, GHOLMIEH, Aziz
• Granted Patent: US 10,117,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1841 Resequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) can establish a first connection using a first radio access technology (RAT), wherein the UE operates in a communication mode having one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection. The UE can receive a data packet over a second connection using a second RAT, wherein the data packet is from a data flow which is allowed or configured to be delivered via the first connection and the second connection. It can be determined that the data packet is received over the second connection when the UE is operating in a dormant period of the one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection. A termination of the dormant period over the first connection can be requested based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the dormant period.

Claims

1. A method for communicating using traffic aggregation, comprising:

establishing, by a user equipment (UE), a first connection using a first radio access technology (RAT), wherein the UE operates in a communication mode having one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection;

receiving, by the UE, a data packet over a second connection using a second RAT, wherein the data packet is from a data flow which is allowed or configured to be delivered via the first connection and the second connection;

determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the UE is operating in a dormant period of the one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection; and

requesting a termination of the dormant period over the first connection based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the UE is operating in the dormant period with respect to the first connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the dormant period comprises determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in an off duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, and wherein requesting the termination of the dormant period is based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the off duration of the DRX cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the dormant period comprises determining that the data packet is received during a period where the UE is not scheduled resources in semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), and wherein requesting the termination of the dormant period is based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the UE is not scheduled resources in SPS.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data packet in a reorder buffer for reordering data packets in the data flow, wherein requesting termination of the dormant period is further based at least in part on storing the data packet in the reorder buffer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting that a size of the reorder buffer achieves a threshold, wherein requesting the termination of the dormant period is further based at least in part on detecting the size of the reorder buffer achieving the threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting termination of the dormant period comprises transmitting a request to a first access node over the first connection to terminate the dormant period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request comprises a scheduling request transmitted to the first access node to request resources for receiving additional data packets from the first access node.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle based at least in part on requesting termination of the dormant period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein terminating the DRX cycle comprises entering an on duration for a configured number of DRX cycles.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RAT is third generation partnership (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT is Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WiFi.

11. An apparatus for communicating using traffic aggregation, comprising:

a transceiver;

at least one processor communicatively coupled with the transceiver via a bus for communicating signals in a wireless network; and

a memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and/or the transceiver via the bus;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

establish, via the transceiver, a first connection using a first radio access technology (RAT), wherein the apparatus operates in a communication mode having one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection;

receive, via the transceiver, a data packet over a second connection using a second RAT, wherein the data packet is from a data flow which is allowed or configured to be delivered via the first connection and the second connection;

determine that the data packet is received over the second connection when the apparatus is operating in a dormant period of the one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection; and

request a termination of the dormant period over the first connection based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the apparatus is operating in the dormant period with respect to the first connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in the dormant period at least in part by determining that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in an off duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to request the termination of the dormant period based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in the off duration of the DRX cycle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in the dormant period at least in part by determining that the data packet is received during a period where the apparatus is not scheduled resources in semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), and wherein the at least one processor is configured to request the termination of the dormant period based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the apparatus is not scheduled resources in SPS.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store the data packet in a reorder buffer for reordering data packets in the data flow, wherein the at least one processor is configured to request termination of the dormant period further based at least in part on storing the data packet in the reorder buffer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect that a size of the reorder buffer achieves a threshold, wherein the at least one processor is configured to request the termination of the dormant period further based at least in part on detecting the size of the reorder buffer achieving the threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to request termination of the dormant period at least in part by transmitting a request to a first access node over the first connection to terminate the dormant period.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a scheduling request transmitted to the first access node to request resources for receiving additional data packets from the first access node.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to terminate a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle based at least in part on requesting termination of the dormant period.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to terminate the DRX cycle at least in part by entering an on duration for a configured number of DRX cycles.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first RAT is third generation partnership (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT is Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WiFi.

21. An apparatus for communicating using traffic aggregation, comprising:

means for establishing a first connection using a first radio access technology (RAT), wherein the apparatus operates in a communication mode having one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection;

means for receiving a data packet over a second connection using a second RAT, wherein the data packet is from a data flow which is allowed or configured to be delivered via the first connection and the second connection;

means for determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the apparatus is operating in a dormant period of the one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection; and

means for requesting a termination of the dormant period over the first connection based at least in part on the means for determining determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the apparatus is operating in the dormant period with respect to the first connection.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining determines that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in the dormant period at least in part by determining that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in an off duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, and wherein the means for requesting requests the termination of the dormant period based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in the off duration of the DRX cycle.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining determines that the data packet is received when the apparatus is operating in the dormant period at least in part by determining that the data packet is received during a period where the apparatus is not scheduled resources in semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), and wherein the means for requesting requests the termination of the dormant period based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the apparatus is not scheduled resources in SPS.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for storing the data packet in a reorder buffer for reordering data packets in the data flow, wherein the means for requesting requests termination of the dormant period further based at least in part on storing the data packet in the reorder buffer.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for requesting requests termination of the dormant period at least in part by transmitting a request to a first access node over the first connection to terminate the dormant period.

26. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable code for communicating using traffic aggregation, the code comprising:

code for establishing, by a user equipment (UE), a first connection using a first radio access technology (RAT), wherein the UE operates in a communication mode having one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection;

code for receiving, by the UE, a data packet over a second connection using a second RAT, wherein the data packet is from a data flow which is allowed or configured to be delivered via the first connection and the second connection;

code for determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the UE is operating in a dormant period of the one or more dormant periods with respect to the first connection; and

code for requesting a termination of the dormant period over the first connection based at least in part on the code for determining determining that the data packet is received over the second connection when the UE is operating in the dormant period with respect to the first connection.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the code for determining determines that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the dormant period at least in part by determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in an off duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, and wherein the code for requesting requests the termination of the dormant period based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the off duration of the DRX cycle.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the code for determining determines that the data packet is received when the UE is operating in the dormant period at least in part by determining that the data packet is received during a period where the UE is not scheduled resources in semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), and wherein the code for requesting requests the termination of the dormant period based at least in part on determining that the data packet is received when the UE is not scheduled resources in SPS.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising code for storing the data packet in a reorder buffer for reordering data packets in the data flow, wherein the code for requesting requests termination of the dormant period further based at least in part on storing the data packet in the reorder buffer.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the code for requesting requests termination of the dormant period at least in part by transmitting a request to a first access node over the first connection to terminate the dormant period.