PACKET BASED LINK AGGREGATION ARCHITECTURES

• US 20180206174A1
• Filed: 01/16/2018
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Yan, Patil, Abhishek Pramod, Venkatachalam Jayaraman, Venkata Ramanan, Asterjadhi, Alfred, Cherian, George
• Application Number:
  US15/872,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20180206174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1621 Group acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message defining a range of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0221 power availability or consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. Wireless devices may support parallel communications over multiple wireless links, which may benefit a wireless system in terms of throughput and latency (among other benefits). However, such systems may experience increased system complexity, which may in some cases mitigate some of the benefits provided by the parallel communication links. The described techniques provide for aggregation architectures that address various such complexities. For example, devices communicating in accordance with the described techniques may format data to be transmitted into a set of data units that are allocated to a communication link based on various factors described herein. Correspondingly, a device that receives the data packets may reorder the packets in accordance with the described techniques.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to;

establish a multi-link session between the apparatus and a second wireless device, the multi-link session comprising a plurality of wireless links for communications in parallel between the apparatus and the second wireless device;

format data to be transmitted to the second wireless device into a plurality of data units;

transmit a first set of data units of the plurality of data units to the second wireless device over a first wireless link of the plurality of wireless links; and

transmit a second set of data units of the plurality of data units to the second wireless device over a second wireless link of the plurality of wireless links.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

allocate the first set of data units to a first transmit queue for the first wireless link; and

allocate the second set of data units to a second transmit queue for the second wireless link.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

assign a respective sequence number of a set of sequence numbers to each of the plurality of data units, the set of sequence numbers indicating an order of the plurality of data units for the data.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

assign a respective sequence number of a first set of sequence numbers to each of the first set of data units to be transmitted over the first wireless link; and

assign a respective sequence number of a second set of sequence numbers to each of the second set of data units to be transmitted over the second wireless link.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

assign each of a third set of sequence numbers to one of the first set of data units or the second set of data units, wherein each of the first set of data units is assigned one of the first set of sequence numbers and one of the third set of sequence numbers, and wherein each of the second set of data units is assigned one of the second set of sequence numbers and one of the third set of sequence numbers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

allocate the plurality of data units to a common transmit queue for the first wireless link and the second wireless link.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine a value of a parameter that indicates availability of the first wireless link, or the second wireless link, or both, for transmissions to the second wireless device; and

allocate one or more of the plurality of data units in the common transmit queue to one of the first wireless link or the second wireless link based at least in part on the value of the parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

assign a transmitter address, or a receiver address, or a traffic identifier, or a combination thereof, to each of the plurality of wireless links; and

establish a block acknowledgement session between the apparatus and the second wireless device based at least in part on the assignment.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to establish the multi-link session between the apparatus and the second wireless device by being executable by the processor to:

assign a common value of an operational parameter to the first wireless link and the second wireless link, the operational parameter comprising a sequence number, or a frame number, or a packet number, or a fragment size, or a transmitter address, or a receiver address, or an encryption key, or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to assign the common value of the operational parameter by being executable by the processor to:

identify a first value of the operational parameter for the first wireless link;

identify a second value of the operational parameter value for the second wireless link; and

assign one of the first value or the second value of the operational parameter to be the common value according to a selection criterion for the operational parameter.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

duplicate one or more data units of the plurality of data units prior to transmission, wherein at least one of the first set of data units transmitted over the first wireless link comprises the duplicated one or more data units, and wherein at least one of the second set of data units transmitted over the second wireless link comprises the duplicated one or more data units.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions to format the data to be transmitted to the second wireless device are further executable by the processor to:

encode the data into a plurality of encoding symbols, the data recoverable at the second wireless device by decoding a subset of the plurality of encoding symbols; and

format the plurality of encoding symbols into the plurality of data units.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to transmit the first set of data units by being executable by the processor to:

identify a pseudo-random sequence known to both the apparatus and the second wireless device; and

transmit the first set of data units using a plurality of frequency resources of the multi-link session according to the identified pseudo-random sequence.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to establish the multi-link session between the apparatus and the second wireless device by being executable by the processor to:

establish the first wireless link between a first lower media access control (MAC) layer of the apparatus and a first lower MAC layer of the second wireless device; and

establish the second wireless link between a second lower MAC layer of the apparatus and a second lower MAC layer of the second wireless device, wherein the first lower MAC layer and the second lower MAC layer of the apparatus are in communication with a common upper MAC layer of the apparatus.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to;

establish a multi-link session between the apparatus and a second wireless device, the multi-link session comprising a plurality of wireless links for communications in parallel between the apparatus and the second wireless device;

receive a first set of data units from the second wireless device over a first wireless link of the plurality of wireless links;

receive a second set of data units from the second wireless device over a second wireless link of the plurality of wireless links; and

reorder the first set of data units and the second set of data units to generate a single data message for the second wireless device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

aggregate the first set of data units into a first receive queue for the first wireless link; and

aggregate the second set of data units into a second receive queue for the second wireless link.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to reorder the first set of data units and the second set of data units to generate a single data message for the second wireless device by being executable by the processor to:

identify, for each data unit of the first set of data units and the second set of data units, one of a set of sequence numbers common between the first set of data units and the second set of data units; and

reorder the first set of data units and the second set of data units based at least in part on the identified set of sequence numbers to generate the single data message.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to reorder the first set of data units and the second set of data units to generate a single data message for the second wireless device by being executable by the processor to:

identify, for each data unit of the first set of data units, one of a first set of sequence numbers for the first set of data units;

identify, for each data unit of the second set of data units, one of a second set of sequence numbers for the first set of data units; and

reorder the first set of data units and the second set of data units based at least in part on the identified first set of sequence numbers and the identified second set of sequence numbers to generate the single data message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

replay checking the reordered first set of data units and the second set of data units; and

defragment the reordered first set of data units and the second set of data units.

20. A method for wireless communication at a first wireless device, comprising:

establishing a multi-link session between the first wireless device and a second wireless device, the multi-link session comprising a plurality of wireless links for communications in parallel between the first wireless device and the second wireless device;

formatting data to be transmitted to the second wireless device into a plurality of data units;

transmitting a first set of data units of the plurality of data units to the second wireless device over a first wireless link of the plurality of wireless links; and

transmitting a second set of data units of the plurality of data units to the second wireless device over a second wireless link of the plurality of wireless links.