Dynamic radio link adaptation

• US 6,515,972 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Kenward, Gary, Gage, William Anthony, Janevski, Goran, Sonti, Jagdish, Coskun, Risvan
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/263,517
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259,229,310,310.1,310.2,328,329,431,436,437,442-4,468,469,465-7
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A radio link adapter for wireless transmission of multimedia data through a communication link between a radio access network (RAN) and a mobile station (MS), is provided. The information flow is constantly monitored to determine an information element (IE) type of service requirements and for allocating paired radio link adapters (RLAs) designed to fit the respective type of service requirements. A connection end may be initially established in the RAN or in the MS. An analyser monitors the link, detects the type of service (ToS) required, and dynamically allocates the appropriate type of RLA to the connection. There is no need to recreate the connection when selecting the adapter for transporting various types of services and therefore, the transport of the information flow of a specific ToS over the communication link is optimized, while maintaining the end-to-end quality of service (QoS).

Claims

1. A radio link system for multimedia communication between a radio access network (RAN) and a mobile station (MS) comprising:

in said RAN,

a connection of a communication link for transmitting an information element (IE) according to an IE type of service requirements;

a plurality of radio link adapter (RLA) components, each RLA being associated with a RLA type of service, said RLA for adapting said IE to a RLA frame format comprising destination connection information associated with said IE; and

a flow analyzer for monitoring said communication link, procuring from said RAN said IE type of service requirements, selecting a RAN RLA component with a RLA type of service substantially identical to said IE type of service requirements and dynamically allocating said RAN RLA component to said connection.

2. A radio link system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said IE type of service requirements include type of information (ToI) and quality of service (QoS) data.

3. A radio link system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said IE comprises at least one of data, voice, and video information units.

4. A radio link system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said RLA frame format comprises a frame header containing said destination connection information, a RLA header, and said IE.

5. A radio link system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said destination connection information comprises an RLA identification for selecting, a corresponding MS RLA component and a connection identification for associating said MS RLA with a corresponding connection at said MS.

6. A radio link system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said RLA header is used for communication between said RAN RLA component and said MS RLA component.

7. A radio link system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a database for storing a plurality of said IE type of service requirements.

8. A radio link system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a database with a list of each RLA component of the radio link system and said associated RLA type of service.

9. A radio link system for multimedia communication between a mobile station (MS) and a radio access network (RAN) comprising:

at said MS,

a connection of a communication link for transmitting an information element (IE) according to a IE type of service requirements;

a plurality of radio link adapter (RLA) components, each RLA being associated with a RLA type of service for adapting said IE to a RLA frame format for transmission over said communication link; and

a MS RLA selected from said plurality of RLA components according to said IE type of service requirements to be paired with a RAN RLA selected according to said IE type of service requirements.

10. A method for multimedia communication between a radio access network (RAN) and a mobile station (MS) comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication link for transmitting an information element (IE) according to a IE type of service requirements, from a connection at one end of said communication link to a mate connection at the other end;

monitoring said connection for detecting said IE type of service requirements for a current transmission operation on said communication link;

providing a plurality of radio link adapter (RLA) components, each RLA associated with a RLA type of service, said RLA for loading said IE into a RLA frame format comprising destination connection information associated with said IE;

selecting a RLA component from said plurality of RLAs according to said IE type of service requirements; and

dynamically allocating said RLA component to said connection.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising allocating a new RLA component to said connection, whenever said IE type of service requirements change.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of establishing a communication link comprises:

establishing a communication channel between said connection and said mate connection; and

associating a default RLA component to said connection.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising providing RLA identification data in said RLA frame for associating a peer RLA component to said mate connection.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of selecting comprises maintaining a database comprising:

a plurality of type of services requirements and a list with all said RLA components and their associated RLA type of service;

comparing the RLA type of service with the IE type of service requirements;

detecting a RLA type of service substantially similar to said IE type of service requirements; and

selecting said RLA component according to said detected RLA type of service.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said database comprises bandwidth management policies associated with the wireless subscriber, the MS and/or the wireless network operator.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said database comprises information flow requirements.

17. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of dynamically allocating comprises selecting a new RLA component whenever said IE type of service requirements change.

18. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of monitoring comprises determining any change in said type of service.

19. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said type of service includes type of information (ToI) for transfer and quality of service (QoS) data.

20. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of monitoring comprises:

determining a change in said IE type of service requirements; and

if said change refers to the type of information (ToI) carried by said IE, selecting a new RLA component and allocating same to said connection.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said step of monitoring comprises:

determining a change in said IE type of service requirements;

if said change refers to a decrease in the quality of service (QoS) provided to said IE, applying a correction protocol available to said RLA; and

allocating a new RLA component to said connection, based on said IE type of service requirements, if the decrease in quality of service (QoS) cannot be corrected with said correction protocol.