Redundant packet selection based on packet content in wireless communications systems

• US 6,909,698 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Billy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/814,285
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-315, 370328-334, 370/340, 370/477, 370/464, 370241-252, 455436-444, 455/422, 455/426, 455/500, 455/522, 455/66, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/556, 455/561, 455/115, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A communications system includes a mobile unit and a plurality of base transceiver stations. Each base transceiver receives content from the mobile unit, determines a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station, generates a graded packet including the value and the content, and communicates the graded packet. The system further includes a router that receives redundant graded packets, evaluates the content of the redundant graded packets, selects one or more of the redundant graded packets in response to the evaluation of the content, and communicates the selected packets.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a mobile unit operable to transmit content;

a plurality of base transceiver stations, each base transceiver station operable to;

receive the content from the mobile unit;

determine a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

generate a graded packet including the value and the content; and

communicate the graded packet; and

a first router operable to;

receive redundant graded packets generated at the base transceiver stations;

evaluate the content of the redundant graded packets, wherein evaluating the content of the redundant graded packets comprises comparing the content of each packet with the content of the other packets or comparing the content of each packet with an expected content;

select one or more of the redundant graded packets in response to the evaluation of the content, wherein selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets comprises selecting one or more packets including the content most common among the redundant packets or selecting one or more packets including content consistent with the expected content; and

communicate the selected packets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first router is further operable to:

select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

evaluate the content of the one or more of the packets selected in the previous step.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first router is further operable to select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet in addition to the evaluation of the content included in the packets.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second router operable to:

receive redundant graded packets;

select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

communicate the selected packets to the first router for evaluation and selection of one or more of the selected packets.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit comprises temporally encoded content, such that content from the mobile unit included in a packet communicated from a base transceiver station is expressed in relation to content from the mobile unit included in an immediately preceding packet communicated from the base transceiver station; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that is consistent with the content in the immediately preceding packet received from the base transceiver station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the content is temporally encoded using a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit may include a limited number of possible states; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that includes one of the limited number of possible states.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the content comprises control information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is operable to transmit a packet that includes the content.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises voice content received form a user of the mobile unit.

11. A network device comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station; and

a processor operable to;

evaluate the content of the redundant graded packets, wherein evaluating the content of the redundant graded packets comprises comparing the content of each packet with the content of the other packets or comparing the content of each packet with an expected content;

select one or more of the redundant graded packets in response to the evaluation of the content, wherein selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets comprises selecting one or more packets including the content most common among the redundant packets or selecting one or more packets including content consistent with the expected content; and

communicate the selected packets.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

evaluate the content of the one or more of the packets selected in the previous step.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet in addition to the evaluation of the content included in the packets.

14. The network device of claim 11, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit comprises temporally encoded content, such that content from the mobile unit included in a packet communicated from a base transceiver station is expressed in relation to content from the mobile unit included in an immediately preceding packet communicated from the base transceiver station; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that is consistent with the content in the immediately preceding packet received from the base transceiver station.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the content is temporally encoded using a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard.

16. The network device of claim 11, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit may include a limited number of possible states; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that includes one of the limited number of possible states.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein the content comprises control information.

18. The network device of claim 11, wherein the mobile unit is operable to transmit a packet that includes the content.

19. The network device of claim 11, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

20. A method for selecting packets comprising:

receiving a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

evaluating the content of the redundant graded packets, wherein evaluating the content of the redundant graded packets comprises comparing the content of each packet with the content of the other packets or comparing the content of each packet with an expected content;

selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets in response to the evaluation of the content, wherein selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets comprises selecting one or more packets including the content most common among the redundant packets or selecting one or more packets including content consistent with the expected content; and

communicating the selected packets.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

evaluating the content of the one or more of the packets selected in the previous step.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet in addition to the evaluation of the content included in the packets.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit comprises temporally encoded content, such that content from the mobile unit included in a packet communicated from a base transceiver station is expressed in relation to content from the mobile unit included in an immediately preceding packet communicated from the base transceiver station; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that is consistent with the content in the immediately preceding packet received from the base transceiver station.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the content is temporally encoded using a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit may include a limited number of possible states; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that includes one of the limited number of possible states.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the content comprises control information.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

28. Software for selecting packets, the software embodied on a computer readable medium and operable to:

receive a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

evaluate the content of the redundant graded packets, wherein evaluating the content of the redundant graded packets comprises comparing the content of each packet with the content of the other packets or comparing the content of each packet with an expected content;

select one or more of the redundant graded packets in response to the evaluation of the content, wherein selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets comprises selecting one or more packets including the content most common among the redundant packets or selecting one or more packets including content consistent with the expected content; and

communicate the selected packets.

29. The software of claim 28, further operable to:

select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet; and

evaluate the content of the one or more of the packets selected in the previous step.

30. The software of claim 28, further operable to select one or more of the redundant graded packets based on the value included in each graded packet in addition to the evaluation of the content included in the packets.

31. The software of claim 28, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit comprises temporally encoded content, such that content from the mobile unit included in a packet communicated from a base transceiver station is expressed in relation to content from the mobile unit included in an immediately preceding packet communicated from the base transceiver station; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that is consistent with the content in the immediately preceding packet received from the base transceiver station.

32. The software of claim 31, wherein the content is temporally encoded using a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard.

33. The software of claim 28, wherein:

the content transmitted from the mobile unit may include a limited number of possible states; and

the expected content in a packet received from a base transceiver station comprises a content that includes one of the limited number of possible states.

34. The software of claim 33, wherein the content comprises control information.

35. The software of claim 28, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

36. A network device comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of redundant graded packets from a plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the graded packets include a content received from a mobile unit and a value for a metric generated by each base transceiver station, the metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station;

means for evaluating the content of the redundant graded packets by comparing the content of each packet with the content of the other packets or by comparing the content of each packet with an expected content;

means for selecting one or more of the redundant graded packets in response to the evaluation of the content by selecting one or more packets including the content most common among the redundant packets or selecting one or more packets including content consistent with the expected content; and

means for communicating the selected packets.