Redundant packet selection and manipulation in wireless communications systems

• US 7,630,293 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• 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): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cehic; Kenan
• Application Number:
  US11/173,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20050243714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/333, 370/338, 370/214, 370/312, 714/699, 714/709, 714/746, 714/747
• US Class Current: 370/216
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A communications system includes a mobile unit that transmits content and a number of base transceiver stations that receive the content from the mobile unit. Each base transceiver station 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 also includes a router that receives the graded packets, combines different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, and communicates the improved packet. The different portions from the graded packets collectively represent the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

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 router operable to;

receive redundant graded packets generated at the base transceiver stations;

evaluate each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets by performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits;

estimate the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation;

combine different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets including the estimated correct value for each bit to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content; and

communicate the improved packet.

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

determine that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combine different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

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

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

combine different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

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

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

6. 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 each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets by performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits, estimate the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation, and combine different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets including the estimated correct value for each bit to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

7. The network device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combine different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

8. The network device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further operable to:

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

combine different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

9. The network device of claim 6, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

10. A method of creating an improved packet, 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 each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets by performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits;

estimating the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation; and

combining different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets including the estimated correct value for each bit to create the improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combining different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

combining different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

14. Software for creating an improved packet, the software embodied in 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 each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets by performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits;

estimate the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation; and

combine different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets including the estimated correct value for each bit to create the improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

15. The software of claim 14, further operable to:

determine that portions of the content in two or more of the graded packets include errors created during communication of the content; and

combine different errorless portions of the content from each of two or more graded packets to create the improved packet, the content of the improved packet having fewer errors than the content included in the graded packets.

16. The software of claim 14, further operable to:

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

combine different portions of the content from two or more of the selected packets to create the improved packet.

17. The software of claim 14, wherein the content comprises voice content received from a user of the mobile unit.

18. 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; and

means for evaluating each corresponding bit in two or more graded packets by performing an exclusive-or operation on the corresponding bits, estimating the correct value of each bit based on the evaluation, and combining different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets including the estimated correct value for each bit to create an improved packet, the different portions from the graded packets collectively representing the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.