Primary protocol stack having a secondary protocol stack entry point

• US 7,715,432 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US11/506,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20070110436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 370/419, 370/216, 370/466, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/327 in the session layer [OSI layer 5]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A primary multi-layer protocol stack that allows a secondary multi-layer protocol stack to communicatively couple into one or more of its layers. End point device circuitry implements both the primary and secondary protocol stacks. A communication application running on the end point device initiates interaction, e.g., a session, via a primary radio and primary intermediate protocol stack layers. Based on a change in communication characteristics, for example, an operation is invoked to bridge between one of the intermediate protocol stack layers of the primary stack to one from the secondary stack. Such bridging establishes a secondary pathway via the secondary radio. The primary and secondary radios may support the same or differing protocols. To avoid having to fully reestablish a session, at least one session parameter is carried forward through the bridge. The bridge may have multiple entry points in and out of both protocol stacks and operate as two half-duplex bridges.

Claims

1. An end point device that selectively communicates with a first access point and a second access point, the first access point managing communications using a first protocol, the second access point managing communications using a second protocol, the first protocol being communicatively incompatible with the second protocol, the end point device comprising:

a primary protocol stack comprising at least a first application layer, a first intermediate layer and a first physical layer, the first physical layer supporting packet data communication with the first access point using the first protocol;

a secondary protocol stack comprising at least a second intermediate layer and a second physical layer, the second physical layer supporting packet data communication with the second access point using the second protocol;

the first application layer of the primary protocol stack establishing a communication session via a first communication pathway that flows between the first application layer to the first access point and through the first intermediate layer and the first physical layer, the communication session having at least one session parameter identified during the establishment of the communication session; and

a processing circuitry, in response to a change in a communication characteristic, reroutes the communication flow by providing a bridge between the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer to establish a second communication pathway between the first application layer and the second access point via the first intermediate layer, the second intermediate layer and the second physical layer while maintaining the at least one session parameter.

2. The end point device of claim 1, wherein the rerouting occurs without assistance from the first application layer.

3. The end point device of claim 1, wherein the change in the communication characteristic indicates that the second communication pathway is estimated to have, at least temporarily, a corresponding communication characteristic of a higher quality than the communication characteristic.

4. The end point device of claim 1, wherein the first intermediate layer comprising a plurality of middle layers, and the processing circuitry selects a first of the plurality of middle layers from which the bridge is established with the second intermediate layer.

5. The end point device of claim 1, wherein the at least one session parameter comprising an encryption parameter.

6. The end point device of claim 1, wherein the rerouting by the processing circuitry does not require reestablishment of the communication session.

7. A protocol stack infrastructure used in a device that has both a first physical layer for communicating with a first access point and a second physical layer for communicating with a second access point, both the first access point device and the second access point device are communicatively coupled to a packet switched network, the protocol stack structure comprising:

an application layer;

a primary protocol stack structure comprising a primary intermediate layer that supports a primary communication pathway between the application layer and the first physical layer;

a secondary protocol stack structure comprising a secondary intermediate layer communicatively coupled with the second physical layer;

a bridge between the primary intermediate layer of the primary protocol stack structure and the secondary intermediate layer of the secondary protocol stack structure, the bridge supporting a secondary communication pathway between the application layer and the second physical layer via both the primary intermediate layer and the secondary intermediate layer; and

a bridging manager that selectively enables the bridge to switch between the primary communication pathway and the secondary communication pathway.

8. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 7, wherein the bridging manager enables the bridge in response to a significant change in performance of the primary communication pathway.

9. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 7, wherein a communication session that uses at least one session parameter is established for the application layer via the primary communication pathway, and the at least one session parameter is maintained for the secondary communication pathway.

10. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 9, wherein the at least one session parameter comprising an encryption parameter.

11. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 9, wherein the at least one session parameter comprising a log in parameter.

12. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 9, wherein the at least one session parameter comprising a billing parameter.

13. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 9, wherein the at least one session parameter comprising an association parameter.

14. An end point device that selectively communicates with a first access point and a second access point, the first access point managing communications using a first protocol, the second access point managing communications using a second protocol, the first protocol being communicatively incompatible with the second protocol, the end point device comprising:

a primary protocol stack comprising at least a first application layer, a first intermediate layer and a first physical layer, the first physical layer supporting packet data communication with the first access point using the first protocol;

a secondary protocol stack comprising at least a second intermediate layer and a second physical layer, the second physical layer supporting packet data communication with the second access point using the second protocol;

a bridge that communicatively couples the first intermediate layer with the second intermediate layer;

a bridge manager that supports flow of a first packet data originating from the first application layer to the second physical layer via the first intermediate layer, the bridge and the second intermediate layer in response to a communication characteristic; and

the bridge manager further supporting flow of a second packet data entering via the second physical layer to the first application layer via the second intermediate layer, the bridge and the first intermediate layer in response to the communication characteristic.

15. The end point device circuitry of claim 14, wherein the communication characteristic may be a loading factor of the first physical layer.

16. The end point device circuitry of claim 14, wherein the communication characteristic may be unacceptable communication flow through the first physical layer.

17. A protocol stack infrastructure used in a device supporting a communication application, the device having both first communication interface circuitry and second communication interface circuitry, the protocol stack infrastructure comprising:

an application layer comprising the communication application;

a first physical layer comprising the first communication interface circuitry;

a plurality of first intermediate layers that together provide a first communication pathway between the application layer and the first physical layer, the communication application establishes communication through the first communication pathway, at least one parameter is generated as part of the establishing communication;

a second physical layer comprising the second communication interface circuitry;

at least one, second intermediate layer coupled to the second physical layer; and

the at least one, second intermediate layer supporting a second communication pathway from the communication application to the second physical layer via at least one of the plurality of first intermediate layers and the at least one, second intermediate layer.

18. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 17, wherein the plurality of first intermediate layers, the first physical layer and the application layer together comprise a first protocol stack.

19. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 17, wherein the at least one, second intermediate layer is part of a second protocol stack.

20. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the first protocol stack has a bridging entry point to support the second communication pathway.

21. The protocol stack infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the first protocol stack has multiple bridging entry points to support the second communication pathway.

22. A method performed by a device having a first wireless physical protocol stack layer and a second wireless physical protocol stack layer, the device having a communication application protocol stack layer, the method comprising:

establishing a first data pathway between the communication application protocol stack layer and the first wireless physical protocol stack layer via a first intermediate protocol stack layer;

exchanging via the first data pathway a parameter as part of the establishing the first data pathway;

exchanging a first portion of data packets via the first data pathway; and

establishing a second data pathway using the parameter, the second data pathway flowing between the communication application protocol stack layer and the second wireless physical protocol stack layer via a bridge between the first intermediate protocol stack layer and a second intermediate protocol stack layer coupled to the second wireless physical protocol stack layer.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising detecting a significant change in at least one communication characteristic, and wherein the establishing a second data pathway occurs in response to such detection.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the parameter comprising a session parameter.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the bridge has multiple entry points.