Methods and apparatus for using multiple wireless links with a wireless terminal

• US 8,769,046 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Knapp, Edward, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, LAN DAI T
• Application Number:
  US11/386,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,023 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/222, 709/223, 709/227, 709/245, 375/260
• US Class Current: 709/218
• 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 45/243 using M+N parallel active paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/16 based on interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

Mobile nodes support simultaneous OFDM links with multiple points of network attachment. A MN may simultaneously use multiple IP addresses, allowing packets addressed to the mobile to be routed over different paths. Alternatively, the MN may have a single IP address with packets corresponding to different applications, e.g., identified by packet header information, being routed over different paths. Thus packets corresponding to one application, e.g., a voice application, may be routed over one wireless link while packets corresponding to another application, e.g., a data application such as E-mail, may be routed over another wireless link, while packets corresponding to still another application, e.g., a broadcast TV service may be communicated over another wireless link. The direction of communication, latency, reliability and other QoS characteristics of the different wireless links may be considered in path selection to provide MN'"'"'s user with cost effective service while still meeting minimum application requirements.

Claims

1. A communications, method comprising:

operating a network node to receive packets directed to a wireless terminal;

operating the network node to select one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communications links with the wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets for delivery to an application on the wireless terminal, said application being one of a plurality of different applications on said wireless terminal, different ones of said simultaneously maintained wireless communications links corresponding to different applications, operating the network node to select one of the plurality of the simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links including selecting said one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links, based on an address assigned to the wireless terminal and used by the application to which the packets are to be delivered, when said wireless terminal is assigned multiple addresses and uses different ones of said multiple addresses for different applications; and

operating said network node to communicate said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing link for delivery over the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless link to said wireless terminal, said attachment point being coupled to said network node.

2. The communications method of claim 1, wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links includes:

using an indicator providing application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

3. The communications method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM communications links include a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link corresponding to a first carrier frequency and a second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link corresponding to a second carrier frequency, both said first and second carrier frequencies being within a frequency band which can be received and processed by said wireless terminal thereby allowing the wireless terminal to receive both carrier frequencies using a single receiver at the same time.

4. The communications method of claim 2,

wherein said application information indicates the type of application;

and

wherein said indicated type of application is one of;

a voice application, a data application, and a broadcast application.

5. The communication method of claim 2, wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links further includes:

using information regarding application requirements to determine which of the plurality of links to use in routing packets.

6. The communications method of claim 5, wherein said information regarding application requirements includes at least one of:

packet delivery latency, bandwidth requirements, data rates and amount of data.

7. The communications method of claim 2, wherein said network node is a home agent, the method further comprising:

operating the home agent to store at least one of multiple Care-of Addresses and multiple Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal.

8. The communications method of claim 2, wherein different Care-of Addresses or different Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal correspond to different ones of said plurality of links.

9. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising operating the network node to receive link quality information corresponding to the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links;

and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links further includes;

using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

10. The communications method of claim 9, further comprising operating the network node to receive attachment point loading information;

and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links includes selecting the communications link as a function of network attachment point loading information.

11. The communications method of claim 9, further comprising operating the network node to receive link interference information;

and

wherein operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links further includes selecting the communications link as a function of the received link interference information.

71. The communications method of claim 1,

wherein said network node is a home agent node which servers as a home agent for said wireless terminal;

and

wherein said attachment point is a base station.

72. The communications method of claim 71,

wherein said network node is a router coupled to said base station;

and

wherein said network node is not a base station.

73. The communications method of claim 1, wherein operating the network node to select one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links includes selecting between wireless communications links maintained between said wireless terminal and different base stations.

12. A network node for use in a communications network, comprising:

memory for storing data;

means, implemented in hardware, for receiving packets directed to a wireless terminal;

means, implemented in hardware, for selecting one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division (OFDM) multiplexing wireless communications links with the wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets for delivery to an application on the wireless terminal, said application being one of a plurality of different applications on said wireless terminal, different ones of said simultaneously maintained wireless communications links corresponding to different applications, said means implemented in hardware, for selecting one of the plurality of the simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links selecting said one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links, based on an address assigned to the wireless terminal and used by the application to which the packets are to be delivered, when said wireless terminal is assigned multiple addresses and uses different ones of said multiple addresses for different applications; and

means, implemented in hardware, for communicating said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing link for delivery over the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless link to said wireless terminal, said attachment point being coupled to said network node.

13. The network node of claim 12, wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links further includes:

means, implemented in hardware, for using an indicator providing application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links.

14. The network node of claim 13, wherein said plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links include a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link corresponding to a first carrier frequency and a second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link corresponding to a second carrier frequency, both said first and second carrier frequencies being within a frequency band which can be received and processed by said wireless terminal thereby allowing the wireless terminal to receive both carrier frequencies using a single receiver at the same time.

15. The network node of claim 13,

wherein said application information indicates the type of application;

and

wherein said indicated type of application is one of;

a voice application, a data application, and a broadcast application.

16. The network node of claim 13, wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links further includes:

means, implemented in hardware, for using information regarding application requirements to determine which of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links to use in routing packets.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein said information regarding application requirements includes at least one of:

packet delivery latency, bandwidth requirements, data rates and amount of data.

18. The network node of claim 13, wherein said network node is a home agent, the network node further comprising:

means, implemented in hardware, for storing at least one of multiple Care-of Addresses and multiple Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal.

19. The network node of claim 13, wherein different Care-of Addresses or different Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal correspond to different ones of said plurality of links.

20. The network node of claim 12, further comprising means, implemented in hardware, for receiving link quality information corresponding to the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links;

and

wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained wireless communications links further includes;

means, implemented in hardware, for using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

21. The network node of claim 20, further comprising means, implemented in hardware, for receiving attachment point loading information;

and

wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links further includes means, implemented in hardware, for selecting the communications link as a function of network attachment point loading information.

22. The network node of claim 20, further comprising means, implemented in hardware, for receiving link interference information;

and

wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links includes means, implemented in hardware, for selecting the communications link as a function of the received link interference information.

23. A network node, comprising:

a receiver implemented in hardware, for receiving packets from another network node including an address corresponding to a wireless terminal;

a routing control module for selecting one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communications links with said wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets for deliver to an application on said wireless terminal, said application being one of a plurality of different applications on said wireless terminal, different ones of said simultaneously maintained wireless communications links corresponding to different applications, said routing control module being configured to select said one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links, based on an address assigned to the wireless terminal and used by the application to which the packets are to be delivered, when said wireless terminal is assigned multiple addresses and uses different ones of said multiple addresses for different applications; and

a transmitter for communicating said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing link for delivery over the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless link to said wireless terminal, said attachment point being coupled to said network node.

24. The network node of claim 23, wherein said routing control module includes:

an application information indicator processing module for using an indicator included in a received packet which provides application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links.

25. The network node of claim 24, wherein said plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links include a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link corresponding to a first carrier frequency and a second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link corresponding to a second carrier frequency, both said first and second carrier frequencies being within a frequency band which can be received and processed by said wireless terminal thereby allowing the wireless terminal to receive both carrier frequencies using a single receiver at the same time.

26. The network node of claim 24, wherein said routing control module further includes:

an application requirements determination module for determining application requirements to be taken into consideration when selecting between the plurality of available links to use in routing packets.

27. The network node of claim 24, wherein said network node is a home agent, the network node further comprising:

memory including at least one of multiple Care-of Addresses and multiple Co-located Care-of Addresses corresponding to the wireless terminal.

28. The network node of claim 24, wherein different Care-of Addresses or different Co-located Care-of Addresses stored in said memory corresponding to the wireless terminal correspond to different ones of said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

29. The network node of claim 23, further comprising:

a link quality information module for receiving link quality information providing information on the quality of at least some of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links; and

wherein said routing control module is further configured to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links by;

using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

30. A method of operating a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

maintaining first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

receiving a signal including a first set of tones corresponding to the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link and a second set of tones corresponding to the second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link, said first set of tones corresponding to a first carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a first application, said second set of tones corresponding to a second carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a second application, said first and second carriers being different;

passing the received signal including said first and second sets of tones corresponding to said first and second carriers through an analog filter to produce a filtered signal; and

recovering packets from the filtered signal communicated over said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links by;

operating a first digital receiver chain to recover packets from said first set of tones and

operating a second digital receiver chain to recover packets from said second set of tones, said first and second digital receiver chains being different receiver chains.

31. The method of claim 30,

wherein said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing links are to two different base stations;

and

wherein at least one of said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing links is a bi-directional communications link, the communications method further comprising;

transmitting at least some packets over said bi-directional communications link.

32. The method of claim 30,

wherein recovering packets from the filtered signal further includes:

digitizing the filtered signal produced by said analog receiver filter.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing links use different tone blocks.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing links are to different sectors of the same base station.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein said first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

maintaining a third communications link with a third network point of attachment concurrently with said first and second communications links being maintained; and

receiving packets corresponding to a third application over the third communications link.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said first and third communication links are bi-directional communications links and said second communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

transmitting packets corresponding to the first application over the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link; and

transmitting packets corresponding to the third application over the third communications link.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said first application is a data application, said second application is a downlink video broadcast application, and said third application is a voice application.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein recovering packets corresponding to said first application includes processing received orthogonal frequency division multiplexing downlink signals from the first attachment point;

and wherein recovering packets corresponding to the second application includes processing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing downlink signals from the second attachment point; and

wherein receiving packets corresponding to the third application includes processing CDMA downlink signals from a third attachment point.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein maintaining first and second communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment includes maintaining two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and a second IP address associated with the second application.

42. A wireless terminal, comprising:

means, implemented in hardware, for maintaining first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

means, implemented in hardware, for receiving a signal including a first set of tones corresponding to the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link and a second set of tones corresponding to the second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link, said first set of tones corresponding to a first carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a first application, said second set of tones corresponding to a second carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a second application, said first and second carriers being different;

means, implemented in hardware, for passing the received signal including said first and second sets of tones corresponding to said first and second carriers through an analog filter to produce a filtered signal, and

means, implemented in hardware, for recovering packets from the filtered signal communicated over said first and second OFDM communications links by;

operating a first digital receiver chain to recover packets from said first set of tones and

operating a second digital receiver chain to recover packets from said second set of tones, said first and second digital receiver chains being different.

43. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein at least one of said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing links is a bi-directional communications link, the wireless terminal further comprising:

means, implemented in hardware, for transmitting at least some packets over said bi-directional communications link.

44. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for recovering packets from the filtered signal includes:

means, implemented in hardware, for digitizing the filters signal produced by said analog filter.

45. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first and second OFDM links use different tone blocks.

46. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first and second OFDM links are to different sectors of the same base station.

47. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

48. The wireless terminal of claim 42, further comprising:

means, implemented in hardware, for maintaining a third communications link with a third network points of attachment concurrently with said first and second communications links being maintained; and

means, implemented in hardware, for receiving packets corresponding to a third application over the third communications link.

49. The wireless terminal of claim 48, wherein said first and third communication links are bi-directional communications links and said second communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

50. The wireless terminal of claim 49, further comprising:

means, implemented in hardware, for transmitting packets corresponding to the first application over the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link; and

means, implemented in hardware, for transmitting packets corresponding to the third application over the third communications link.

51. The wireless terminal of claim 50, wherein said first application is a data application, said second application is a downlink video broadcast application, and said third application is a voice application.

52. The wireless terminal of claim 49, wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for recovering packets corresponding to said first application includes means, implemented in hardware, for processing received orthogonal frequency division multiplexing downlink signals from the first attachment point;

and

wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for recovering packets corresponding to the second application includes means, implemented in hardware, for processing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing downlink signals from the second attachment point; and

wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for receiving packets corresponding to the third application includes means, implemented in hardware, for processing CDMA downlink signals from a third attachment point.

53. The wireless terminal of claim 42, wherein said means, implemented in hardware, for maintaining first and second communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment includes means, implemented in hardware, for maintaining two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and a second IP address associated with the second application.

54. A wireless terminal, comprising:

memory including link state information used to maintain first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

a receiver configured to receive a signal including a first set of tones corresponding to the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link and a second set of tones corresponding to the second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link, said first set of tones corresponding to a first carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a first application, said second set of tones corresponding to a second carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a second application, said first and second carriers being different;

an analog filter configured to filter the received signal including said first and second sets of tones corresponding to said first and second carriers to produce a filtered signal,

a first digital receiver chain coupled to said analog filter configured to recover packets from said first set of tones and

a second digital receiver chain coupled to said analog filter configured to recover packets from said second set of tones.

55. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein at least one of said first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing links is a bi-directional communications link, the wireless terminal further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit at least some packets over said bi-directional communications link.

56. The wireless terminal of claim 54, further comprising:

an analog to digital converter configured to digitize the filtered signal produced by said analog filter.

57. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

58. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said memory further includes:

stored state information used to maintain a third communications link with a third network points of attachment concurrently with said first and second communications links being maintained; and

wherein said receiver module further includes a third digital signal processing module configured to recover packets corresponding to a third application from signals communicated over the third communications link.

59. The wireless terminal of claim 54, wherein said state information stored in said memory corresponding to the first and second communications links includes two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and first communications link and a second IP address associated with the second application and second communications link.

60. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a network node to implement a communications method, the method comprising:

operating the network node to receive packets directed to a wireless terminal;

operating the network node to select one of a plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communications links with said wireless terminal for use in routing the received packets for delivery to an application on the wireless terminal, said application being one of a plurality of different applications on said wireless terminal, different ones of said simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links corresponding to different applications, operating the network node to select one of the plurality of the simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links including selecting said one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links, based on an address assigned to the wireless terminal and used by the application to which the packets are to be delivered, when said wireless terminal is assigned multiple addresses and uses different ones of said multiple addresses for different applications; and

operating the network node to communicate said packets to an attachment point corresponding to the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing link for delivery over the selected orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless link to said wireless terminal.

61. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 60, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

using an indicator providing application information about an application to which a packet to be delivered corresponds to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links as part of said step of operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links.

62. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 61, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

using information regarding application requirements to determine which of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links to use in routing packets as part of said step of operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained orthogonal frequency division multiplexing wireless communications links.

63. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 60, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

operating the network node to receive link quality information corresponding to the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links; and

using received link quality information to select between said plurality of simultaneously maintained links as part of said step of operating the network node to select one of the plurality of simultaneously maintained OFDM wireless communications links.

64. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a wireless terminal to perform the steps of:

maintaining first and second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment, respectively;

receiving a signal including a first set of tones corresponding to the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link and a second set of tones corresponding to the second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link, said first set of tones corresponding to a first carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a first application, said second set of tones corresponding to a second carrier frequency and communicating packets corresponding to a second application, said first and second carriers being different;

passing the received signal including said first and second sets of tones corresponding to said first and second carriers through an analog filter to produce a filtered signal, and

recovering packets from the filtered signal communicated over said first and second OFDM communications links by;

operating a first digital receiver chain to recover packets from said first set of tones and

operating a second digital receiver chain to recover packets from said second set of tones, said first and second digital receiver chains being different.

65. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 64, further embodying machine executable instructions for controlling the wireless terminal to perform the step of:

digitizing the filtered signal produced by said analog filter.

66. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein said first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a bi-directional communications link and said second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

67. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 66, wherein said first and third communication links are bi-directional communications links and said second communications link is a uni-directional communications link.

68. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 67, wherein said first application is a data application, said second application is a downlink video broadcast application, and said third application is a voice application.

69. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 68 further embodying machine executable instructions for:

processing received orthogonal frequency division multiplexing downlink signals from the first attachment point as part of said step of recovering packets corresponding to said first application; and

processing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing downlink signals from the second attachment point as part of said step of recovering packets corresponding to the second application includes; and

processing CDMA downlink signals from a third attachment point as part of said step of receiving packets corresponding to the third application.

70. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 64 further embodying instructions for:

maintaining two different IP addresses, a first IP address associated with the first application and a second IP address associated with the second application as part of said step of maintaining first and second communications links at the same time with first and second network points of attachment.