Packet routing in a wireless communications environment

• US 8,982,778 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Vincent D., Corson, M. Scott, Tsirtsis, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US11/486,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/328, 370/389, 370/392, 370/400, 370/338, 370/401, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to performing routing in a wireless communications system. In more detail, each device associated with a wireless packet-switched network may not be aware of an identity and/or address of a particular point of attachment with respect to a wireless terminal. A data packet that should be provided to a particular point of attachment can be initially directed to a wireless terminal or a one-hop multicast address, for instance. Thereafter, the data packet can be encapsulated in a frame format and identity of the particular point of attachment can be provided in such frame. The frame can thereafter be routed to the point of attachment.

Claims

1. A method for routing in a cellular communications environment, comprising:

receiving a data packet of a given type;

if the given type corresponds to a first type, selecting a point of attachment from amongst a plurality of available points of attachment for a wireless terminal in the cellular communications environment based on link qualities associated with the plurality of available points of attachment;

if the given type corresponds to a second type, selecting a particular point of attachment from amongst the plurality of available points of attachment that is used for routing data packets of the second type irrespective of the link qualities;

encapsulating the data packet in a logical link control frame; and

indicating that the logical link control frame should be directed towards the selected point of attachment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular point of attachment is selected as the selected point of attachment by analyzing the data packet and determining that the data packet is directed to a one-hop multicast address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular point of attachment is a primary point of attachment amongst the plurality of available points of attachment with respect to the wireless terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of an identity of the selected point of attachment within a header of the logical link control frame.

5. A wireless terminal configured to perform the method of claim 1.

6. A wireless terminal configured to perform the method of claim 2.

7. A wireless terminal configured to perform the method of claim 3.

8. A wireless terminal configured to perform the method of claim 4.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet is generated by a host device.

10. A wireless communications device, comprising:

means for receiving a data packet of a given type;

means for selecting a point of attachment from amongst a plurality of available points of attachment based on link qualities associated with the plurality of available points of attachment if the given type corresponds to a first type, and for selecting a particular point of attachment from amongst the plurality of available points of attachment that is used for routing data packets of the second type irrespective of the link qualities if the given type corresponds to a second type;

means for encapsulating the data packet in a logical link control frame; and

means for indicating that the logical link control frame should be directed towards the selected point of attachment.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device is a mobile terminal.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 10, further comprising means for analyzing the data packet and determining that the data packet is directed to a one-hop multicast address.

19. The wireless communications device of claim 10, wherein the first type includes one or more data packet types other than connection request messages and/or Quality of Service (QoS) request messages.

20. The wireless communications device of claim 10, wherein the link qualities include signal-to-noise ratios and/or loading levels of the plurality of available points of attachment.

21. The wireless communications device of claim 10, wherein the second type includes connection request messages and/or Quality of Service (QoS) request messages.

13. A processor configured to execute the following instructions:

receiving a data packet of a given type in a cellular communications environment;

if the given type corresponds to a first type, selecting a point of attachment from amongst a plurality of available points of attachment for a wireless terminal in the cellular communications environment based on link qualities associated with the plurality of available points of attachment;

if the given type corresponds to a second type, selecting a particular point of attachment from amongst the plurality of available points of attachment that is used for routing data packets of the second type irrespective of the link qualities;

encapsulating the data packet in a logical link control frame; and

indicating that the logical link control frame should be directed towards the selected point of attachment.

14. The processor of claim 13 further configured to execute the following instructions:

determining that the data packet is addressed to a one-hop multicast address; and

directing the logical link control frame towards the particular point of attachment as the selected point of attachment based upon the determination that the data packet is addressed to the one-hop multicast address.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for:

receiving a data packet of a given type in a cellular network;

if the given type corresponds to a first type, selecting a point of attachment from amongst a plurality of available points of attachment for a given wireless terminal in the cellular communications environment based on link qualities associated with the plurality of available points of attachment;

if the given type corresponds to a second type, selecting a particular point of attachment from amongst the plurality of available points of attachment that is used for routing data packets of the second type irrespective of the link qualities;

encapsulating the data packet in a logical link control frame; and

indicating that the logical link control frame should be directed towards the selected point of attachment.

16. A wireless terminal comprising the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 having stored thereon further instructions for analyzing the data packet and determining that the data packet is directed to a one-hop multicast address.

18. A wireless communications apparatus comprising:

a memory that retains instructions for;

receiving a data packet of a given type in a cellular network;

if the given type corresponds to a first type, selecting a point of attachment from amongst a plurality of available points of attachment for the wireless communications apparatus in the cellular communications environment based on link qualities associated with the plurality of available points of attachment;

if the given type corresponds to a second type, selecting a particular point of attachment from amongst the plurality of available points of attachment that is used for routing data packets of the second type irrespective of the link qualities;

encapsulating a received data packet in a logical link control frame, wherein the received data packet is associated with a cellular communications network; and

indicating that the logical link control frame should be directed towards the selected point of attachment; and

a processor that executes the instructions.