Provision of a move indication to a resource requester

• US 8,982,835 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., Mazik, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US11/487,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20070086389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/332, 455/436
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to performing quality of service management in a mobile wireless communications system. In more detail, in some wireless environments a wireless terminal can be connected to multiple access nodes by way of links, and the wireless terminal can move between various access nodes changing its points of attachment to the network, including its primary point of attachment. Requesters of resources with respect to the wireless terminal can be notified when the primary point of attachment alters, such that subsequent requests are provided to a correct access node (e.g., base station).

Claims

1. A method for indicating that a point of attachment has been altered, comprising:

receiving, at a first access node, a first resource state associated with a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of a wireless terminal, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, wherein the first resource state is received from a second access node, the requester being separate from the second access node, the requester comprising an application server that provides a traffic flow associated with the quality of service request, wherein the first resource state comprises a network address of the requester and data structures corresponding to quality of service support for the traffic flow, the traffic flow being associated with the wireless terminal; and

generating, by the first access node, a move indication and providing the requester with the move indication after a point of attachment for the first resource state has been changed to the first access node, wherein the move indication informs the requester that the point of attachment with respect to the first resource state associated with the wireless terminal has previously been changed to the first access node.

2. A base station configured to perform the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second access node was the most recent point of attachment for the first resource state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving resource states associated with multiple requesters with respect to the wireless terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the requester is one or more of a subscriber-side device and a function therein.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the point of attachment is communicatively coupled to the requester and the wireless terminal, such that the requester in communication with the wireless terminal is configured to communicate with the wireless terminal through the point of attachment.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the other access node was previously the point of attachment with respect to the resource state associated with the wireless terminal.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the requester requested a resource from the other access node with respect to the wireless terminal while the other access node was the point of attachment with respect to the resource state.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the access node has become the point of attachment with respect to the resource state.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the move indication permits the requester to continue to request a resource with respect to the wireless terminal.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the second access node remains a point of attachment for a second resource state after the point of attachment for the first resource state has been changed to the first access node.

6. An access node, comprising:

means for receiving, at the access node, quality of service states associated with a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of a wireless terminal, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, wherein the quality of service states are utilized in connection with providing a traffic flow to the wireless terminal, wherein the quality of service states are received from another access node, the requester being separate from the other access node, the requester comprising an application server that provides the traffic flow, wherein the quality of service states comprise a network address of the requester and data structures corresponding to quality of service support for the traffic flow, the traffic flow being associated with the wireless terminal; and

means for indicating to the requester, after a primary point of attachment for the quality of service states has been changed to the access node, that the primary point of attachment for the quality of service states has previously been changed to the access node.

7. The access node of claim 6, further comprising means for receiving quality of service requests from the requester on behalf of the wireless terminal subsequent to provision of the indication to the requester.

8. The access node of claim 6, further comprising means for receiving the quality of service states from a most recent primary point of attachment.

9. The access node of claim 6, wherein means for receiving quality of service states associated with the requester comprises means for receiving quality of service states associated with the requester from a previous point of attachment.

10. The access node of claim 6, wherein means for receiving quality of service states associated with the requester comprises means for receiving quality of service states associated with the requester from another point of attachment.

11. The access node of claim 6, further comprising means for receiving quality of service states associated with multiple requesters with respect to the wireless terminal.

12. The access node of claim 6, wherein the requester is one or more of a subscriber-side device and a function therein.

23. The access node of claim 6, wherein the traffic flow to the wireless terminal comprises data traffic flowing from the requester to the wireless terminal via the primary point of attachment utilizing a communicative coupling between the primary point of attachment and each of the requester and the wireless terminal.

32. The access node of claim 6, wherein the other access node was previously the primary point of attachment.

33. The access node of claim 6, wherein the requester requested a resource from the other access node with respect to the wireless terminal while the other access node was the primary point of attachment.

34. The access node of claim 6, wherein the access node has become the primary point of attachment.

35. The access node of claim 6, wherein the means for indicating permits the requester to continue to request a resource with respect to the wireless terminal.

13. A processor configured to execute the following instructions:

receiving, at an access node, a resource state from another access node that was a previous point of attachment, wherein the resource state is associated with a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of a wireless terminal, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, the requester being separate from the other access node, the requester comprising an application server that provides a traffic flow associated with the quality of service request, wherein the resource state comprise a network address of the requester and data structures corresponding to quality of service support for the traffic flow, the traffic flow being associated with the wireless terminal; and

indicating, by the access node, to the requester that a point of attachment with respect to the resource state has previously been changed to the access node, wherein the indicating occurs after the point of attachment for the resource state has been changed to the access node.

14. A base station comprising the processor of claim 13.

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

receiving the quality of service request from the requester subsequent to provision of the indication.

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

providing the resource state to a base station upon the point of attachment with respect to the resource state again being changed.

24. The processor of claim 13, wherein the point of attachment is communicatively coupled to the requester and the wireless terminal, such that the requester in communication with the wireless terminal is configured to communicate with the wireless terminal through the point of attachment.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium as an article of manufacture having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for:

receiving, at an access node, quality of service parameters with respect to a wireless terminal, wherein the quality of service parameters are associated with a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of the wireless terminal, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, wherein the quality of service parameters are received from another access node, the requester being separate from the other access node, the requester comprising an application server that provides a traffic flow associated with the quality of service request, wherein the quality of service parameters comprise a network address of the requester and data structures corresponding to quality of service support for the traffic flow, the traffic flow being associated with the wireless terminal; and

providing, by the access node, an indication to the requester that a point of attachment for the quality of service parameters with respect to the wireless terminal has previously been changed to the access node, wherein the indication is provided to the requester after the point of attachment for the quality of service parameters has been changed to the access node.

18. A base station comprising the machine-readable medium of claim 17.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 having thereon further machine executable instructions for relaying the quality of service parameters to a base station during a handoff procedure.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 having thereon further machine executable instructions for configuring a base station to act as a primary point of attachment.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the quality of service parameters with respect to the wireless terminal correspond to the traffic flow, the traffic flow extending from the requester to the wireless terminal via the point of attachment, utilizing a communicative coupling between the point of attachment and each of the requester and the wireless terminal.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the other access node was previously the point of attachment with respect to the wireless terminal.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the requester requested a resource from the other access node with respect to the wireless terminal while the other access node was the point of attachment with respect to the wireless terminal.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the access node has become the point of attachment with respect to the wireless terminal.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the indication permits the requester to continue to request a resource with respect to the wireless terminal.

21. An access node, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions for informing a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of a wireless terminal of quality of service parameters with respect to the wireless terminal that a point of attachment for the wireless terminal has previously changed to the access node with respect to a resource state, wherein the requester is informed after the point of attachment for the resource state has been changed to the access node, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, the requester comprising an application server that provides a traffic flow associated with the quality of service request, the resource state being received from a prior point of attachment, the requester being separate from the prior point of attachment, the requester comprising an application server that provides the traffic flow, wherein the quality of service parameters with respect to the wireless terminal correspond to the traffic flow, the traffic flow extending from the requester to the wireless terminal via the point of attachment, utilizing a communicative coupling between the point of attachment and each of the requester and the wireless terminal; and

a processor that executes the instructions.

40. The access node of claim 21, wherein another access node was previously the point of attachment for the wireless terminal.

41. The access node of claim 21, wherein the requester requested a resource from the prior point of attachment with respect to the wireless terminal while the prior point of attachment was the point of attachment for the wireless terminal.

42. The access node of claim 21, wherein the access node has become the point of attachment for the wireless terminal.

43. The access node of claim 21, wherein informing the requester about the point of attachment permits the requester to continue to request a resource with respect to the wireless terminal.

26. An access node, comprising:

means for receiving quality of service states associated with a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of a wireless terminal, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, the requester comprising an application server that provides a traffic flow, wherein the quality of service states are utilized in connection with providing he traffic flow to the wireless terminal, wherein the quality of service states are received from another access node, the requester being separate from the other access node, the requester comprising an application server that provides the traffic flow, wherein the quality of service states comprise a network address of the requester and data structures corresponding to quality of service support for the traffic flow, the traffic flow being associated with the wireless terminal; and

means for indicating to the requester, after a point of attachment for the quality of service states has been changed to the access node, that a handoff has previously occurred from a source point of attachment to the access node with respect to the quality of service states, the quality of service states being received from the source point of attachment, the requester being separate from the source point of attachment.

27. An access node, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions for informing a requester that creates and sends a quality of service request on behalf of a wireless terminal of information about a resource state with respect to the wireless terminal that a handoff for the wireless terminal with respect to a point of attachment for the resource state has previously changed from a source point of attachment to the access node, wherein the requester is informed after the point of attachment for the resource state has been changed to the access node, the requester being remotely located from the wireless terminal, the requester comprising an application server that provides a traffic flow associated with the quality of service request, the resource state being received from the source of attachment, the requester being separate from the source point of attachment, wherein the resource state comprises a network address of the requester and data structures corresponding to quality of service support for the traffic flow, the traffic flow being associated with the wireless terminal; and

a processor that executes the instructions.