Communications methods and apparatus for using a single logical link with multiple physical layer connections
First Claim
1. A communications apparatus, comprising:
- a logical link layer control circuit including a segmentation circuit for segmenting a packet into frames to be transmitted;
a plurality of physical layer connection circuits coupled to said logical link layer control circuit, wherein each physical layer connection circuit is configured to maintain a separate communications link with a first node, and wherein multiple simultaneous communications links to the first node are supported through different physical layer connection circuits;
memory comprising stored information for indicating which one of said multiple simultaneous communications links was used to transmit a frame to said first node; and
a transmitter for transmitting the frames over the different physical layer connection circuits,wherein said logical link layer control circuit comprises a first logical link layer state, said first logical link layer state configured to provide common logical link layer control for each of said multiple simultaneous communications links, andwherein said segmentation circuit is configured to segment at least some packets directed to said first node and to allocate at least some frames of a packet to be transmitted over different ones of said multiple simultaneous communications links.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A base station uses a common link layer controller for multiple physical attachment points to facilitate concurrent wireless connections between different sector physical attachment points and a wireless terminal using the same link layer link. A wireless terminal maintains multiple simultaneous wireless connections for the same link layer link. A packet of user data is fragmented into a plurality of grouping of MAC frames, thus a packet portion can be communicated over a connection. A single packet is sometimes communicated with different portions conveyed over different wireless connections. Automatic repeat request, using the common link layer controller, allows for retransmission of a packet portion over a different connection than it was initially transmitted over. A wireless terminal sends connection request messages including lists of link layer identifiers associated with the wireless terminal. A base station responds with an indication of whether logical link state was already present.
13 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A communications apparatus, comprising:
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a logical link layer control circuit including a segmentation circuit for segmenting a packet into frames to be transmitted; a plurality of physical layer connection circuits coupled to said logical link layer control circuit, wherein each physical layer connection circuit is configured to maintain a separate communications link with a first node, and wherein multiple simultaneous communications links to the first node are supported through different physical layer connection circuits; memory comprising stored information for indicating which one of said multiple simultaneous communications links was used to transmit a frame to said first node; and a transmitter for transmitting the frames over the different physical layer connection circuits, wherein said logical link layer control circuit comprises a first logical link layer state, said first logical link layer state configured to provide common logical link layer control for each of said multiple simultaneous communications links, and wherein said segmentation circuit is configured to segment at least some packets directed to said first node and to allocate at least some frames of a packet to be transmitted over different ones of said multiple simultaneous communications links. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a wireless terminal, comprising:
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receiving by a receiver a signal from a target access node, said signal comprising a logical link layer identifier for identifying a logical link corresponding to a physical connection point to which said wireless terminal may connect; prior to receiving said signal, receiving broadcast signals from which physical attachment point identifiers are determined; and determining by a processor if the received logical link layer identifier corresponds to a logical link layer to which said wireless terminal already has a corresponding connection. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A wireless terminal comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a signal from a target access node, said signal including a logical link layer identifier for identifying a logical link corresponding to a physical connection point to which said wireless terminal may connect; prior to receiving said signal, receiving broadcast signals from which physical connection point identifiers are determined; and a link determination circuit for determining if the received logical link layer identifier corresponds to a logical link layer to which said wireless terminal already has a corresponding connection. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating a wireless terminal, comprising:
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receiving by a receiver a signal, said signal indicating that a logical link state is present in one or more access nodes corresponding to one or more respective physical attachment points for which a physical layer connection does not already exist, said one or more physical attachment points being identified by one or more respective physical attachment point identifiers; and storing information by a processor in memory associating said one or more physical attachment point identifiers with a logical link identifier for identifying a logical link with which said wireless terminal has a logical connection. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of operating a base station to service a connection request from a wireless terminal for establishing a connection with a physical attachment point of the base station, the method comprising:
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receiving by a receiver a connection request from a wireless terminal, said connection request requesting establishment of the connection with the physical attachment point of said base station; determining by a processor if said received connection request includes a logical link layer identifier corresponding to said physical attachment point of said base station, and if said base station includes a stored state for associating a wireless terminal identifier corresponding to said wireless terminal with said logical link layer identifier; and establishing by the processor a connection between the wireless terminal and the physical attachment point of said base station. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A base station comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a connection request from a wireless terminal seeking to establish a connection with a physical attachment point of the base station; and a determination circuit for determining if said received connection request includes a logical link layer identifier corresponding to said physical attachment point and if said base station includes a stored state for associating a wireless terminal identifier corresponding to said wireless terminal with said logical link layer identifier. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
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a receiver receiving a signal, said signal indicating that a logical link state is present in one or more access nodes corresponding to one or more respective physical attachment points for which a physical layer connection does not already exist, said one or more physical attachment points being identified by one or more respective physical attachment point identifiers; and a processor executing instructions storing information in memory associating said one or more physical attachment point identifiers with a logical link identifier for identifying a logical link with which a wireless terminal has a logical connection. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
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a receiver receiving a connection request from a wireless terminal, said connection request requesting establishment of a connection with a physical attachment point of a base station; a processor executing instructions determining if said received connection request includes a logical link layer identifier corresponding to said physical attachment point of said base station, and if said base station includes a stored state for associating a wireless terminal identifier corresponding to said wireless terminal with said logical link layer identifier; and instructions establishing a connection between the wireless terminal and the physical attachment point of said base station. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A computer program product, comprising:
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a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for; receiving a signal, said signal indicating that a logical link state is present in one or more access nodes corresponding to one or more respective physical attachment points for which a physical layer connection does not already exist, said one or more physical attachment points being identified by one or more respective physical attachment point identifiers; and storing information in memory associating said one or more physical attachment point identifiers with a logical link identifier for identifying a logical link with which a wireless terminal has a logical connection. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A computer program product, comprising:
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a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for; receiving a connection request from a wireless terminal, said connection request requesting establishment of a connection with a physical attachment point of a base station; determining if said received connection request includes a logical link layer identifier corresponding to said physical attachment point of said base station, and if said base station includes a stored state for associating a wireless terminal identifier corresponding to said wireless terminal with said logical link layer identifier; and establishing a connection between the wireless terminal and the physical attachment point of said base station. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification