Methods and apparatus for wireless network connectivity

• US 9,992,756 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Junyi, Laroia, Rajiv, Corson, Mathew Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Application Number:
  US13/965,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/185 using make before break
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus which allow a wireless terminal (302) to simultaneously maintain connections with multiple base stations (304, 306) are described. Each wireless terminal (302) is capable of supporting multiple separate timing and/or other control loops one, for each base station connection thereby allowing the connections to operate independently and in parallel. Different control signals and/or data are transmitted on each connection that is established with a base station (302, 306). In this manner base stations (302, 306) receive different data allowing for asynchronous data transmission. The data received by the base stations (302, 306) can be supplied to a wired asynchronous network (308) without the need to combine the received data prior to supplying it to the wired network (308). The communications techniques of the invention can be used to implement soft handoffs without the need to duplicate data transmissions to multiple base stations.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a plurality of base stations, the method being implemented by a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

receiving first data via a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;

receiving second data via a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, and wherein the first data is different from the second data;

receiving first control information via the first connection;

receiving second control information via the second connection, wherein the second control information is received in parallel with the first control information, and wherein the first control information is different from the second control information;

starting transmission of a first data packet to the first base station when wireless channel conditions for the first base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the second base station;

determining, after the transmission of the first data packet has started and before the transmission of the first data packet has completed, that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station; and

finishing transmission of the first data packet to the first base station in parallel with starting transmission of a second data packet to the second base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing first synchronization operations for the first connection, wherein the first synchronization operations are performed with respect to the first base station; and

performing second synchronization operations for the second connection, wherein the second synchronization operations are performed with respect to the second base station, and wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed in parallel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to determining that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different parts of a single data file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising using different symbol transmission start times when transmitting symbols representing at least portions of the first and second data packets to the first and second base stations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing transmitting data to the first base station after transmission of the first data packet is complete.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating received signals corresponding to different base stations.

11. A wireless terminal for communicating with a plurality of base stations, comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to said processor configured to;

receive first data via a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;

receive second data via a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data;

wherein the first data is different from the second data, the circuitry further configured to receive first control information via the first connection and to receive second control information via the second connection, wherein the second control information is received in parallel with the first control information, and wherein the first control information is different from the second control information;

start transmission of a first data packet to the first base station when wireless channel conditions for the first base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the second base station;

determine, after the transmission of the first data packet has started and before the transmission of the first data packet has completed, that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station; and

finish transmission of the first data packet to the first base station in parallel with starting transmission of a second data packet to the second base station, wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different data.

12. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform first synchronization operations for the first connection and to perform second synchronization operations for the second connection, wherein the first base station is not synchronized with the second base station, wherein the first synchronization operations are performed with respect to the first base station and the second synchronization operations are performed with respect to the second base station, and wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed in parallel.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 12, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 12, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 12, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.

16. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to determining that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station.

17. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different parts of a single data file.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to use different symbol transmission start times when transmitting symbols representing at least portions of the first and second data packets to the first and second base stations.

19. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to discontinue transmitting data to the first base station after transmission of the first data packet is complete.

20. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to separate received signals corresponding to different base stations.

21. A wireless terminal for communicating with a plurality of base stations, comprising:

means for receiving first data via a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;

means for receiving second data via a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, and wherein the first data is different from the second data;

means for receiving first control information via the first connection;

means for receiving second control information via the second connection, wherein the second control information is received in parallel with the first control information, and wherein the first control information is different from the second control information;

means for starting transmission of a first data packet to the first base station when wireless channel conditions for the first base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the second base station;

means for determining, after the transmission of the first data packet has started and before the transmission of the first data packet has completed, that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station; and

means for finishing transmission of the first data packet to the first base station in parallel with starting transmission of a second data packet to the second base station.

22. The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising:

means for performing first synchronization operations for the first connection, wherein the first synchronization operations are performed with respect to the first base station; and

means for performing second synchronization operations for the second connection, wherein the second synchronization operations are performed with respect to the second base station, and wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed in parallel.

23. The wireless terminal of claim 22, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently.

24. The wireless terminal of claim 22, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.

25. The wireless terminal of claim 22, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.

26. The wireless terminal of claim 21, wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to determining that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station.

27. The wireless terminal of claim 21, wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different parts of a single data file.

28. The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising means for using different symbol transmission start times when transmitting symbols representing at least portions of the first and second data packets to the first and second base stations.

29. The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising means for discontinuing transmitting data to the first base station after transmission of the first data packet is complete.

30. The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising means for separating received signals corresponding to different base stations.

31. A computer-program product for facilitating communication between a wireless terminal and a plurality of base stations, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing the wireless terminal to receive first data via a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;

code for causing the wireless terminal to receive second data via a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, and wherein the first data is independent from the second data;

code for causing the wireless terminal to receive first control information via the first connection;

code for causing the wireless terminal to receive second control information via the second connection, wherein the second control information is received in parallel with the first control information, and wherein the first control information is different from the second control information;

code for causing the wireless terminal to start transmission of a first data packet to the first base station when wireless channel conditions for the first base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the second base station;

code for causing the wireless terminal to determine, after the transmission of the first data packet has started and before the transmission of the first data packet has completed, that the wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than the wireless channel conditions for the first base station; and

code for causing the wireless terminal to finish transmission of the first data packet to the first base station in parallel with starting transmission of a second data packet to the second base station.

32. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise:

code for causing the wireless terminal to perform first synchronization operations for the first connection, wherein the first synchronization operations are performed with respect to the first base station; and

code for causing the wireless terminal to perform second synchronization operations for the second connection, wherein the second synchronization operations are performed with respect to the second base station, and wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed in parallel.

33. The computer-program product of claim 32, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently.

34. The computer-program product of claim 32, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.

35. The computer-program product of claim 32, wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.