Devices and methods for asymmetrical multicarrier transmission and reception

• US 9,998,273 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Choi-Grogan, Yung Shirley, Frerking, Melvin D., Keathley, Thomas, Mansfield, William Gordon, Ohana, Alain, Shively, David Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US14/857,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows

Abstract

A duplex frequency is supplemented by providing simplex frequencies and distributing a data load among them. A server initially communicates with a communications device using a duplex channel. A scheduler of the server determines when it is no longer optimal to use the single duplex channel, and distributes data among the duplex channel and the simplex channels. Before sending this data through multiple channels, the server first sends a schedule to the communications device to inform which bits of data are coming through which channels at which times. The scheduler compiles this schedule and sends it to the communications device through the duplex channel. A descheduler within the communications device receives the schedule and alerts the communications device to start receiving data on other simplex channels. The descheduler then puts the bits of data in order as they stream in across the duplex and simplex channels.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first time by a system comprising a processor, information indicative of a distribution of data packets between a first anchor channel of anchor channels, the first anchor channel utilized for duplex transmission, and a simplex channel, utilized for simplex transmission, wherein the information is usable to organize the data packets for a communication between the system and a network server of a network;

receiving, by the system, a first portion of the data packets via the first anchor channel and receiving a second portion of the data packets via the simplex channel, wherein the receiving the first portion and the second portion of the data packets is performed via asymmetrical multicarrier communication;

generating, by the system, feedback information regarding the first portion of the data packets and the second portion of the data packets, wherein the feedback information facilitates balancing of transmissions between the anchor channel and the simplex channel; and

selecting a second anchor channel of the anchor channels, at a second time of transmission of the data packets, for receipt of a group of the data packets based on a load at the second time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving the information prior to the receiving the first portion of the data packets.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving the information prior to the receiving the second portion of the data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving timing information associated with times of receipt of the data packets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving frequency information associated with a frequency of receipt of the data packets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the system, a request for the data packets via the first anchor channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the system, frequencies associated with the first anchor channel based on a distance between the system and an access point device.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving schedule information indicative of a distribution of data packets between an anchor channel, utilized for duplex transmission, and a simplex channel, utilized for simplex transmission;

receiving the data packets via asymmetrical multicarrier communication comprising receiving a first portion of the data packets via the anchor channel and receiving a second portion of the data packets via the simplex channel; and

transmitting, to a server device, feedback relating to the first portion of the data packets and the second portion of the data packets to facilitate balancing of transmissions across the anchor channel and the simplex channel, wherein the feedback is associated with a first quality of the first portion and a second quality of the second portion, wherein the schedule information is based on an estimated load of an application with which the data packets are associated, and wherein the receiving the data packets via the asymmetrical multicarrier communication is performed in response to a determination by the system that the estimated load of the application satisfies a defined condition.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiving the schedule information comprises receiving the schedule information prior to the receiving the first portion of the data packets and the receiving the second portion of the data packets.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a channel on which a portion of the data packets is to be received at a specified time.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiving the schedule information comprises receiving timing information associated with a time of receipt of a data packet of the data packets.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiving the schedule information comprises receiving frequency information associated with a frequency receipt of the data packets.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a request for the data packets via the anchor channel.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifying is based on the schedule information.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the simplex channel is located at the 850 megahertz frequency band.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the anchor channel is located at the 1900 megahertz frequency band.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving schedule information indicative of a distribution of data packets between an anchor channel, utilized for duplex transmission, and a simplex channel, utilized for simplex transmission;

receiving a first portion of the data packets via the anchor channel via asymmetrical multicarrier communication;

receiving a second portion of the data packets via the simplex channel via the asymmetrical multicarrier communication; and

arranging first bits of the first portion and second bits of the second portion according to the schedule information, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are balanced for transmission on the anchor channel or the simplex channel, respectively, based on a load of the data packets, wherein the schedule information is based on an estimated load of an application with which the data packets are associated, and wherein the receiving the first portion of the data packets via the asymmetrical multicarrier communication is performed in response to a determination that the estimated load of the application satisfies a defined condition.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the receiving the schedule information comprises receiving the schedule information prior to the receiving the first portion of the data packets and the receiving the second portion of the data packets.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a channel on which a portion of the data packets is to be received at a specified time.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the identifying is based on the schedule information.