Methods and apparatus for wireless network connectivity
View Patent ↗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.
1. A wireless terminal for communicating with a plurality of base stations, comprising:
a processor; and
circuitry coupled to said processor configured to:
establish a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;
receive first data and first control information from the first base station via the first connection;
establish a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
receive second data and second control information from the second base station via the second connection, and maintain the second connection in parallel with the first connection;
wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, wherein the second data is different from the first data, wherein the second control information is received in parallel with the first control information, wherein the first control information is different from the second control information, the circuitry also being configured to perform first synchronization operations for the first connection, and perform second synchronization operations for the second connection;
begin transmission of a first data packet to the first base station;
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; and
determine that wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the first base station, and wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to making this determination.
2. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.
3. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.
4. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different parts of a single data file.
5. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , 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.
6. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to discontinue transmitting data to the first base station after transmission of the first data packet is complete.
7. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to separate a first received signal comprising the first data and the first control information from a second received signal comprising the second data and the second control information.
8. The wireless terminal of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured 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.
9. A method for communicating with a plurality of base stations, the method being implemented by a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
establishing a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;
receiving first data and first control information from the first base station via the first connection;
establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
receiving second data and second control information from the second base station via the second connection;
maintaining the second connection in parallel with the first connection, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, wherein the second data is different from the first data, 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;
performing first synchronization operations for the first connection;
performing second synchronization operations for the second connection;
beginning transmission of a first data packet to the first base station;
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; and
determining that wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the first base station, and wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to making this determination.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different parts of a single data file.
13. The method of claim 9 , 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.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising discontinuing transmitting data to the first base station after transmission of the first data packet is complete.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising separating a first received signal comprising the first data and the first control information from a second received signal comprising the second data and the second control information.
16. A wireless terminal for communicating with a plurality of base stations, comprising:
means for establishing a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;
means for receiving first data and first control information from the first base station via the first connection;
means for establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
means for receiving second data and second control information from the second base station via the second connection;
means for maintaining the second connection in parallel with the first connection, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, wherein the second data is different from the first data, 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 performing first synchronization operations for the first connection;
means for performing second synchronization operations for the second connection;
means for beginning transmission of a first data packet to the first base station;
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; and
means for determining that wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the first base station, and wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to making this determination.
17. The wireless terminal of claim 16 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.
18. The wireless terminal of claim 16 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.
19. The wireless terminal of claim 16 , wherein the first data packet and the second data packet comprise different parts of a single data file.
20. The wireless terminal of claim 16 , 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.
21. The wireless terminal of claim 16 , further comprising means for discontinuing transmitting data to the first base station after transmission of the first data packet is complete.
22. The wireless terminal of claim 16 , further comprising means for separating a first received signal comprising the first data and the first control information from a second received signal comprising the second data and the second control information.
23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for facilitating communication between a wireless terminal and a plurality of base stations, the computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable to:
establish a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;
receive first data and first control information from the first base station via the first connection;
establish a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
receive second data and second control information from the second base station via the second connection;
maintain the second connection in parallel with the first connection, wherein the second data is received in parallel with the first data, wherein the second data is different from the first data, 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;
perform first synchronization operations for the first connection;
perform second synchronization operations for the second connection;
begin transmission of a first data packet to the first base station;
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; and
determine that wireless channel conditions for the second base station are better than wireless channel conditions for the first base station, and wherein the transmission of the second data packet to the second base station is started in response to making this determination.
24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise frequency synchronization operations.
25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the first and second synchronization operations comprise symbol timing synchronization operations.