Method of handling transmission of data to a mobile device through multiple channels

1. A method comprising:

receiving carrier capacity values from each of a plurality of carrier controllers providing communication with a mobile device over a corresponding plurality of channels, wherein for each of the plurality of carrier controllers the carrier capacity value received from that carrier controller includes an estimate of an amount of data the carrier controller is capable of sending to the mobile device without exceeding a first retransmission period of the mobile device;

receiving data for the mobile device;

sending a portion of the received data to each carrier controller of the plurality of carrier controllers such that an amount of the data sent to each carrier controller is based on the carrier capacity value associated with that carrier controller; and

directing a new retransmission period to at least one carrier controller in response to the mobile device changing the first retransmission period to the new retransmission period,

wherein the first and new retransmission periods are, respectively, previous and updated versions of a maximum waiting time associated with the mobile device, the maximum waiting time being an amount of time a packet has not been received before the mobile device determines the packet is lost.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each carrier capacity value received from an associated one of the plurality of the plurality of carrier controllers is based on the maximum waiting time and a data rate of transmission by the associated carrier controller to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the carrier capacity values sent from each carrier controller are calculated by multiplying the maximum waiting time by the data rate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending includes sending a number of bytes to each carrier controller that does not exceed the amount of data indicated by the carrier capacity value received from each carrier controller.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending includes sending a number of bytes to each carrier controller that is proportional to the amount of data indicated by the carrier capacity value received from each carrier controller.

6. A method comprising:

calculating a carrier capacity value, the carrier capacity value including an estimate of the number of bytes that a carrier controller is capable of sending to a mobile device without exceeding a first retransmission period of the mobile device;

sending the carrier capacity value to a radio network controller (RNC); and

receiving data from the RNC at the mobile device, an amount of the data being based on the carrier capacity value;

receiving a new retransmission period when the mobile device changes the first retransmission period to the new retransmission period,

wherein the first and new retransmission periods are, respectively, previous and updated versions of a maximum waiting time associated with the mobile device, the maximum waiting time being an amount of time a packet has not been received before the mobile device determines the packet is lost.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the carrier capacity value is based on the maximum waiting time and a data rate of transmission by the carrier controller to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the carrier capacity value is calculated by multiplying the maximum waiting time by the data rate.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the maximum waiting time is received from the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating includes calculating, at a base station, a plurality of carrier capacity values respectively corresponding to a plurality of carrier controllers included in the base station, each of the plurality of carrier capacity values including an estimate of the number of bytes that the corresponding carrier controller is capable of sending to the mobile device without exceeding the first retransmission period of the mobile device,

wherein the sending includes sending the plurality of carrier capacity values, and

wherein the amount of data received from the RNC is based on the plurality of carrier capacity values.

11. A system, comprising:

a plurality of carrier controllers configured to provide communication with a mobile device over a corresponding plurality of channels; and

a radio network controller (RNC) configured to:

receive carrier capacity values from each of the plurality of carrier controllers, wherein for each of the plurality of carrier controllers the carrier capacity value received from that carrier controller includes an estimate of an amount of data the carrier controller is capable of sending to the mobile device without exceeding a first retransmission period of the mobile device;

receive data for the mobile device; and

send a portion of the received data to each carrier controller of the plurality of carrier controllers such that an amount of the data sent to each carrier controller is based on the carrier capacity value associated with that carrier controller,

wherein the system is configured to direct a new retransmission period to at least one carrier controller in response to the mobile device changing the first retransmission period to the new retransmission period,

wherein the first and new retransmission periods are, respectively, previous and updated versions of a maximum waiting time associated with the mobile device, the maximum waiting time being an amount of time a packet has not been received before the mobile device determines the packet is lost.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein each carrier capacity value received from the associated carrier controller is based on the maximum waiting time and a data rate of transmission by the associated carrier controller to the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the RNC is configured to send a number of bytes to each carrier controller that does not exceed the amount of data indicated by the carrier capacity value received from each carrier controller.

14. A carrier controller, comprising:

a transmitter configured to:

calculate a carrier capacity value, the carrier capacity value including an estimate of the number of bytes that the carrier controller is capable of sending to the mobile device without exceeding a first retransmission period of the mobile device, and

send the carrier capacity value to a radio network controller (RNC); and a receiver configured to:

receive data from the RNC, an amount of the received data being based on the carrier capacity value, and

receive a new retransmission period when the mobile device changes the first retransmission period to the new retransmission period,

wherein the first and new retransmission periods are, respectively, previous and updated versions of a maximum waiting time associated with the mobile device, the maximum waiting time being an amount of time a packet has not been received before the mobile device determines the packet is lost.

15. The carrier controller of claim 14 , wherein the carrier capacity value is based on the maximum waiting time and a data rate of transmission by the carrier controller to the mobile device.

16. The carrier controller of claim 15 , wherein the carrier capacity value is calculated by multiplying the maximum waiting time by the data rate.