Soft handoffs in networks
Various embodiments enable a device to maintain a plurality of connections to a plurality of wireless networks simultaneously using one radio. For instance, a device can partition in time, or “time-slice”, when it transmits and receives data such that a device can maintain a plurality of connections with a plurality of networks concurrently. With the plurality of connections, the device can receive multiple copies of data. In some embodiments, a device can compare multiple copies of data and determine which copy of data is a best representation. Once a best representation has been determined, it can be selected for further usage.
1. A mobile computing device comprising:
one or more communication devices, wherein the one or more communication devices are configured to enable connection to two or more wireless networks simultaneously so that the mobile computing device can communicate, through a single radio, with said two or more wireless networks;
one or more computer-readable storage media;
a combiner module embodied, at least in part, on the computer-readable storage media, the combiner module being configured to:
recognize two or more data packets that include completely duplicated payload data;
recognize two or more data packets that include partially duplicated payload data; and
determine a best representation of the duplicate payload data based, at least in part, on the completely duplicated payload data or the partially duplicated payload data;
a splitter module embodied, at least in part, on the computer-readable storage media, the splitter module being configured to send outgoing data through the two or more wireless networks, wherein the splitter module is configured to duplicate outgoing data, at least in part, on each of the two or more wireless networks when the two or more wireless networks are connected to the mobile computing device; and
one or more logical adapters embodied, at least in part, on the computer-readable storage media, individual logical adapters being associated with individual wireless networks and configured to send and receive frame data to an associated individual wireless network through the single radio.
2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the two or more wireless networks are IEEE 802.11 wireless networks.
3. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to determine a best representation comprises using bit error rate of each data packet as a criterion.
4. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to enable connection to two or more wireless networks simultaneously comprises:
initiating transmission of a power saving mode indication to at least a first wireless network of the two or more wireless networks and actively communicating with a second wireless network of the two or more wireless networks without disconnecting from the at least first wireless network;
receiving data through the second wireless network without disconnecting from the at least first wireless network;
initiating transmission of a power saving mode indication to the second wireless network; and
receiving data through a wireless network different from the second wireless network.
5. The mobile computing device of claim 4 , wherein said wireless network that is different from the second wireless network comprises the first wireless network.
6. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to duplicate outgoing data comprises copying the outgoing data, at least in part, into an individual format for each of the two or more wireless networks.
7. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the combiner module is further configured to sequence the best representation of the data with other best representations of previously received data.
8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
initiating transmission, via a mobile computing device using a single radio, of a power saving mode indication to at least a first wireless network connected to the mobile computing device;
receiving data, via the mobile computing device using the single radio, through a second wireless network connected to the mobile computing device without disconnecting from the at least first wireless network;
initiating transmission, via the mobile computing device using the single radio, of a power saving mode indication to the second wireless network; and
receiving data, via the mobile computing device using the single radio, through a wireless network that is different from the second wireless network, wherein the receiving data through the wireless network different from the second wireless network comprises an ability to:
receive and identify partial payload data duplication in the data received through the wireless network different from the second wireless network and payload data associated with the data received from the second wireless network; and
receive and identify complete payload data duplication in the data received through the wireless network different from the second wireless network and payload data associated with the data received from the second wireless network.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the at least first wireless network and the second wireless network are IEEE 802.11 wireless networks.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein initiating transmission of a power saving mode indication to the second wireless network comprises determining when to initiate transmission based upon information contained in one or more beacons.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining a best representation of data that is received.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining a best representation comprises using bit error rate of the data as a criterion.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein receiving data through the wireless network different from the second wireless network comprises initiating transmission of an indication to the different wireless network that the mobile computing device is no longer in power saving mode.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein initiating transmission of the power saving mode indication to the at least first wireless network is based, at least in part, on a signal strength associated with the at least first wireless network.
15. A device comprising:
a first module configured to:
enable data management associated with a mobile computing device, simultaneously connected to multiple wireless networks using a single radio, to be performed by receiving two or more transmissions over individual wireless networks of the multiple networks, wherein said two or more transmissions include at least some duplicate data;
identify partial payload data duplication in the at least some duplicate data;
identify complete payload duplication in the at least some duplicate data; and
process the two or more transmissions to select a best representation; and
a second module configured to:
enable transmission of data through said multiple networks simultaneously connected to the mobile computing device, wherein transmitted data includes at least some duplicate data transmitted through individual wireless networks of the multiple networks.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the device is the mobile computing device.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the device is a switch that is wirelessly connected to the mobile computing device through the multiple wireless networks.
18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the multiple wireless networks are IEEE 802.11 wireless networks.
19. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first module is further configured to determine a best representation of the duplicate data.
20. The device of claim 19 , wherein to determine a best representation of the duplicate data comprises using a bit error rate as a criterion.