Fusion of cellular and non-cellular communications
View Patent ↗A method for wireless communications, includes determining capacity of a non-cellular wireless link associated with a wireless broadcast area, determining congestion of a cellular link associated with the wireless broadcast area, determining a sublayer of a protocol of the cellular link based on the determined non-cellular wireless capacity and the determined congestion, dividing cellular data to be sent between a wireless device and a base station using the protocol of the cellular link into protocol data units of the sublayer, encapsulating the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link, and sending the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link.
1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
determining capacity of a non-cellular wireless link associated with a wireless broadcast area;
determining congestion of a cellular link associated with the wireless broadcast area;
based on the determined non-cellular wireless capacity and the determined congestion, selecting a sublayer of a protocol of the cellular link from a plurality of sublayers of the protocol of the cellular link, wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer; and
the MAC sublayer was selected over a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayer based on a determination that the capacity of the non-cellular wireless link is less than a given capacity benchmark;
dividing cellular data to be sent between a wireless device and a base station using the protocol of the cellular link into protocol data units of the sublayer;
encapsulating the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link; and
sending the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link on the non-cellular wireless link.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protocol of the cellular link includes Long Term Evolution (LTE).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected sublayer includes at least one of a MAC sublayer or a PDCP sublayer.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a PDCP sublayer; and
the PDCP sublayer was selected over an Internet Protocol (IP) layer based on a determination that the congestion of the cellular link is greater than a given congestion benchmark.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a PDCP sublayer; and
the PDCP sublayer was selected over a MAC sublayer based on a determination that the congestion of the cellular link is less than a given congestion benchmark.
6. An article of manufacture comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to:
determine capacity of a non-cellular wireless link associated with a wireless broadcast area;
determine congestion of a cellular link associated with the wireless broadcast area;
based on the determined non-cellular wireless capacity and the determined congestion, select a sublayer of a protocol of the cellular link from a plurality of sublayers of the protocol of the cellular link, wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer; and
the MAC sublayer was selected over a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayer based on a determination that the capacity of the non-cellular wireless link is less than a given capacity benchmark;
divide cellular data to be sent between a wireless device and a base station using the protocol of the cellular link into protocol data units of the sublayer;
encapsulate the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link; and
send the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link on the non-cellular wireless link.
7. The article of claim 6 , wherein the protocol of the cellular link includes Long Term Evolution (LTE).
8. The article of claim 6 , wherein the sublayer includes at least one of a MAC sublayer or a PDCP sublayer.
9. The article of claim 6 , wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a PDCP sublayer; and
the PDCP sublayer was selected over an Internet Protocol (IP) layer based on a determination that the congestion of the cellular link is greater than a given capacity benchmark.
10. The article of claim 6 , wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a PDCP sublayer; and
the PDCP sublayer was selected over a MAC sublayer based on a determination that the congestion of the cellular link is less than a congestion given benchmark.
11. A system for wireless communication comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
determine capacity of a non-cellular wireless link associated with a wireless broadcast area;
determine congestion of a cellular link associated with the wireless broadcast area;
based on the determined non-cellular wireless capacity and the determined congestion, select determine a sublayer of a protocol of the cellular link from a plurality of sublayers of the protocol of the cellular link, wherein
the selected sublayer includes a Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer; and
the MAC sublayer was selected over a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayer based on a determination that the capacity of the non-cellular wireless link is less than a given capacity benchmark;
divide cellular data to be sent between a wireless device and a base station using the protocol of the cellular link into protocol data units of the sublayer;
encapsulate the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link; and
send the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link on the non-cellular wireless link.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the protocol of the cellular link includes Long Term Evolution (LTE).
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sublayer includes at least one of a MAC sublayer or a PDCP sublayer.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the selected sublayer includes a PDCP sublayer; and
the PDCP sublayer was selected over an Internet Protocol (IP) layer based on a determination that the congestion of the cellular link is greater than a given congestion benchmark.
15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a wireless device, wherein:
the wireless device comprises:
a non-cellular wireless interface communicatively coupled to the non-cellular wireless link; and
a cellular wireless interface communicatively coupled to the cellular link; and
the wireless device is configured to:
receive the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link; and
unencapsulate the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the wireless device is further configured to:
receive the determination of the sublayer of a protocol of the cellular link;
divide cellular data to be sent between from the wireless device to a base station using the protocol of the cellular link into protocol data units of the sublayer;
encapsulate the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link; and
send the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link on the non-cellular wireless link to the base station.
17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a base station configured to:
receive the resulting transmission units of the non-cellular wireless link on the non-cellular wireless link from the wireless device; and
unencapsulate the protocol data units of the sublayer into transmission units of the non-cellular link.