Methods to enable efficient use of multiple radio access technologies
A device and method are provided for concurrently using a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) to support a wireless-enabled communications session. A set of data is processed at a client node to identify a subset of priority data. The set of data and the subset of priority data are respectively provided to a first and second protocol stack, which correspond to a first and second RAT. The first and second protocol stacks are then used to control the transmission of a first and second set of transmitted data, which in turn respectively comprise the set of data and the subset of priority data. The first and second sets of transmitted data are received by an access node, which uses corresponding first and second protocol stacks to control their reception. The first and second sets of transmitted data are then processed to generate a set of received data.
1. A client node for managing the concurrent transmission of data, comprising:
a first radio configured to use a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second radio configured to use a second RAT;
a first protocol stack corresponding to said first RAT and a second protocol stack corresponding to said second RAT;
a first processing logic configured to:
process a set of data to generate a subset of priority data that is associated with a first priority level;
use said first protocol stack to control the transmission of a first set of transmitted data comprising said set of data, said transmission performed by said first radio;
use said second protocol stack to control the transmission of a second set of transmitted data comprising said subset of priority data, said transmission performed by said second radio;
a third radio configured to use a third RAT;
and a third protocol stack corresponding to said third RAT; and
a second processing logic configured to:
process a second set of data to generate a second subset of priority data that is associated with a second priority level;
use said second protocol stack to control the transmission of a third set of transmitted data comprising said second set of data, said transmission performed by said second radio; and
use said third protocol stack to control the transmission of a fourth set of transmitted data comprising said second subset of priority data, said transmission performed by said third radio,
wherein said first RAT, second RAT, and third RAT are different.
2. The client node of claim 1 , wherein said first set of transmitted data further comprises a first information element (IE) corresponding to said set of data and said first RAT.
3. The client node of claim 2 , wherein said second set of transmitted data further comprises said first IE and a second IE corresponding to said subset of priority data and said second RAT.
4. The client node of claim 1 , wherein said first processing logic comprises a Device Inter-RAT Supervisory Layer (D-IRSL) configured to provide said set of data to a predetermined layer of said first protocol stack and provide said subset of priority data to a predetermined layer of said second protocol stack.
5. The client node of claim 4 , wherein said second processing logic comprises a second D-IRSL configured to provide said second set of data to a predetermined layer of said second protocol stack and provide said second subset of priority data to a predetermined layer of said third protocol stack.
6. The client node of claim 5 , wherein said D-IRSL is dynamically configured to operate above the RAT-specific radio layers of said first and second protocol stacks and below a RAT-agnostic layer of said first and second protocol stacks for a first application; said second D-IRSL is dynamically configured to operate above the transport layer of said second and third protocol stacks and below a RAT-agnostic layer of said second and third protocol stacks for a second application.
7. The client node of claim 1 , wherein said first and second RATs are associated with the same communications provider.
8. The client node of claim 1 , wherein said first and second RATs are associated with different communications providers.
9. The client node of claim 1 , wherein
said first RAT is a primary RAT comprising the complete protocol stack from the lowest physical layer to the highest application layer; and
said primary RAT is selected based on predefined parameters.
10. The client node of claim 1 , wherein said second RAT is a supporting RAT comprising:
the protocol stack layers below a Device Inter-RAT Supervisory Layer (D-IRSL) corresponding to the second or supporting RAT; and
the protocol stack layers above D-IRSL corresponding to the first RAT.
11. The client node of claim 10 , wherein said D-IRSL links the first RAT's higher layer with the corresponding lower layer for multiple RATs by associating a service access point for the higher layer of the first RAT with a service access point for the lower layer of the supporting RAT.
12. The client node of claim 1 , wherein a Device Inter-RAT Supervisory Layer (D-IRSL) maintains a table of active RATs.
13. The client node of claim 12 , wherein said D-IRSL forwards data to the subtending layer of the respective protocol stacks for transmission.
14. The client node of claim 12 , wherein said D-IRSL reorders data received from the subtending layer of the respective protocol stacks before conveying to the higher layer of a primary RAT protocol stack.
15. The client node of claim 12 , wherein said D-IRSL is configured to operate with an Inter-RAT eXchange Function (IRXF), said IRXF configured to allow the exchange of bits between corresponding protocol layers of said first and second protocol stacks wherein:
the corresponding protocol layers comprise the link layer in the respective protocol stacks;
the corresponding protocol layers comprise the physical layer in the respective protocol stacks.
16. A method for managing the concurrent transmission of data, comprising:
using a client node comprising a first radio configured to use a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second radio configured to use a second RAT;
using a first protocol stack corresponding to said first RAT and a second protocol stack corresponding to said second RAT;
using a first processing logic configured to:
process a set of data to generate a subset of priority data that is associated with a first priority level;
use said first protocol stack to control the transmission of a first set of transmitted data comprising said set of data, said transmission performed by said first radio; and
use said second protocol stack to control the transmission of a second set of transmitted data comprising said subset of priority data, said transmission performed by said second radio;
using a third radio configured to use a RAT;
and a third protocol stack corresponding to said third RAT; and
using a second processing logic configured to:
process a second set of data to generate a second subset of priority data that is associated with a second priority level;
use said second protocol stack to control the transmission of a third set of transmitted data comprising said second set of data, said transmission performed by said second radio; and
use said third protocol stack to control the transmission of a fourth set of transmitted data comprising said second subset of priority data, said transmission performed by said third radio,
wherein said first RAT, second RAT, and third RAT are different.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first set of transmitted data further comprises a first information element (IE) corresponding to said set of data and said first RAT.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said second set of transmitted data further comprises said first IE and a second IE corresponding to said subset of priority data and said second RAT.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first processing logic comprises a Device Inter-RAT Supervisory Layer (D-IRSL) configured to provide said set of data to a predetermined layer of said first protocol stack and provide said subset of priority data to a predetermined layer of said second protocol stack.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said second processing logic comprises a second D-IRSL configured to provide said second set of data to a predetermined layer of said second protocol stack and provide said second subset of priority data to a predetermined layer of said third protocol stack.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said D-IRSL is dynamically configured to operate above the RAT-specific radio layers of said first and second protocol stacks and below a RAT-agnostic layer of said first and second protocol stacks for a first application; said second D-IRSL is dynamically configured to operate above the transport layer of said second and third protocol stacks and below a RAT-agnostic layer of said second and third protocol stacks for a second application.
22. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first and second RATs are associated with the same communications provider.
23. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first and second RATs are associated with different communications providers.
24. The method of claim 16 , wherein
said first RAT is a primary RAT comprising the complete protocol stack from the lowest physical layer to the highest application layer; and
said primary RAT is selected based on predefined parameters.
25. The method of claim 16 , wherein said second RAT is a supporting RAT comprising:
the protocol stack layers below a Device Inter-RAT Supervisory Layer (D-IRSL) corresponding to the second or supporting RAT; and
the protocol stack layers above D-IRSL corresponding to the first RAT.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein said D-IRSL links the first RAT's higher layer with the corresponding lower layer for multiple RATs by associating a service access point for the higher layer of the first RAT with a service access point for the lower layer of the supporting RAT.
27. The method of claim 16 , wherein a Device Inter-RAT Supervisory Layer (D-IRSL) maintains a table of active RATs.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein said D-IRSL forwards data to the subtending layer of the respective protocol stacks for transmission.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein said D-IRSL reorders data received from the subtending layer of the respective protocol stacks before conveying to the higher layer of the primary RAT protocol stack.
30. The method of claim 27 , wherein said D-IRSL is configured to operate with an Inter-RAT eXchange Function (IRXF), said IRXF configured to allow the exchange of bits between corresponding protocol layers of said first and second protocol stacks wherein:
the corresponding protocol layers comprise the link layer in the respective protocol stacks;
the corresponding protocol layers comprise the physical layer in the respective protocol stacks.