Methods and apparatus for wireless network connectivity
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 method for communicating with a plurality of base stations, the method being implemented by a wireless terminal, comprising:
establishing a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station of the plurality of base stations;
establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station of the plurality of base stations;
performing first synchronization operations for the first connection at a first frequency, wherein performing the first synchronization operations includes independently tuning a first plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the first synchronization operations;
performing second synchronization operations for the second connection at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different, wherein performing the second synchronization operations includes independently tuning a second plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the second synchronization operations, the first and second synchronization operations performed independently;
transmitting first data from the wireless terminal to the first base station; and
transmitting second data from the wireless terminal to the second base station, wherein the first data and the second data are different and an end of a first transmission of the first data overlaps with a beginning of a second transmission of the second data.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to transmitting the second data, determining that a second channel condition of the second connection is better than a first channel condition of the first connection.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the transmission of the first data at least partially overlaps with the transmission of the second data.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include frequency synchronization operations.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include symbol or frame timing synchronization operations.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data and the second data include different parts of a data file.
7. A wireless terminal, comprising:
a processor; and
circuitry coupled with the processor configured to:
establish a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;
establish a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
perform first synchronization operations for the first connection at a first frequency, wherein the circuitry is further configured to independently tune a first plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the first synchronization operations;
perform second synchronization operations for the second connection at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different, wherein the circuitry is further configured to independently tune a second plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the second synchronization operations, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently;
transmit first data from the wireless terminal to the first base station; and
transmit second data from the wireless terminal to the second base station, wherein the first data and the second data are different and an end of a first transmission of the first data overlaps with a beginning of a second transmission of the second data.
8. The wireless terminal of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to, prior to transmitting the second data, determine that a second channel condition of the second connection is better than a first channel condition of the first connection.
9. The wireless terminal of claim 8 , wherein the transmission of the first data at least partially overlaps with the transmission of the second data.
10. The wireless terminal of claim 7 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include frequency synchronization operations.
11. The wireless terminal of claim 7 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include symbol or frame timing synchronization operations.
12. The wireless terminal of claim 7 , wherein the first data and the second data include different parts of a data file.
13. A wireless terminal, comprising:
means for establishing a first connection between the wireless terminal and a first base station;
means for establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
means for performing first synchronization operations for the first connection at a first frequency, wherein the means for performing the first synchronization operations includes means for independently tuning a first plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the first synchronization operations;
means for performing second synchronization operations for the second connection at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different, wherein the means for performing the second synchronization operations includes means for independently tuning a second plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the second synchronization operations, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently;
means for transmitting first data from the wireless terminal to the first base station; and
means for transmitting second data from the wireless terminal to the second base station, wherein the first data and the second data are different and an end of a first transmission of the first data overlaps with a beginning of a second transmission of the second data.
14. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , further comprising, prior to transmitting the second data, means for determine that a second channel condition of the second connection is better than a first channel condition of the first connection.
15. The wireless terminal of claim 14 , wherein the transmission of the first data at least partially overlaps with the transmission of the second data.
16. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include frequency synchronization operations.
17. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include symbol or frame timing synchronization operations.
18. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein the first data and the second data include different parts of a data file.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:
code for establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a first base station;
code for establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and a second base station;
code for performing first synchronization operations for the first connection at a first frequency wherein the code for performing the first synchronization operations includes code for independently tuning a first plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the first synchronization operations;
code for performing second synchronization operations for the second connection at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different, wherein the code for performing the second synchronization operations includes code for independently tuning a second plurality of symbol timing parameters associated with the second synchronization operations, wherein the first and second synchronization operations are performed independently;
code for transmitting first data from the wireless terminal to the first base station; and
code for transmitting second data from the wireless terminal to the second base station, wherein the first data and the second data are different and an end of a first transmission of the first data overlaps with a beginning of a second transmission of the second data.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising, code for determining, prior to transmitting the second data, that a second channel condition of the second connection is better than a first channel condition of the first connection.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the transmission of the first data at least partially overlaps with the transmission of the second data.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include frequency synchronization operations.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first synchronization operations and the second synchronization operations include symbol or frame timing synchronization operations.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first data and the second data include different parts of a data file.