IP Library Granted Patent US 9,391,912
Granted Patent B2
US 9,391,912 · App. 14/399,200 · Granted Jul 12, 2016

Selective bicasting

Inventors: Karri Markus Ranta-Aho (Espoo, FI); Jani Matti Johannes Moilanen (Helsinki, FI); Hans Thomas Hoehne (Helsinki, FI); Antti Anton Toskala (Espoo, FI)
Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
H04L47/32H04B7/022H04L45/16H04W36/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,391,912
App. No.
14/399,200
Granted
Jul 12, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method including receiving a packet and determining whether a bicast indication associated with the packet indicates that the packet has been transmitted to two or more access points; and dropping the packet in dependence on at least one criterion.

Claims (50)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a packet and determining whether a bicast indication associated with the packet indicates that the packet has been transmitted to two or more access points;

comparing at least one criterion from a first of said two or more access points with a respective at least one criterion from at least a second of said two or more access points; and

determining whether to drop said packet based at least in part on the result of said comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the packet in response to a determination that at least one criterion is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion from each of the said at least a first and at least a second of said two or more access points corresponds to a level of reliability of at least one connection between the respective access point and a user equipment.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving information corresponding to a level of reliability of the at least one connection between each of said at least a first and at least a second of two or more access points and the user equipment.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining whether at least one criterion for a packet is satisfied further comprises determining a level of reliability of the at least one connection between each of said at least a first and at least a second access point of two or more access points and the user equipment based on the received information.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one criterion from each of said at least a first and at least a second of said two or more access points is associated with a time period.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the at least one criterion is satisfied further comprises:

determining whether the at least one criterion is satisfied for a duration of the time period.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein determining whether the at least one criterion is satisfied further comprises:

determining whether the at least one criterion is satisfied at any point during the time period.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting the at least one criterion from a set of criteria.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one criterion from each of said at least a first and at least a second of said two or more access points is selected based on the indication.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the indication indicates at least one of:

an identity of a packet flow; and

a priority associated with the packet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the bicast indication corresponds to at least one of:

a priority class of a packet flow; and

a connection between an access point and a user equipment.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the bicast indication associated with the packet.

14. A method comprising:

configuring at least a first criterion, for transmission to a first of two or more access points;

configuring at least a second criterion, for transmission to at least a second of said two or more access points;

transmitting the first and second criteria to the first and a second of said two or more access points, respectively; and transmitting a packet to the two or more access points;

wherein each of the criteria is configured such that a comparison of the criteria, received by a user equipment from the respective access points, indicates whether or not the packet should be dropped based at least in part on the result of said comparison.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program of instructions, execution of which by at least one processor configures an apparatus to perform the method of claim 1 .

16. An apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving a packet;

determining means for determining whether a bicast indication associated with the packet indicates that the packet has been transmitted to two or more access points;

comparing means for comparing at least one criterion from a first of said two or more access points with a respective at least one criterion from at least a second of said two or more access points; and

determining means for determining whether to drop said packet based at least in part on the result of said comparison.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the apparatus is a radio network controller.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for configuring at least a first criterion, for transmission to a first of two or more access points:

means for configuring at least a second criterion, for transmission to at least a second of said two or more access points;

transmitting means for transmitting the first and second criteria to the first and second access points, respectively, and transmitting a packet to the two or more access points;

wherein each of the criteria is configured such that a comparison of the criteria, received by a user equipment from the respective access points, indicates whether or not the packet should be dropped based at least in part on the result of said comparison.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

memory storing a program of instructions;

wherein the memory storing the program of instructions is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least:

determining whether a bicast indication associated with a received packet indicates that the packet has been transmitted to two or more access points;

comparing at least one criterion from a first of said two or more access points with a respective at least one criterion from at least a second of said two or more access points; and

determining whether to drop said packet based at least in part on the result of said comparison.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2018
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 047271/0806 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 6, 2014
From: RANTA-AHO, KARRI MARKUS; MOILANEN, JANI MATTI JOHANNES; HOEHNE, HANS THOMAS; TOSKALA, ANTTI ANTON
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
Reel/Frame 034117/0083 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/EP2012/058843 · May 11, 2012 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150117313A1 · Apr 30, 2015