Selective transmission in wireless devices

Abstract

The document discloses a solution for adaptive transmission of data packets. According to one aspect, a method includes: scheduling a first wireless interface of a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second wireless interface of the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface; and rescheduling the transmission mode of at least one of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface based on the received connection quality metric.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments relate to a multi-radio concept, where a device has multiple wireless interfaces to transmit data streams. Background Art

[0002] Some applications executed in wireless devices such as smartphones require reliable, high-throughput connections. Live video streaming is a use case where it is often necessary to ensure that service availability is continuous and uninterrupted. This is particularly true for professional uses, such as live streaming for commercial broadcasts, but also for an increasing number of semi-professional users in applications such as Even a temporary interruption in service availability can result in a degradation of service quality or loss of video content. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. The dependent claims define some embodiments.

[0004] Embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent claims, if any, are to be interpreted as useful examples for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.Some aspects of the present disclosure are defined by the independent claims.

[0005] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising a component for performing the following operations: scheduling a first wireless interface of a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second wireless interface of the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface; and rescheduling the transmission mode of at least one of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface based on the received connection quality metric.

[0006] In one embodiment, the component is further configured to schedule payload data addressed to the application server to the plurality of wireless interfaces operating in the first transmission mode.

[0007] In one embodiment, the component is configured to maintain at least one wireless interface in a first transmission mode while maintaining a plurality of wireless interfaces in a second transmission mode.

[0008] In one embodiment, the component is configured to not schedule payload data to the second radio interface operating in the second transmission mode.

[0009] In one embodiment, the component is configured to schedule payload data to a second radio interface operating in a second transmission mode for processing on a subset of communication protocol layers supported by the second radio interface, the subset excluding at least a physical layer.

[0010] In one embodiment, the component is further configured to schedule the third radio interface into an offline mode in which the third radio interface does not perform transmissions and does not report the measured connection quality metric.

[0011] In one embodiment, the component is configured to schedule the third radio interface to the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode after receiving an indication from the third radio interface that the third radio interface is operational.

[0012] In one embodiment, the component is configured to reschedule the second radio interface to the first transmission mode when the first radio interface is still operating but a connection quality metric associated with the first radio interface indicates reduced connection quality and when a connection quality metric associated with the second radio interface indicates that the connection quality is above a threshold.

[0013] In one embodiment, the component is configured to perform the decision regarding the rescheduling of each payload data packet.

[0014] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising components for performing the following operations: operating in a first transmission mode, in which the device transmits payload data to a wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of the connection to the wireless network in combination with the transmitted payload data, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; operating in a second transmission mode, in which the device transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to a wireless network or another wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of the connection in combination with the transmitted keep-alive message, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; receiving a scheduling message indicating a new transmission mode from a scheduler device in response to the measurement report transmitted in the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode; and changing the transmission mode in response to the scheduling message.

[0015] In one embodiment, the keep alive message consists of a header or includes dummy payload data.

[0016] In one embodiment, the component is configured to: in the second transmission mode, receive the payload data from the scheduler to process the payload data on a subset of communication protocol layers supported by the device, the subset excluding at least the physical layer.

[0017] In one embodiment, the component includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0018] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: schedule a first wireless interface of a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; schedule a second wireless interface of the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network; receive at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface; and reschedule the transmission mode of at least one of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface based on the received connection quality metric.

[0019] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: operate in a first transmission mode, in which the device transmits payload data to a wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of the connection to the wireless network in combination with the transmitted payload data, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; operate in a second transmission mode, in which the device transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to a wireless network or another wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of the connection in combination with the transmitted keep-alive message, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; receive a scheduling message indicating a new transmission mode from the scheduler device in response to the measurement report transmitted in the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode; and change the transmission mode in response to the scheduling message.

[0020] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: scheduling, by a scheduler device, a first wireless interface of a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling, by a scheduler device, a second wireless interface of the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network; receiving, by the scheduler device, at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface; and rescheduling, by the scheduler device, the transmission mode of at least one of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface based on the received connection quality metric.

[0021] In one embodiment, the scheduler means schedules payload data addressed to an application server to a plurality of wireless interfaces operating in a first transmission mode.

[0022] In one embodiment, the scheduler device maintains at least one radio interface in a first transmission mode while maintaining a plurality of radio interfaces in a second transmission mode.

[0023] In one embodiment, the scheduler means does not schedule payload data to the second radio interface operating in the second transmission mode.

[0024] In one embodiment, the scheduler means schedules the payload data to the second radio interface operating in the second transmission mode for processing on a subset of communication protocol layers supported by the second radio interface, the subset excluding at least the physical layer.

[0025] In one embodiment, the scheduler means schedules the third radio interface into an offline mode in which the third radio interface does not perform transmissions and does not report measured connection quality metrics.

[0026] In one embodiment, the scheduler device schedules the third radio interface to the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode after receiving an indication from the third radio interface that the third radio interface is operable.

[0027] In one embodiment, when the first wireless interface is still operating but a connection quality metric associated with the first wireless interface indicates a reduced connection quality and when the connection quality metric associated with the second wireless interface is above a threshold, the scheduler device reschedules the second wireless interface to the first transmission mode.

[0028] In one embodiment, the scheduler means performs the decision regarding the rescheduling of each payload data packet.

[0029] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: operating in a first transmission mode via a wireless interface, in which the wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of a connection with the wireless network in combination with the transmitted payload data, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; operating in a second transmission mode via the wireless interface, in which the wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to a wireless network or another wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of a connection in combination with the transmitted keep-alive message, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; receiving a scheduling message indicating a new transmission mode from a scheduler device in response to the measurement report transmitted in the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode via the wireless interface; and changing the transmission mode in response to the scheduling message via the wireless interface.

[0030] In one embodiment, the keep alive message consists of a header or includes dummy payload data.

[0031] In one embodiment, the wireless interface receives the payload data from the scheduler in the second transmission mode to process the payload data on a subset of communication protocol layers supported by the wireless interface, the subset excluding at least the physical layer.

[0032] According to one aspect, a computer program product implemented on a computer-readable distribution medium is provided, wherein the computer program product includes computer program code, which, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a computer process, the computer process including: scheduling a first wireless interface of a user device to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second wireless interface of the user device or another user device to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface; and rescheduling the transmission mode of at least one of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface based on the received connection quality metric.

[0033] According to one aspect, a computer program product implemented on a computer-readable distribution medium is provided, wherein the computer program product includes computer program code, which, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a computer process, the computer process including: operating a wireless interface in a first transmission mode, in which the wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of the connection to the wireless network in combination with the transmitted payload data, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; operating the wireless interface in a second transmission mode, in which the wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to a wireless network or another wireless network, measures at least one connection quality metric indicating the quality of the connection in combination with the transmitted keep-alive message, and transmits a measurement report including at least one connection quality metric to a scheduler device; receiving a scheduling message indicating a new transmission mode from the scheduler device in response to the measurement report transmitted in the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode; and changing the transmission mode of the wireless interface in response to the scheduling message. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Now, some embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0035] Figure 1 A wireless communication system to which embodiments of the present invention may be applied is illustrated;

[0036] Figure 2 illustrates a flow chart of an embodiment for performing selective transmission in an apparatus;

[0037] Figure 3 illustrates a flow chart of an embodiment for performing transmissions according to a scheduled transmission mode;

[0038] Figure 4 Picture shows Figure 2 Embodiments of

[0039] Figure 5 An embodiment for selecting an operating mode for a wireless interface is illustrated;

[0040] Figure 6 An embodiment of processing data packets in a wireless interface in various transmission modes is illustrated;

[0041] Figure 7 illustrates a signaling diagram for dynamically rescheduling a transmission mode according to an embodiment;

[0042] Figure 8 illustrates a signaling diagram for a dynamic rescheduling mode of operation according to an embodiment; and

[0043] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 An example of a structure of the device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following embodiments are merely examples. Although the specification may refer to "an" embodiment in several places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference refers to one or more of the same embodiments, or that the feature applies to only a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, the words "comprising" and "including" should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist only of those features that have been mentioned, and such embodiments may also include features / structures that have not been specifically mentioned.

[0045] Reference numerals in the description of the embodiments and in the claims are intended to illustrate the embodiments with reference to the drawings and are not limited to these examples.

[0046] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted, which shows only some elements and functional entities, which are all logical units, and their implementation may differ from what is shown. Figure 1 The connections shown are logical connections; actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system typically also includes Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown.

[0047] However, in the following, different exemplary embodiments are described by using a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, rather than restricting the embodiments to such an architecture. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the embodiments may also be applied to other kinds of communication networks with suitable components by appropriately adjusting parameters and processes. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks and mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), or any combination thereof.

[0048] Figure 1A wireless device or wireless interface 110, 112, 114 is shown, each of which is configured to be in wireless connection with an access node 120, 122 over one or more communication channels, wherein the access node 120, 122 provides wireless access in its respective coverage area. The access node 120 or 122 may be an eNode B or gNode B used in the context of a cellular communication protocol such as LTE and 5G, or it may be an access point of a wireless network based on IEEE 802.11, or it may be an access node or base station of another wireless network. Each access node 120, 122 may be connected to a respective communication network 130, 132 that provides access to other networks such as the Internet. The network 130, 132 also provides connectivity to the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 with an application server 150 for data communication with the server 150.

[0049] Each wireless interface 110 to 114 can be associated with the same user equipment, or the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 can be included in separate user equipment. In one embodiment, the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 are radio modems or devices including radio modems. In one embodiment, at least some of the wireless interfaces include a subscriber identity module (SIM).

[0050] In one embodiment, the user equipment including one or more wireless interfaces in wireless interfaces 110 to 114 is a portable computing device, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer and / or a touch screen computer, a tablet computer, a desktop game console, a notebook, and a multimedia device. It should be appreciated that the user equipment can also be almost the only uplink device, an example of which is a camera or a video camera that loads an image or video clip to a network. The user equipment can also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scene as follows: providing an object with the ability to transmit data on a network without human-to-human interaction or human-to-computer interaction. The user equipment can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, the user equipment can include a small portable device (such as a watch, earphones, or glasses) with a radio component.

[0051] Figure 1 The illustrated system includes a data source 140 that outputs a payload data stream to be transmitted to an application server 150. The data source may be an application layer computer program that generates the payload data. In one embodiment, the data source is a video processing application that processes video data captured by a camera included in a user device. The payload data may be output to a scheduler 100 that dynamically schedules the data to one or more of the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 for transmission to the server. Figure 1As shown, some of the wireless interfaces can be connected to the same access node, for example, interfaces 110 and 112 are connected to an access node, while other wireless interfaces can be connected to another access node, such as interface 114 is connected to access node 122. Connecting different wireless interfaces to different access nodes and different networks 130, 132 can improve reliability for consistent data transmission. The wireless interface can also support different wireless communication protocols, for example, interface 110 can support LTE, interface 112 can support 5G, and interface 114 can support 802.11 specifications (Wi-Fi).

[0052] In one embodiment, the data source is a computer to which the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 can be connected as plug-in devices. The plug-in connection can be a wired connection or a wireless connection. The scheduler can be included in the computer. The computer can have one of the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 or a subset of the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 integrated therein. In another embodiment, the data source, the scheduler, and the wireless modem are integrated into the same device, such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer. However, such a device may have the ability to connect to other wireless interfaces via a wired or wireless manner.

[0053] As mentioned in the background, consistent data transfer capability is very important for streaming data transmission such as video streaming or voice streaming. Other forms of data transmission may also require consistent and uninterrupted data flow. On the other hand, power consumption and use of network resources are important factors, so reducing unnecessary transmissions may be beneficial.

[0054] Figure 2 and Figure 3 An embodiment employing multiple transmission modes for wireless interfaces 110 to 114 is illustrated. Figure 2 An embodiment of the process performed by the scheduler 100 is illustrated, and Figure 3 An embodiment of a process performed by the wireless interfaces 110, 112, 114 is illustrated.

[0055] refer to Figure 2, the process performed by the scheduler 100 includes: scheduling (box 200) a first wireless interface of a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, wherein the first wireless interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; and scheduling a second wireless interface of the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, wherein the second wireless interface transmits a keep alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network; receiving (box 202) at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and from the second wireless interface; and rescheduling (boxes 204 and 206) the transmission mode of at least one of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface based on the received connection quality metric.

[0056] In one embodiment, block 204 includes a decision whether to perform rescheduling, and the decision is based on the received connection quality metric. If the connection quality metric indicates that the second radio interface is more suitable for data transmission, the second radio interface may be rescheduled to operate in the first transmission mode. On the other hand, if the connection quality metric indicates that the first radio interface is no longer suitable for data transmission, the first radio interface may be rescheduled to operate in the second transmission mode.

[0057] refer to Figure 3 , the wireless interface is configured to operate in a first transmission mode and a second transmission mode as scheduled by a scheduler device, and to measure connection quality metrics in both transmission modes and transmit them to the scheduler device. In box 300, the wireless interface operates in one of the transmission modes. In box 302, the wireless interface receives a scheduling message indicating a new transmission mode from the scheduler device in response to the connection quality metrics transmitted in the current transmission mode. In boxes 304 and 306, if the scheduling message indicates that the transmission mode should be changed, the transmission mode is changed in response to the scheduling message. If the scheduling message indicates the current transmission mode, the process can return from box 304 to box 300. After changing the transmission mode in box 306, the process can return to box 300, in which the device operates in the new transmission mode and measures and reports the connection quality metrics.

[0058] The present invention provides several advantages. Energy savings can be achieved by using the second transmission mode to keep the radio interface ready for transmission while using a reduced amount of transmission to keep the connection active. Using the same logic, radio resources can be saved and interference can be reduced. Reliability can be improved by enabling multiple radio interfaces to transmit data packets. Flexibility in scheduling transmissions can be achieved because the scheduler can remove and add radio interfaces to the interface pool in the first transmission mode and / or in the second transmission mode. Additionally, lower latency for increasing transmission capacity and the ability to scale the reliability can be achieved.

[0059] In the second transmission mode, the radio interface transmits keep-alive messages in order to test the quality of the connection. Since no payload data is transmitted, the power consumption in the second transmission mode is lower than that in the first transmission mode. Another point is that network resources are not wasted on blind duplication of data packets. However, one or more identical or similar connection quality metrics can be measured, so that accurate knowledge about the quality of the connection can be maintained. Additionally, the scheduler 100 can continuously learn about the radio interfaces that can successfully transmit packets.

[0060] Figure 4 Picture shows Figure 2 Reference Figure 4 In block 400, the scheduler 100 may initiate data streaming to the application server 150. Block 400 may include receiving a control signal from a data source or from another controller to activate scheduling of wireless interfaces. The scheduler or another controller may then control the wireless interfaces 110 to 114 to establish a radio connection with the corresponding access node. After initiation, the scheduler 100 may receive data packets to be transmitted to the application server 150 from the data source 140 (block 402). In conjunction with receiving the data packets, the scheduler 100 may perform blocks 204 and 206 (block 404) to perform rescheduling of transmission modes for the wireless interfaces and send data packets to all wireless interfaces in transmission mode. The data packets may be transmitted only to one or more wireless interfaces scheduled to operate in the first transmission mode, but in other embodiments, the data packets may be transmitted to one or more wireless interfaces scheduled to operate in the first transmission mode, and to one or more wireless interfaces scheduled to operate in the second transmission mode.

[0061] In block 406, a determination is made by the scheduler whether to end the transmission of the payload data to the application server. When it is determined that the data transmission is ended, the process may end, otherwise, the process may return to block 402 to receive the next data packet. The end of the process may be determined when no more data packets are received from the data source or when the connection with the application server 150 is disconnected. In this embodiment, the scheduler performs the decision on the rescheduling of each payload data packet. In other words, the scheduling of the transmission mode is dynamic and responds quickly to changes in the quality of the radio connection.

[0062] In one embodiment, the scheduler maintains a database that stores information about the current operating mode of each wireless interface connected to the scheduler 100. These operating modes may include the transmission modes mentioned above, and also include an offline mode, which indicates that data transmission cannot be performed and the connection quality cannot be measured. The first transmission mode may be referred to as an active mode, in which the wireless interface transmits payload data and measures and reports the connection quality. The second transmission mode may be referred to as a standby mode, in which the wireless interface transmits a keep-alive message to keep the connection active, and additionally measures and reports the connection quality. In some embodiments, the standby mode is a connection mode, in which the wireless interface periodically exchanges frames with the access node to keep the connection active and ready for immediate frame transmission. In other embodiments, the standby mode is an idle mode or a power saving mode, in which the wireless interface uses power saving, and in some embodiments no frames are transmitted. For example, the cellular protocol defines an idle mode, and the 802.11 specification defines an energy saving mode. The offline mode may be scheduled as a response to a failure in the wireless interface, a disconnection from the wireless network, a sufficient number of wireless interfaces already in active mode, and already in standby mode.

[0063] Figure 5 The diagram shows the process of the scheduler updating and maintaining the database. For each wireless interface, you can execute Figure 5 The scheduler can execute periodically or otherwise regularly Figure 5 Reference Figure 5 In block 500, the scheduler may wait for status information from the radio interface. The scheduler may request a status update from the radio interface or configure the radio interface for periodic reporting or periodic reporting. The status information may be received in block 202, i.e., the radio interface may transmit the status information after each transmission, wherein the transmission may be a payload data transmission in active mode or a keep-alive transmission in standby mode. The radio interface in offline mode may also be configured to periodically report its status, for example, as "available" or "unavailable".

[0064] In block 502, it is determined whether status information is received. If status information is not received within a determined period of time, the process may proceed to block 506, where the wireless interface is scheduled offline and updated in the database as an offline interface.

[0065] If status information is received, the process may proceed from block 502 to block 504, where it is determined whether the device is ready for a transmission mode, e.g., an active mode and / or a standby mode. If the device indicates that it is ready for a transmission mode, the process may proceed to block 508, where an operating mode for the wireless interface is selected. Otherwise, the process may proceed to block 506. In block 506, an offline mode is selected for the wireless interface. The decision may be based on one or more of the following parameters: the total number of wireless interfaces currently in active mode, the total number of wireless interfaces currently in standby mode, the number of redundant connections required, the reported current connection quality of wireless interfaces currently in active mode and in standby mode, and the status of previous transmissions (successful or not). The scheduler may store and use preference values ​​or threshold values ​​for each parameter.

[0066] For example, if the number of devices currently in active mode and / or in standby mode is below a threshold and the wireless interface is currently in offline mode, the scheduler may proceed from box 508 to box 510 or box 512. Also, if the number of devices currently in active mode and / or in standby mode is above a threshold and the wireless interface is currently in active mode or standby mode, the scheduler may proceed from box 504 to box 506. In box 510, the scheduler schedules the wireless interface to operate in standby mode and updates the database accordingly. In box 512, the scheduler schedules the wireless interface to operate in active mode and updates the database accordingly. If the number of devices currently in active mode and / or in standby mode is above a threshold and the wireless interface is currently in offline mode, the scheduler may maintain offline mode and return to box 500.

[0067] As another example, if the wireless interface is currently in standby mode and the number of devices in active mode is below a threshold, the process may proceed from block 508 to block 512. The threshold may define the number of parallel active transmission paths that the scheduler needs to achieve a desired reliability level through redundancy in transmission. The same payload data may be transmitted by all wireless interfaces in active mode at the same time. On the other hand, if the wireless interface is currently in active mode and the number of devices in active mode is above a threshold, the process may proceed from block 508 to block 510.

[0068] As yet another example, if the number of wireless interfaces in active mode and / or in standby mode is sufficient, but the reported connection quality indicates that additional wireless interfaces need to be added to the active list or the standby list and the wireless interface is in offline mode, the process may proceed to block 510 or block 512. In a similar manner, if the wireless interface is in standby mode or in offline mode, and the number of wireless interfaces in active mode is at a desired level, but one or more of the wireless interfaces reports a transmission failure or a degraded or reduced connection quality, the scheduler may proceed from block 508 to block 512. Other scenarios for performing rescheduling may be envisioned.

[0069] In one embodiment, the scheduler is configured to maintain at least one radio interface in a first transmission mode and to maintain a plurality of radio interfaces in a second transmission mode.

[0070] In one embodiment, the scheduler is configured to maintain the plurality of radio interfaces in the first transmission mode and to maintain the plurality of radio interfaces in the second transmission mode.

[0071] As described above, the scheduler may send payload data packets to all radio interfaces in the first transmission mode (active mode) and to all radio interfaces in the second transmission mode (standby mode). Figure 6The process of processing a data packet in each transmission mode by a wireless interface is illustrated. The data packet may be an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet. After receiving the data packet in box 600, the wireless interface may determine its current operation mode in box 602. If the operation mode is the first transmission mode (active mode), the process may proceed to box 604, where the wireless interface processes data packets on all communication protocol layers and transmits the data packets in one or more messages carrying the data packets as a payload. In box 608, the wireless interface measures the connection quality. The measurement may be based on measuring the signal strength of a signal received from a corresponding access node to which one or more messages are transmitted, or it may be based on measuring the number of retransmissions required for the successful delivery of one or more messages, or it may be another metric representing the channel quality between the wireless interface and the corresponding access node. A wireless interface supporting the 802.11 specification or the listen-before-talk protocol may measure the connection quality by performing channel detection in a clear channel assessment process, in which a channel is sensed and determined to be busy or idle. In this case, the wireless interface may measure the duration that the channel is sensed to be busy and determine the connection quality based thereon. Because the channel access probability is reduced, a long duration for which the channel is sensed to be busy may indicate poor connection quality. Other forms of measuring connection quality are also possible. In block 612, the wireless interface reports the connection quality in the status information to the scheduler.

[0072] If the operating mode is the second transmission mode (standby mode), the process can proceed to block 606, where the wireless interface processes data packets on a subset of communication protocol layers, which excludes at least one physical layer. In one embodiment, media access control processing is also excluded. In other words, payload data is only processed on a subset of the highest protocol layer, but the wireless interface can also execute one or more lower protocol layers to transmit keep-alive messages. In other words, one or more lowest protocol layers are processed without payload data. Block 606 can also include: transmitting one or more keep-alive messages without payload data. In one embodiment, the keep-alive message consists of a header and does not carry a payload data portion. In another embodiment, the keep-alive message includes a payload data portion, but the payload data portion only includes dummy data. In addition, the size of such a keep-alive message is the shortest for possible delivery of payload data. In block 610, the wireless interface measures the connection quality. The measurement can be similar to the measurement of block 608 (e.g., radio signal measurement and / or measurement of the number of retransmissions required for successful delivery of keep-alive messages). From block 610, the process may proceed to block 612 to report the connection quality in the status information.

[0073] In one embodiment, if the connection with the serving access node is lost during blocks 604 or 606, the wireless interface may report the offline mode to the scheduler in block 612. The wireless interface may equally report the offline mode when it is determined that the channel is too crowded or the signal or channel quality is detected to be too low. Then, in block 506, the scheduler may reschedule the wireless interface to the offline mode.

[0074] In one embodiment, when a wireless interface is still operating but the connection quality metric associated with the wireless interface indicates a reduced connection quality and when the connection quality metric associated with another wireless interface indicates that the connection quality is above a threshold, the scheduler reschedules the wireless interface to the second transmission mode (standby mode). The other wireless interface may be simultaneously scheduled to the first transmission mode (active mode). Figure 7 A signaling diagram of such an embodiment is illustrated.

[0075] Figure 7 The diagram shows a scheduler, wireless interfaces 110 and 114 connected to respective access nodes 120 and 122, and an application server 150. As described above, the wireless interfaces 110 and / or 114 may be included in the same device as the scheduler 100, so that the signaling may be internal, for example, within one or more circuits disposed in the same housing or circuit board. Alternatively, the wireless interfaces 110 and / or 114 may be physically separated from the scheduler so that the signaling between the scheduler and the one or more wireless interfaces is wireless. The signaling between the wireless interfaces 110, 114 and the respective access nodes 120, 122 may be wireless.

[0076] refer to Figure 7In step 700, the scheduler schedules the data packets and the information about the scheduled transmission mode to the wireless interface 110. Now, the scheduler schedules the wireless interface 110 to operate in the standby mode and perform a keep-alive transmission, which can also be regarded as a dummy transmission (TX) because no actual payload data is transmitted. In step 702, the scheduler schedules the (same) data packets and the information about the scheduled transmission mode to the wireless interface 114. The scheduler schedules the wireless interface 114 to operate in the active mode and perform the actual transmission of the data packets. In step 704, the wireless interface 110 performs a keep-alive transmission, which keeps the connection with the access node 120 alive and active, for example, in a radio resource control (RRC) connection mode. At the same time, the wireless interface 110 measures the connection quality and reports the connection quality and status information of the wireless interface 110 to the scheduler (step 706). As described above, the measuring may include measuring signals received from the access node 120 and generating a connection quality metric, and / or the measuring may include counting the number of retransmissions required to deliver one or more keep-alive messages.

[0077] In step 708, the wireless interface 114 performs transmission of the data packet in the form of one or more physical layer messages or medium access control layer messages, and in step 709, the data packet is delivered to the server 150. In step 710, the wireless interface 114 also performs measurement of the connection quality and reports the connection quality and status information to the scheduler 100. As described above, the measurement may include: measuring the signal received from the access node 122 and generating a connection quality metric, and / or the measurement may include: counting the number of retransmissions required to deliver one or more messages to the access node 122. In step 709, the data packet is routed to the application server and optionally combined with other copies of the data packet if these copies have been generated in the data source or at the scheduler. Depending on the implementation, the copies may be combined at the application server, at the access node, or at any point between the access node and the application server. In step 710, the wireless interface 114 may also report the success / failure of the transmission of the data packet. In step 706, the wireless interface 110 reports a high connection quality, while in step 710, the wireless interface 114 reports a low connection quality. For example, a definition can be made about thresholds: "high" and "low". Based on the reported connection quality, the scheduler can perform a rescheduling in box 712 and determine to switch the wireless interface 110 to active mode and to switch the wireless interface 114 to standby mode. As a result, in step 714, the scheduler schedules the new data packet and the information about the scheduled transmission mode to the wireless interface 110. Now, the scheduler schedules the wireless interface 110 to operate in active mode and performs the actual transmission of the new data packet. In step 716, the scheduler schedules the (same) data packet and the information about the scheduled transmission mode to the wireless interface 114. The scheduler schedules the wireless interface 114 to operate in standby mode and perform keep-alive transmission.

[0078] In step 718, the wireless interface 110 performs transmission of data packets in the form of one or more physical layer or medium access control layer messages, and in step 719, the data packets are delivered to the server 150. In step 720, the wireless interface 110 also performs measurement of connection quality and reports connection quality and status information to the scheduler 100. In step 710, the wireless interface 110 may also report the success / failure of transmission of new data packets. In step 722, the wireless interface 114 performs a keep-alive transmission, which keeps the connection with the access node 122 alive and active. At the same time, the wireless interface 114 measures the connection quality and reports the connection quality and status information of the wireless interface 114 to the scheduler (step 724).

[0079] In step 720, the wireless interface 110 still reports a high connection quality, while in step 724, the wireless interface 114 reports a low connection quality. Based on the reported connection quality, in block 726, the scheduler may determine to maintain the transmission mode, and may schedule the next data packet in the same manner as in steps 714 and 716.

[0080] In block 712, the scheduler may reschedule the wireless interfaces 110, 114 substantially simultaneously. In another embodiment, the scheduler first reschedules the wireless interface 110 to active mode before rescheduling the wireless interface 14 to standby mode. This principle ensures that a sufficient number of wireless interfaces are scheduled to active transmission mode at any time.

[0081] As described above, the scheduler may operate a greater number of wireless interfaces, including more wireless interfaces scheduled to be in standby mode and / or active mode. As described above, some of the wireless interfaces may be in offline mode. The scheduler may schedule the transmission mode of each wireless interface, as described above in conjunction with Figure 5 as described.

[0082] Figure 8 A further signaling diagram of an embodiment is illustrated, wherein a radio interface scheduled to operate in one of the transmission modes suddenly becomes silent. Figure 8 In, with Figure 7 The same reference numerals in the figure represent the same or substantially similar operations. After the data packets are scheduled in step 700, the wireless interface 110 becomes silent and does not report status information and connection quality (step 706 is lost). As a result, in box 800, the scheduler can immediately schedule the wireless interface 110 to the offline mode, and optionally, if the wireless interface 114 reports low connection quality, another wireless interface is scheduled from the offline mode to the standby mode or even to the active mode. After scheduling the wireless interface to the offline mode, the scheduler can keep probing the wireless interface 110 in step 802. Probing can include: sending a signal to the wireless interface 110 and waiting for a response signal. After receiving (step 804) a response signal from the wireless interface 110 indicating that the wireless interface 110 is again operational, the scheduler 100 can reschedule the wireless interface to one of the transmission modes (step 808), if it is deemed necessary.

[0083] Fig. 9The embodiment of the structure of the functions mentioned above of the device for performing the functions of the wireless interface 110 to 114 in the embodiments described above is illustrated. The device may be a terminal device or client device of a wireless network (e.g., a cellular communication network based on LTE, Wi-Fi or 5G). In other embodiments, the device may be a circuit system or an electronic device that implements some embodiments of the present invention in a wireless interface. The device may be or may be included in a computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a cellular phone, a handheld computer, a sensor device, or any other device with radio communication capability. In another embodiment, the device for performing the functions described above is included in such a device, for example, the device may include a circuit system in any device of the devices described above, such as a chip, a chipset, a processor, a microcontroller, or a combination of these circuit systems. The device may be an electronic device including an electronic circuit system for implementing some embodiments of the present invention of the wireless interface 110 to 114.

[0084] refer to Fig. 9 , the apparatus may include processing circuitry 10 including communication circuitry 18 that provides the apparatus with the ability to communicate in a wireless network of one or more of access nodes 120, 122. The apparatus may support one communication protocol or multiple communication protocols. The communication circuitry 18 may employ a radio interface 12 that provides the apparatus with radio communication capabilities. The radio interface 12 may support uplink frame transmission to transmit data packets in one or more physical layer messages, e.g., frames or subframes. It may include components such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (de)modulators, encoder / decoder circuits, and one or more antennas.

[0085] In one embodiment, the device is a radio modem configured to perform embodiments of the wireless interfaces 110 to 114. In another embodiment, the radio modem is included in the radio interface 12. In yet another embodiment, the communication circuit system is configured to perform digital signal processing, as well as at least some functions of the media access control (MAC) layer and the physical layer (box 16). The radio interface 12 can perform analog signal processing functions. The communication circuit system 18 can also perform signal processing on higher protocol layers 15 such as, for example, a radio link control layer and a packet data convergence layer (PDCP). As described above, the communication circuit system 18 can also include a measurement circuit system 14, which is configured to measure the quality of the connection. The measurement circuit system 14 can use the radio interface 12 to perform at least some of the measurement tasks, such as channel sensing.

[0086] The processing circuitry 10 may also include a scheduler interface 19, as described above, which is configured to communicate with the scheduler 100 via the radio interface 12 or via the internal input / output interface 11. As described above, the scheduler interface 19 may be configured to generate and report connection quality and status information to the scheduler.

[0087] The processing circuit system 10 may include at least one processor. The device may also include a memory 20, which stores one or more computer program products 22, which configure the operation of one or more processors of the device. The memory 20 may also store a configuration database 24, which stores the operating configuration of the device. The configuration database 24 may, for example, store the current operating mode of the wireless interface, for example, one of the transmission modes.

[0088] Fig.10 The embodiment of the structure of the above-mentioned functions of the device for performing the functions of the scheduler 100 in the embodiments described above is illustrated. The device can be a computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a cellular phone, a palmtop computer, a sensor device, or any other device that generates payload data and needs to transmit the data to a server or another device through at least one wireless interface. In another embodiment, the device for performing the functions described above is included in such a device, for example, the device can include a circuit system in any device in the devices described above, such as a chip, a chipset, a processor, a microcontroller, or a combination of such circuits. The device can be an electronic device including an electronic circuit for implementing some embodiments of the present invention. The device can have a wireless interface in wireless interfaces 110 to 114, and / or it can utilize an external wireless interface, as described above.

[0089] refer to Fig.10 , the apparatus may include a processing circuit system 50 including a scheduler circuit system 56 configured to perform the functions of the scheduler 100 described above. The scheduler circuit system 56 may employ a communication interface 52 that provides the apparatus with communication capabilities with the wireless interfaces 110 to 114. As described above, the communication interface 52 may be a radio interface, or it may be an internal wired interface. In the case where the communication interface is a radio interface, it may employ a communication protocol that is different from one or more communication protocols employed by the wireless interface for the corresponding access node 120, 122. For example, the communication interface may support a protocol such as Or another short range communication protocol such as IEEE 802.15 based protocol, or another short range protocol. In this case, the wireless interface may support multiple radio communication protocols: one towards the scheduler and another towards one or more access nodes.

[0090] The scheduler circuit system 56 may include an interface circuit system 57 configured to perform communications with the wireless interface, receive status information from the wireless interface, and transmit scheduling information to the wireless interface. The scheduler circuit system 56 may also include a mode selection circuit system 55 configured to process the received status information and select an operating mode for the wireless interface, for example, as described above in conjunction with Figure 5 as described.

[0091] The device may also include an application processor 54 that executes one or more computer program applications that generate the need to transmit (and receive) data with the server 150. The application processor 54 may form an application layer of the device. The application processor may execute computer programs that form the main functions of the device. For example, if the device is a sensor device, the application processor may execute one or more signal processing applications that process measurement data obtained from one or more sensor heads. If the device is a computer system of a vehicle, the application processor may execute media applications and / or autonomous driving and navigation applications. The application processor may generate payload data to be transmitted to the server 150.

[0092] The processing circuit system 50 may include at least one processor. The device may also include a memory 60 storing one or more computer program products 62 that configure the operation of one or more of the processors of the device. The memory 60 may also store a configuration database 64 that stores the operating configuration of the device. The configuration database 64 may, for example, store a database listing the current operating status of each of the wireless interfaces 110 to 114.

[0093] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" refers to one or more of the following: (a) a hardware-only implementation of the circuit, such as an implementation in analog circuitry and / or digital circuitry alone; (b) a combination of circuitry and software and / or firmware, such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of one or more processors or processor cores; or (ii) portions of one or more processors / software, including one or more digital signal processors, software, and at least one memory, that work together to enable the device to perform a particular function; and (c) circuitry that requires software or firmware to operate, such as one or more microprocessors or portions of one or more microprocessors, even if the software or firmware is not actually present.

[0094] Definition "circuitry" applies to the term as used in this application. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" may also cover the implementation of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor (e.g., a core of a multi-core processor) and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example and if applicable to the particular element, the term "circuitry" may also cover the baseband integrated circuit, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or field programmable grid array (FPGA) circuit of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] Figures 2 to 8 The process or method described in the accompanying drawings can also be performed in the form of one or more computer processes defined by one or more computer programs. A separate computer program can be provided in one or more devices that perform the functions of the process described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. One or more computer programs can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it can be stored in a carrier of some kind, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include transient computer media and / or non-transient computer media, such as recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software packaging. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program can be executed in a single electronic digital processing unit, or it can be distributed among several processing units.

[0096] Even though the invention has been described with reference to one or more embodiments according to the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that the invention is not limited thereto but can be modified in several ways within the scope of the appended claims. All words and expressions should be interpreted in a broad form and they are intended to illustrate rather than restrict the embodiments. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that, with the advancement of technology, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising means for performing the following operations: scheduling a first radio interface of a plurality of radio interfaces associated with a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first radio interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second radio interface of the plurality of radio interfaces associated with the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second radio interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network to (i) maintain a connection to the wireless network or the another wireless network, and (ii) test a connection quality of the wireless network or the another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric from the second wireless interface comprises at least the tested connection quality of the wireless network or the other wireless network, and wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric is used to update a database comprising an operating mode of each of the plurality of wireless interfaces and a plurality of connection quality metrics for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces; as well as Based on the information associated with the first radio interface and the second radio interface stored in the database, a transmission mode of at least one of the first radio interface and the second radio interface is rescheduled.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component is further configured to schedule payload data addressed to an application server to a plurality of wireless interfaces operating in the first transmission mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component is configured to maintain at least one wireless interface in the first transmission mode while maintaining a plurality of wireless interfaces in the second transmission mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component is configured to not schedule payload data to the second radio interface operating in the second transmission mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the component is configured to schedule payload data to the second wireless interface operating in the second transmission mode for processing on a subset of communication protocol layers supported by the second wireless interface, the subset excluding at least a physical layer.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the component is further configured to schedule the third radio interface to an offline mode, in which the third radio interface does not perform transmissions and does not report the measured connection quality metrics.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the component is configured to schedule the third radio interface to the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode after receiving an indication from the third radio interface that the third radio interface is operable.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the component is configured to: when the first wireless interface is still operating but the connection quality metric associated with the first wireless interface indicates a reduced connection quality, and when the connection quality metric associated with the second wireless interface indicates that the connection quality is above a threshold, reschedule the second wireless interface to the first transmission mode.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the means is configured to perform the decision regarding the rescheduling of each payload data packet.

10. An apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: scheduling a first radio interface of a plurality of radio interfaces associated with a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first radio interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second radio interface of the plurality of radio interfaces associated with the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second radio interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network to (i) maintain a connection to the wireless network or the another wireless network, and (ii) test a connection quality of the wireless network or the another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric from the second wireless interface comprises at least the tested connection quality of the wireless network or the other wireless network, and wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric is used to update a database comprising an operating mode of each of the plurality of wireless interfaces and a plurality of connection quality metrics for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces; as well as Based on the information associated with the first radio interface and the second radio interface stored in the database, a transmission mode of at least one of the first radio interface and the second radio interface is rescheduled.

11. A method for communication, comprising: scheduling a first radio interface of a plurality of radio interfaces associated with a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first radio interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second radio interface of the plurality of radio interfaces associated with the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second radio interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network to (i) maintain a connection to the wireless network or the another wireless network, and (ii) test a connection quality of the wireless network or the another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric from the second wireless interface comprises at least the tested connection quality of the wireless network or the other wireless network, and wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric is used to update a database comprising an operating mode of each of the plurality of wireless interfaces and a plurality of connection quality metrics for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces; A transmission mode of at least one of the first radio interface and the second radio interface is rescheduled based on the information associated with the first radio interface and the second radio interface stored in the database.

12. A computer readable medium having computer program code stored thereon, which, when read and executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform a computer process, the computer process comprising: scheduling a first radio interface of a plurality of radio interfaces associated with a user equipment to operate in a first transmission mode, in which the first radio interface transmits payload data to a wireless network; scheduling a second radio interface of the plurality of radio interfaces associated with the user equipment or another user equipment to operate in a second transmission mode, in which the second radio interface transmits a keep-alive message without payload data to the wireless network or another wireless network to (i) maintain a connection to the wireless network or the another wireless network, and (ii) test a connection quality of the wireless network or the another wireless network; receiving at least one measured connection quality metric from the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric from the second wireless interface comprises at least the tested connection quality of the wireless network or the other wireless network, and wherein the at least one measured connection quality metric is used to update a database comprising an operating mode of each of the plurality of wireless interfaces and a plurality of connection quality metrics for each of the plurality of wireless interfaces; as well as Based on the information associated with the first radio interface and the second radio interface stored in the database, a transmission mode of at least one of the first radio interface and the second radio interface is rescheduled.

Images