Flexible Channel Aggregation for Seamless Roaming in Access Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current carrier aggregation techniques in LTE and LTE-WLAN aggregation face limitations in flexible channel selection and connectivity maintenance, leading to service disruptions when a primary serving cell loses connectivity.
Innovation Solution
The method involves configuring multiple radio communications modules to operate on different shared channels, allowing any channel to be designated as the master for data exchange while serving as a slave for another traffic stream, enabling flexible aggregation and seamless roaming without immediate channel changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single primary serving cell is used to handle RRC connection, then control simplicity is improved, but service continuity deteriorates when the primary cell loses connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the serving cell structure into primary serving cells (PSCs) and secondary serving cells (SSCs), where PSCs handle RRC connection and data, and SSCs provide additional data capacity. This segmentation allows the system to maintain control simplicity through dedicated PSCs while improving service continuity by having multiple PSCs that can take over if one loses connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple serving cells (both PSCs and SSCs) into a unified carrier aggregation structure where all cells work together to serve a single UE. This merging allows seamless failover between PSCs while maintaining a unified RRC connection, resolving the contradiction between control simplicity and service continuity.
2Productivity
If multiple serving cells are aggregated to increase bandwidth, then data rate is improved, but system complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the serving cells into PSCs and SSCs with clearly defined roles: PSCs handle RRC connection and can become primary data carriers, while SSCs are dedicated to data transmission. This segmentation simplifies the management of multiple cells by establishing clear functional boundaries, reducing system complexity while maintaining high data rates through aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes PSCs multi-functional by enabling them to handle both RRC connection and data transmission. This universality reduces system complexity by eliminating the need for separate control and data channels, while still achieving high data rates through the aggregation of multiple PSCs and SSCs.
3Ease of operation
If LTE serving cell controls RRC connection in LTE-WLAN aggregation, then control management is improved, but connectivity reliability deteriorates when LTE connection is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control function by allowing multiple PSCs to independently handle RRC connections for the same UE. This segmentation ensures that if one PSC (e.g., LTE serving cell) loses connectivity, another PSC can maintain the RRC connection, improving connectivity reliability while keeping control management simple through standardized RRC procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of RRC connection control from being exclusively managed by a single LTE serving cell to being manageable by multiple PSCs. This parameter change allows the system to switch control to an alternative PSC when the primary LTE connection is lost, maintaining both ease of operation and connectivity reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes configuring a first radio communications module (RCM) of an access point (AP) to serve a first transmitted basic service set (BSS) using a first BSS identifier (BSSID) and to serve a first non-transmitted BSS using a second BSSID, configuring a second RCM of the AP to serve a second transmitted BSS using the second BSSID and to serve a second non-transmitted BSS using the first BSSID, and transmitting a first set of data, a first subset of the first set of data being encapsulated in a first set of frames, the first set of frames being transmitted using the first RCM over a first shared channel, and a second subset of the first set of data being encapsulated in a second set of frames, the second set of frames being transmitted using the second RCM over a second shared channel.