Wireless Handoff Latency via Virtual RLP Buffering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless communication handoffs involve inefficiencies and latencies due to the process of tearing down and reestablishing Radio Link Protocol (RLP) interfaces between access points, disrupting seamless roaming and data transmission.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Virtual Radio Link Protocol (VRLP) allows the RLP to operate independently at each access point, enabling seamless transitions by buffering packets, fragmenting data into frames, and maintaining transmission indicators to ensure continuous data delivery during handoffs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the RLP interface is torn down and reestablished during handoff, then the access terminal can establish a new connection with the target access point, but this process causes latency and reduces transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing the RLP interface with the target access point before the handoff occurs. The access terminal and target access point set up the RLP connection in advance, so that when handoff is needed, the interface is already ready and can be activated immediately without tearing down and reestablishing, thereby reducing handoff latency while maintaining reliable connection establishment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by keeping the RLP interface active and continuous across handoff events. Instead of terminating the interface during handoff, the system maintains the RLP connection state and seamlessly transitions it to the target access point, ensuring uninterrupted data transmission and eliminating the gaps that would otherwise occur during interface reestablishment
2Reliability
If the RLP interface is reestablished during handoff, then a new connection is formed with the target access point, but this process reduces data transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The RLP interface is configured in advance with the target access point before handoff occurs, so that when the handoff is triggered, the interface is already prepared and can immediately begin data transmission without the overhead of establishment procedures, thereby maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The RLP interface maintains continuous operation across the handoff event, avoiding any interruption in the data transmission pipeline. The interface remains active and continues to process data packets without termination or reinitialization, ensuring uninterrupted and efficient data flow to the target access point
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure is directed to methods and apparatuses for seamless and efficient wireless handoffs of an access terminal between access points in a communication network. The access points include memory configured to buffer packets received from a network for the access terminal, a processor configured to queue one of the packets for over the air transmission to the access terminal and fragment the data in the queued packet into multiple frames, and a transmitter configured to transmit the framed data over the air to the access terminal. The processor is further configured to maintain an indicator relating to the portion of the data in the queued packet that remains to be transmitted.