Wireless Terminal Multiple Link Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing need for wireless communication methods and apparatus that can efficiently support multiple applications simultaneously on a single wireless communications device, considering different application needs, wireless link quality, and user service levels, due to increasing demand for wireless internet services and limited air link resources.
Innovation Solution
Mobile nodes (MNs) can operate simultaneously with multiple points of network attachment, using multiple IP addresses or a single IP address with header information to route packets over different wireless communications links, matching application requirements with available network service levels, and employing multiple receiver and transmitter chains to communicate with different network attachment points using various frequencies and sectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple wireless links are used simultaneously to support multiple applications, then service quality and flexibility are improved, but device complexity and resource management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wireless communication system into multiple independent links, each dedicated to specific applications with different QoS requirements. The mobile node maintains separate link profiles and uses routing tables to direct different application traffic through appropriate links, thereby managing complexity through structured division rather than monolithic management
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces routing tables and link profile mechanisms as intermediary structures that mediate between applications and wireless links. These intermediaries abstract the complexity of multiple link management, allowing applications to be mapped to appropriate links through predefined rules and quality metrics without direct complex interaction between all components
2Reliability
If multiple receiver and transmitter chains are employed to communicate with different network attachment points, then communication capability and service quality are improved, but hardware complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the receiver and transmitter chains universal by enabling them to operate across multiple frequency bands and communicate with different network attachment points. Rather than dedicating separate hardware chains to each link, the same hardware resources are shared and dynamically allocated to different links based on application requirements and link quality, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining service quality
3Productivity
If air link resources are allocated to multiple simultaneous applications, then user service capability is improved, but resource efficiency and management difficulty worsen due to limited spectrum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where link profiles and routing tables are continuously updated based on current link quality metrics, application requirements, and network conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize air link resource usage in real-time, allocating spectrum and power efficiently to different applications based on current needs rather than static pre-assignment, thereby improving both productivity and resource efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
Mobile nodes support simultaneous OFDM links with multiple points of network attachment. A MN may simultaneously use multiple IP addresses, allowing packets addressed to the mobile to be routed over different paths. Alternatively, the MN may have a single IP address with packets corresponding to different applications, e.g., identified by packet header information, being routed over different paths. Thus packets corresponding to one application, e.g., a voice application, may be routed over one wireless link while packets corresponding to another application, e.g., a data application such as E-mail, may be routed over another wireless link, while packets corresponding to still another application, e.g., a broadcast TV service may be communicated over another wireless link. The direction of communication, latency, reliability and other QoS characteristics of the different wireless links may be considered in path selection to provide MN's user with cost effective service while still meeting minimum application requirements.