Wireless Router and Method for Processing Traffic in a Wireless Communications Network

A wireless router for communicating signals in a wireless network, the wireless router comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) front end operable to receive a first signal from a mobile device and generate a label associated with the first signal;
• a selection and distribution unit coupled to the RF front end, the selection and distribution unit operable to receive the first signal, to receive a second signal corresponding to the first signal from a disparate wireless router transmitted over a first wireless virtual path for wireless protocol traffic established according to the first signal in accordance with a label generated by the disparate wireless router and associated with the second signal, and to select one of the first signal and the second signal;
• and
• a resource manager coupled to the selection and distribution unit, the resource manager operable to communicate the selected signal to a wireline network, wherein the wireless router is a first wireless router, and wherein the selection and distribution unit comprises a label switched path (LSP) module operable to define the first wireless virtual path for the wireless protocol traffic from the first wireless router to the disparate wireless router, the LSP module of the selection and distribution unit operable to define a second wireless virtual path for wireline protocol traffic associated with the wireless protocol traffic from the first wireless router to the disparate wireless router.

A method for configuring a wireless communications network for processing a call, comprising:

• receiving a communication from a mobile device identifying an active set of wireless routers for a call, the active set of wireless routers including a primary wireless router and one or more secondary wireless routers for soft handoff of the call;
• informing the primary and secondary wireless routers of their status;
• configuring wireless virtual paths for wireless protocol traffic and wireline protocol traffic for the call between the primary and secondary wireless routers;
• and
• allocating resources in the primary and secondary wireless routers for the call, wherein the wireless virtual paths are label switch paths (LSPs);
• forwarding information associated with the call between the primary and secondary wireless routers over the wireless virtual paths, the information including labels generated upon receipt for routing over the wireless virtual paths to facilitate the soft handoff of the call.

A method for providing soft handoff for a call including a mobile device, comprising:

• receiving an instance of a radio frame from a mobile device at an active set of wireless routers, the active set including a plurality of active wireless routers for a call;
• assigning a label to each instance of the radio frame at each of the plurality of active wireless routers;
• establishing at least a first wireless virtual path for carrying wireline protocol traffic and a second wireless virtual path for carrying wireless protocol traffic between the primary wireless router and secondary wireless routers;
• routing the radio frame instances from secondary wireless routers in the active set to a primary wireless router in the active set over a wireless virtual path established for the call by the primary wireless router to the secondary wireless routers in accordance with the labels;
• and
• selecting at the primary wireless router one of the radio frame instances for transmission to a destination device, wherein the radio frames are routed from the secondary wireless routers to the primary wireless router over the wireless virtual paths through label switched paths (LSPs) established between the primary and the secondary wireless routers.

A method for providing mobility for mobile devices in a wireless communications network, comprising:

• providing a network anchor wireless router;
• providing a primary wireless router receiving traffic from a mobile device for a call and forwarding the traffic to the network anchor wireless router through a wireless virtual path carrying wireless protocol traffic established for the call by the primary wireless router for delivery to a destination device, the primary wireless router assigning labels to the traffic to facilitate routing to the network anchor wireless router over the wireless virtual path;
• the network anchor wireless router receiving traffic from the destination device and forwarding the traffic to the primary wireless router through a wireless virtual path carrying wireline protocol traffic established for the call by the primary wireless router for delivery to the mobile device, the network anchor wireless router assigning labels to the traffic to facilitate routing to the primary wireless router over the wireless virtual path;
• receiving a new primary wireless router;
• terminating the existing wireless virtual path between the network anchor and primary wireless router;
• and
• establishing a new wireless virtual path for the call between the network anchor wireless router and the new wireless router for communication of traffic for the call, wherein the virtual paths comprise label switch paths (LSPs).