Traffic management in a hybrid wireless network having multiple types of wireless links for packet-switched communications
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsAnit Lohtia, Yuqiang Tang, Miroslav Budic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wireless communications network includes cell segments each having at least a first type wireless link and a second, different type wireless link. Network access equipment is able to hand off mobile stations between the first type and second type wireless links to balance the loading of the wireless links. In one example implementation, the first type wireless link is a 1×EV wireless link, and the second type wireless link is a 1×RTT or other CDMA 2000 wireless link. The carriers can be co-located within a common cell segment, or located within different cell segments.
Claims27
A method of wirelessly communicating in a cell segment having at least two different types of wireless links, including a first type wireless link that is capable of supporting up to a first maximum data rate and a second type wireless link that is capable of supporting up to a second maximum data rate, the second maximum data rate being less than the first maximum data rate, the method comprising:
- monitoring a data rate requirement for wireless communication between a mobile station and wireless access equipment over the first type wireless link in the cell segment;
- determining whether the data rate requirement is less than or equal to the second maximum data rate;
- and
- handing off the mobile station from the first type wireless link to the second type wireless link in the cell segment in response to determining that the data rate requirement is less than or equal to the second maximum data rate.
An article comprising at least one storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a system to:
- monitor usage of a first type wireless link;
- determine whether the first type wireless link has reached capacity or is nearing capacity;
- and
- identify, in response to determining that the first type wireless link has reached capacity or is nearing capacity, a second, different type wireless link to which a communications session can be transferred if a specified data rate of wireless communication along the first type of wireless link is less than or equal to a maximum data rate established for the second type wireless link.
An apparatus for use in a cell segment having a first type wireless link and a second type wireless link, the first type wireless link capable of supporting a first maximum data rate, and the second type wireless link capable of supporting a second maximum data rate that is less than the first maximum data rate, the apparatus comprising:
- an interface to wirelessly conimunicate with mobile stations over the first type wireless link in the cell segment;
- and
- a controller adapted to:
- receive data rate requirements of the mobile stations,
- identify a first one of the mobile stations that has a data rate requirement that is less than or equal to the second maximum data rate, and
- hand off the identified first mobile station from the first type wireless link to the second type wireless link.
The apparatus of clalm 20, wherein the first type wireless link comprises a 1×EV wireless link.
The apparatus of clalm 21, wherein the second type wireless link comprises a CDMA 2000 wireless link.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.