US2006120328A1PendingUtilityA1

Resource utilization efficiency during hand-off in mobile communication systems

41
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 8, 2001Filed: Nov 14, 2005Published: Jun 8, 2006
Est. expiryMar 8, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Dale E. WrightHoward Heller
H04W 36/0019H04W 80/04H04W 36/02
41
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Claims

Abstract

An improved method of maintaining data throughput during handoff in a wireless communication link operating with the Mobile IP protocol is described. A first base station initially servicing a mobile subscriber unit is associated with a first Mobile IP foreign agent that is registered with the Mobile IP home agent as a first mobility binding between the subscriber unit and the home agent. When the subscriber unit issues a request to be handed off from the first base station to a second base station, a second foreign agent associated with the second base station is registered with the home agent as a simultaneous binding with the first mobility binding between the subscriber unit and the home agent. This permits both foreign agents to simultaneously receive a sequence of data packets from the home agent. Before handoff is executed, the data packet sequence routed to the second foreign agent is stored at the second base station. After handoff is complete, such stored packets are forwarded to the subscriber unit starting with a predetermined numbered packet in the stored sequence, and the first foreign agent is de-registered with the home agent.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A method for improving resource utilization efficiency during handoff in a communication system, the method comprising: 
 establishing a binding between a first base station and a subscriber unit, the binding causing data destined for the subscriber unit that is transferred from a home agent to the first base station to be cached at the first base station;    establishing a binding between a second base station and the subscriber unit, the binding causing data destined for the subscriber unit that is transferred from the home agent to the second base station to be cached at the second base station; and    generating a registration request configured to cause the home agent to forward data received by the home agent and destined for the subscriber unit to both the first base station and the second base station.    
   
   
       12 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising: 
 forwarding the registration request to the home agent.    
   
   
       13 . A method as defined in  claim 12  further comprising: 
 receiving an acknowledgment from the home agent wherein the acknowledgment acknowledges the registration request.    
   
   
       14 . A method as defined in  claim 11  wherein the registration request is a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) registration request.  
   
   
       15 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising: 
 generating a handoff start signal configured to cause the first base station to end forwarding data contained in its cache that is destined for the subscriber unit to the subscriber unit; and    forwarding the handoff start signal to the first base station.    
   
   
       16 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising: 
 generating a handoff start signal configured to cause the second base station to begin forwarding data contained in its cache that is destined for the subscriber unit to the subscriber unit; and    forwarding the handoff start signal to the second base station.    
   
   
       17 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising: 
 generating a second registration request configured to notify the home agent to no longer bind the subscriber unit with the first base station.    
   
   
       18 . A method as defined in  claim 17  further comprising: 
 forwarding the second registration request to the home agent.    
   
   
       19 . A method as defined in  claim 17  wherein the second registration request is a Mobile IP registration request.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus for improving resource utilization efficiency during handoff in a communication system, the method comprising: 
 means for establishing a binding between a first base station and a subscriber unit, the binding causing data destined for the subscriber unit that is transferred from a home agent to the first base station to be cached at the first base station;    means for establishing a binding between a second base station and the subscriber unit, the binding causing data destined for the subscriber unit that is transferred from the home agent to the second base station to be cached at the second base station; and    means for generating a registration request configured to cause the home agent to forward data received by the home agent and destined for the subscriber unit to both the first base station and the second base station.    
   
   
       21 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 means for forwarding the registration request to the home agent.    
   
   
       22 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 21  further comprising: 
 means for receiving an acknowledgment from the home agent wherein the acknowledgment acknowledges the registration request.    
   
   
       23 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  wherein the registration request is a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) registration request.  
   
   
       24 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 means for generating a handoff start signal configured to cause the first base station to end forwarding data contained in its cache that is destined for the subscriber unit to the subscriber unit; and    means for forwarding the handoff start signal to the first base station.    
   
   
       25 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 means for generating a handoff start signal configured to cause the second base station to begin forwarding data contained in its cache that is destined for the subscriber unit to the subscriber unit; and    means for forwarding the handoff start signal to the second base station.    
   
   
       26 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 means for generating a second registration request configured to notify the home agent to no longer bind the subscriber unit with the first base station.    
   
   
       27 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 26  further comprising: 
 means for forwarding the second registration request to the home agent.    
   
   
       28 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 26  wherein the second registration request is a Mobile IP registration request.  
   
   
       29 . A method for improving resource utilization efficiency during handoff in a communication system, the method comprising: 
 establishing a binding between a first base station and a subscriber unit, the binding causing data destined for the subscriber unit that is transferred from a home agent to the first base station to be cached at the first base station;    establishing a binding between a second base station and the subscriber unit, the binding causing data destined for the subscriber unit that is transferred from the home agent to the second base station to be cached at the second base station; and    receiving a request to forward data received by the home agent and destined for the subscriber unit to both the first base station and the second base station.    
   
   
       30 . A method as defined in  claim 29  further comprising: 
 forwarding data received by the home agent to both the first base station and the second base station.    
   
   
       31 . A method as defined in  claim 29  wherein the request is a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) registration request.

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