Systems and methods for establishing and maintaining multiple cellular connections and/or interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing multiple connections or interfaces at the same time may be disclosed herein. For example, in an embodiment, a first RRC connection may be established between a wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) or user equipment (UE) and a network node such as an eNB and a second RRC connection may be established between the WTRU or UE and the network node such as the eNB or another network node such as another eNB. The first RRC connection and the second RRC connections may then be maintained in parallel (e.g. at the same time).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing multiple connections, the method comprising:
 establishing a first RRC connection;   establishing a second RRC connection; and   maintaining the first RRC connection and the second RRC connections in parallel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first RRC connection is established between a wireless transmit and receive unit and a first network node and the second RRC connection is established between the wireless transmit and receive unit and a second network node. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first network node is a first eNB and the second network node is a second eNB. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless transmit and receive unit is attached to a core network via the first network node and a first bearer is established between the wireless transmit and receive unit and the core network via the first network node, wherein a second bearer is established between the wireless transmit and receive unit and the core network via the second network node, and wherein no connection exists between the second network node and the core network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the core network establishes the second bearer via the second network node using signaling via the first network node. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second bearer is modified using signaling via the first network node. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first RRC connection and the second RRC connection are established between a wireless transmit and receive unit and a network node. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the network node is an eNB. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a message to a core network indicating that the first RRC connection and the second RRC connection have been established. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first RRC connection is associated with a first bearer and the second RRC connection is associated with a second bearer, and wherein the first and second bearers are independent of each other. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising moving the first bearer associated with the first RRC connection to the second RRC connection. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving at least a portion of an IP flow from the first RRC connection to the second RRC connection. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 attaching to a core network in response to an attach request after establishing the first RRC connection and the second RRC connection.   
     
     
         14 . A wireless transmit and receive unit for providing multiple connections; the wireless transmit and receive unit configured to:
 establish a first RRC connection with a first network node;   establish a second RRC connection with a second network node; and   maintain the first RRC connection and the second RRC connections in parallel.   
     
     
         15 . The wireless transmit and receive unit of  claim 14 , wherein the first network node is a first eNB and the second network node is a second eNB. 
     
     
         16 . The wireless transmit and receive unit of  claim 14 , wherein the wireless transmit and receive unit is further configured to provide a message to a core network indicating that the wireless transmit and receive unit has established the first RRC connection and the second RRC connection. 
     
     
         17 . The wireless transmit and receive unit of  claim 14 , wherein the first RRC connection is associated with a first bearer and the second RRC connection is associated with a second bearer, and wherein the first and second bearers are independent of each other. 
     
     
         18 . The wireless transmit and receive unit of  claim 14 , wherein the wireless transmit and receive unit is further configured to request that at least a portion of an IP flow be moved from the first RRC connection to the second RRC connection. 
     
     
         19 . A method for providing multiple connections, the method comprising:
 establishing, at a wireless transmit and receive unit, a first RRC connection associated with a first bearer;   establishing, at the wireless transmit and receive unit, a second RRC connection associated with a second bearer, wherein the second bearer is independent of the first bearer; and   maintaining the first RRC connection and the second RRC connections in parallel.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first RRC connection is established with a first network node and the second RRC connection is established with a second network node. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising providing a message to a network indicating that the wireless transmit and receive unit has established the first RRC connection and the second RRC connection. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising requesting that the first bearer associated with the first RRC connection be moved to the second RRC connection. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 attaching to a core network in response to an attach request after establishing the first RRC connection and the second RRC connection.