Multi-path data streaming in a wireless packet data network

摘要

A system and method in a packet-switched radio access network of sending data packets over a radio interface from a Mobile Station (MS) to a Radio Network Controller (RNC) using multiple data transmission paths. When the MS launches a new application through a first base station (BS1), a Multi-path Context Activator (MCA) in the RNC determines whether the bandwidth required by the new application exceeds the bandwidth capacity of the radio interface portion of the first data transmission path. If so, the RNC identifies a second BS (BS2) that has the capacity to provide a portion of the radio interface bandwidth required. The MS then transmits separate data streams to BS1 and BS2 as over the radio interface. The MCA combines the separate upstream data portions. For downstream packets, the MCA separates the packets into two streams which are sent to an MCA in the MS via BS1 and BS2.