A Parallel Architecture for Network Control and Mobility Tracking in Wireless Systems

In a wireless system the network logically rearranges itself rapidly whenever terminals move from cell to cell. This ability to adapt itself to changing locations of its terminals adds a new layer of complexity to wireless control software. With ever increasing demand for more capacity and the addition of new service features, many limitations and bottlenecks in the underlying network infrastructure are uncovered. While distributed architectures provide a method for increasing processing capacity, they also introduce concerns regarding reliability, communication latency and cost. In this paper we have attempted to combine the significant characteristics of both fixed and distributed architectures in a single system. Specifically, we present the design of a wireless hub processor, based on a communications oriented active memory technology, and illustrate how the procedures for mobility management, resource management and call processing map on to such a parallel architecture. A key attribute of the architecture is that it scales in processing capacity and size, while maintaining a common locus of control for administration, maintenance and reliability. Finally, we present an example of a navigation application to validate the architecture. This example shows how a roving computer or PDA connected to a global positioning system and having a wireless communication link can deal with a low bandwidth link to a server. The server provides user-tailored map data. An active memory architecture not only provides the server with a scalable architecture but also aids the client.