Systems and methods for transporting data across an air interface using reduced address headers

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for transporting data across an air interface using a blending of protocol layers to achieve reduced bandwidth. Advantage is taken of the fact that the extra overhead from, for example, the Ethernet protocol is addressing information pertaining to the destination of the packet. This destination information (for example, the Ethernet address) can be stripped from the transmission prior to the air interface and recreated after the air interface. In one embodiment, the concepts of a proper Layer 2 CS are merged on top of the 802.16 protocol and still retain the benefits of a Layer 2 transparent bridged service layer to the network layer. In one embodiment, the MAC address of the destination is used for the air interface and the Ethernet address is recreated and added on the far side of the air interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for delivering data packets across an air interface, said method comprising:
 receiving a data packet at a first physical location on one side of said air interface, said packet having a destination location bearing a specific LAN address in addition to its network address, wherein said packet contains said specific LAN address of said destination location; and   transmitting said packet across said air interface without said specific LAN address, said specific LAN address being added at a second physical location to said data packet using at least one look-up table keyed to said specific LAN address;   wherein said added LAN address is derived at least in part from an IP convergence sub-layer (IP-CS) information contained in said packet and at least in part from information stored at said second location for delivering said transmitted packet to said destination location;   wherein said packet is received across said air interface at said second physical location, said destination location determined, at least in part, from other information contained within said packet and at least in part from said information stored at said second physical location; and   wherein said first physical location removes said LAN address from said packet prior to said transmitting said packet across said air interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second locations contain transmit and receive ends, respectively, of an air interface bridge, and wherein said air interface is the 802.16 protocol. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said transmitting of said packet uses at least a portion of a Layer 2 protocol of said bridge. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one look-up table is populated for a particular session in response to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request from a data packet sending location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first physical location is a base station. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said base station includes a dynamic host configuration protocol spoofing. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said second physical location is a customer-premises equipment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said customer-premises equipment includes a dynamic host configuration protocol helper. 
     
     
         9 . A bridge for use in transporting data packets across an air interface between equipment located on either side of the interface, said data packets deliverable to a destination location based upon the Ethernet address of said destination location, said bridge comprising:
 means for sending, on a transmit side of said bridge, each data packet of said data packets across said air interface without the Ethernet address attached to said each data packet; and   means for controlling, on a receive side of said bridge, the delivery to a proper destination of said data packets arriving without the Ethernet addresses attached thereto;   wherein said means for sending said each data packet and said means for controlling the delivery are on different sides of said air interface;   wherein said means for sending comprises:   means for removing the Ethernet address from said each data packet prior to said sending, wherein said each data packet contains the Ethernet address prior to removal;   wherein said controlling means comprises:   means for adding the Ethernet address of said destination location to received ones of said data packets using at least one look-up table keyed to the Ethernet address, wherein said means for adding comprises at least one look-up table for determining the Ethernet address based on IP-CS information contained in said received ones of said data packets, said look-up table keyed to the Ethernet address is populated for a particular session in response to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request from a data packet sending location.   
     
     
         10 . The bridge of  claim 9 , wherein said air interface is the 802.16 protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The bridge of  claim 10 , wherein said means for sending comprises:
 means for using at least a portion of a Layer 2 protocol of said bridge.   
     
     
         12 . The bridge of  claim 9 , wherein said transmit side of said bridge is a base station. 
     
     
         13 . The bridge of  claim 9 , wherein said receive side of said bridge is a customer-remises equipment. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operating a bridge for transporting data packets across an air interface between equipment located on either side of the interface, said data packets deliverable to a destination location based upon the Ethernet address of said destination location, said method comprising:
 sending, from a transmit side of said bridge, each data packet of said data packets across said air interface without the Ethernet address attached to said each data packet, wherein said each data packet includes the Ethernet address prior to sending and the Ethernet address is removed from said each data packet prior to said sending;   controlling, at a receive side of said bridge, delivery to a proper destination of said data packets arriving without the Ethernet addresses attached thereto; and   adding, at said receive side of said bridge, the Ethernet address of said destination location to received ones of said data packets using at least one look-up table keyed to the Ethernet address, wherein said adding comprises determining the Ethernet address based on IP-CS information contained in said received ones of said data packets and using at least one look-up table keyed to said IP-CS information.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said air interface is the 802.16 protocol. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said sending comprises:
 using at least a portion of a Layer 2 protocol of said bridge.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said look-up table keyed to the Ethernet address is populated for a particular session in response to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request from a data packet sending location. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said sending comprises:
 adding to said each data packet address information, other than the Ethernet address, pertaining to said destination location of said each data packet, said added information being determined by said transmit side of said bridge.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said transmit side of said bridge is a base station. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said receive side of said bridge is a customer-premises equipment.