1. A method for use by a base station, the method comprising:
transmitting to a wireless device a first message comprising a content descriptor originated from an application server over a first plurality of subcarriers of a first carrier in a plurality of configured carriers, said content descriptor describing content residing on a content server in a communication network, wherein there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said first plurality of subcarriers;
receiving from said wireless device a second message destined for said application server, said second message requesting said content;
transmitting a first plurality of content packets to said wireless device over a second plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier, wherein there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said second plurality of subcarriers, said first plurality of content packets comprising a first portion of said content originating from said content server; and
transmitting an activation command originating from said base station, said activation command configured to cause the activation of at least one additional carrier in said plurality of configured carriers in said wireless device; and
transmitting a second plurality of content packets to said wireless device over a third plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier and at least one of said at least one additional carrier, wherein there is at least one guard band between at least two subcarriers in said third plurality of subcarriers, said second plurality of content packets comprising a second portion of said content.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein:
said second message is received over a fourth plurality of subcarriers, there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said fourth plurality of subcarriers; and
said activation command is transmitted over a fifth plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier, where there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said fifth plurality of subcarriers.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein:
said first portion of said content is transmitted in a first time period;
said second portion of said content is transmitted in a second time period;
said first time period and said second time period do not overlap; and
said first time period is before said second time period.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein packets in said first plurality of content packets and said second plurality of content packets are encrypted packets.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of content packets and said second plurality of content packets are encrypted using an encryption key and at least one parameter configured to change based on a system counter.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said activation command is transmitted to said wireless device without encryption.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of subcarriers, said second plurality of subcarriers and said third plurality of subcarriers are a plurality of OFDM subcarriers.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the activation state associated with one of said at least one additional carrier of said wireless device, if a timer associated with said one of said at least one additional carrier expires after a last content packet queued for transmission over said one of said at least one additional carrier is transmitted.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first message, said second message, said first portion of said content, and said second portion of said content are transmitted over the same radio bearer.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said second plurality of content packets consists of a first subset of content packets and a second subset of content packets, said first subset of content packets transmitted over said first carrier and said second subset of content packets transmitted over said at least one additional carrier.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by said base station, a scheduling control packet for each content packet in said first plurality of content packets and said second plurality of content packets is transmitted, said scheduling control packet comprising information about subcarriers used for content packet transmission.
12. A method for use by a wireless device, the method comprising:
receiving, from a network application server via a base station, a first message comprising a content descriptor over a first plurality of subcarriers of a first carrier in a plurality of configured carriers, said content descriptor describing content residing on a content server in a communication network, wherein there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said first plurality of subcarriers;
transmitting a second message to said network application server via said base station, said second message requesting said content;
receiving a first plurality of content packets from said server via said base station over a second plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier, wherein there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said second plurality of subcarriers, said first plurality of content packets comprising a first portion of said content originating from said content server;
receiving an activation command originating from said base station, at least one additional carrier in said plurality of configured carriers being activated in said wireless device in response to receiving said activation command; and
receiving a second plurality of content packets from said content server via said base station over a third plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier and at least one of said at least one additional carrier, wherein there is at least one guard band between at least two subcarriers in said third plurality of subcarriers, said second plurality of content packets comprising a second portion of said content.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first portion of said content is received before said second portion of said content.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first message, said second message, said first portion of said content, and said second portion of said content are received over the same radio bearer.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein said first plurality of subcarriers, said second plurality of subcarriers and said third plurality of subcarriers are a plurality of OFDM subcarriers.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising deactivating one of said at least one additional carrier if a timer associated with said one of said at least one additional carrier expires after a last content packet queued for transmission by said base station over said one of said at least one additional carrier is received by said wireless device.
17. A wireless device comprising:
one or more communication interfaces;
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said wireless device to:
receive a first message comprising a content descriptor from a network application server via a base station over a first plurality of subcarriers of a first carrier in a plurality of configured carriers, said content descriptor describing content residing on a content server in a communication network, wherein there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said first plurality of subcarriers;
transmit a second message to said network application server via a base station, said second message requesting said content;
receive a first plurality of content packets via said base station over a second plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier, wherein there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in said second plurality of subcarriers, said first plurality of content packets comprising a first portion of said content originating from said content server;
receive an activation command originating from said base station, at least one additional carrier in said plurality of configured carriers being activated in said wireless device in response to receiving said activation command; and
receive a second plurality of content packets from said content server via said base station over a third plurality of subcarriers of said first carrier and at least one of said at least one additional carrier, wherein there is at least one guard band between at least two subcarriers in said third plurality of subcarriers, said second plurality of content packets comprising a second portion of said content.
18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said wireless device to receive said first portion of said content in a first time period and said second portion of said content in a second time period, wherein:
said first time period and said second time period do not overlap; and
said first time period is before said second time period.
19. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said wireless device to receive a scheduling control packet for each packet in said first plurality of packets and said second plurality of packets is received, said scheduling control packet comprising information about the subcarriers used for packet reception.
20. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said wireless device to decrypt said first plurality of packets and said second plurality of packets using an encryption key and at least one parameter that changes based on a system counter.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A pontoon, said pontoon comprising:
a plurality of generally elongated shell segments, each said shell segment being made out of a generally rigid material, each said shell segment defining a pair of generally opposed segment longitudinal ends, at least one of said segment longitudinal ends being a segment connecting end; each said shell segment having a segment peripheral wall surrounding a segment inner volume and defining at least one end aperture extending into said segment inner volume from said segment connecting end, said plurality of shell segments connecting to each other with a male-female engagement into an end-to-end configuration so as to form a generally elongated shell, said shell defining a shell longitudinal axis extending through said plurality of shell segments, said male-female engagement including a male segment connecting end connectable to an adjacent female segment connecting end, said female segment connecting end being a longitudinal end portion of said segment peripheral wall;
a filling component positioned within said segment inner volumes, said filling component being made out of a generally buoyant material, said filling component being slidably and successively insertable through said at least one end apertures in a direction generally along said shell longitudinal axis and towards corresponding said opposed segment longitudinal end, the volume of said filling component being such that the combination of said shell and said filling component forms a generally buoyant combination.
2. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, wherein said male segment connecting end is formed by a throat section located at a longitudinal end portion of said segment peripheral wall.
3. A pontoon as recited in claim 2, wherein said male segment connecting end is connectable to said adjacent female segment connecting end with a longitudinal sliding engagement.
4. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, further comprising a closing component mounted at least partially over said at least one end aperture of an end one of said shell segments for at feast partially closing said at least one end aperture of said end one of said shell segments.
5. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, wherein said segment peripheral wall includes a base section, a generally opposed supporting section and a pair of spacing sections extending therebetween in a generally spaced apart relationship relative to each other; said base section defining a base section outer surface, said base section outer surface being provided with at least one longitudinal channel extending substantially and at least partially therealong.
6. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, wherein said segment peripheral wall includes a base section, a generally opposed supporting section and a pair of spacing sections extending therebetween in a generally spaced apart relationship relative to each other, said supporting section defining at least one longitudinal linking flange extending laterally therefrom in a direction leading generally adjacent from an adjacent spacing section.
7. A pontoon as recited in claim 6, wherein said spacing sections taper generally towards each other in a direction leading towards said base section.
8. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, wherein said segment inner volume defines a generally hollow ballast section extending at least partially longitudinally therealong; whereby said ballast section is at least partially fillable with a ballast material.
9. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, further comprising an end cap, said end cap including a cap wall for generally overriding said at least one end aperture of a longitudinal endmost of said shell segments.
10. A pontoon as recited in claim 9, wherein said end cap further includes a cap flange extending from said cap wall for attaching said cap wall to said longitudinal endmost of said shell segments.
11. A pontoon as recited in claim 9, further comprising a cap valve extending through said cap wall for selectively establishing a fluid communication between said segment inner volumes and the exterior of said shell.
12. A pontoon as recited in claim 10, wherein said cap flange is inserted into said segment inner volume between said longitudinal endmost of said shell segments and said filling component.
13. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, further comprising a valve extending between one of said segment inners volume and the exterior of said shell for selectively establishing a fluid communication between said segment inner volumes and the exterior of said shell.
14. A pontoon as recited in claim 1, further comprising a connecting component connecting said female segment connecting ends of adjacent shell segments to one another, said connecting component at least partially filling said segment inner volumes adjacent said segment peripheral walls at said female segment connecting ends.
15. A pontoon as recited in claim 14, wherein said connecting component defines a connector longitudinal axis, said connecting component having a connector peripheral wall surrounding a connector inner volume extending longitudinally therethrough, said connector inner volume being in fluid communication with said segment inner volumes of adjacent said shell segments, whereby said filling component is slidably and successively insertable through said connector inner volume and said adjacent segment inner volumes in a direction generally along said connector longitudinal axis and shell longitudinal axis, respectively.
16. A pontoon as recited in claim 15, wherein said connector peripheral wall is configured and sized to longitudinally slidably fit into said segment inner volume of adjacent said shell segments.
17. A pontoon as recited in claim 16, wherein said connector peripheral wall has a periphery generally smaller than the periphery of said segment peripheral wall of adjacent said shell segments so as to longitudinally slidably fit thereinto.
18. A shell for pontoon, said shell comprising:
a generally elongated shell segment being made out of a generally rigid material, said shell segment defining a shell longitudinal axis, said shell segment having a segment peripheral wail extending between a pair of generally opposed longitudinal segment closing ends and surrounding a shell inner volume, said shell segment having a longitudinal throat section located intermediate said segment closing ends, said shell segment being dividable in a direction generally transverse to said shell longitudinal axis at a location adjacent said throat section into at least two longitudinal sections with a respective end aperture extending into respective said shell inner volume so as to allow said shell inner volumes to be at least partially fillable by a filling component.
19. A shell as recited in claim 18, wherein said segment peripheral wall of said throat section is configured and sized to be longitudinally and slidably fittable into said shell inner volume of a remaining section of said shell segment.
20. A shell as recited in claim 19, wherein said throat section extends longitudinally inwardly from one of said longitudinal segment closing ends.
21. A shell as recited in claim 20, wherein said shell segment defines a first predetermined transversal dividing region at an interface between said throat section and a remaining portion of said shell segment.
22. A shell as recited in claim 21, wherein said shell segment defines a second predetermined transversal dividing region at an interface between said throat section and said one of said longitudinal segment closing ends.
23. A shell as recited in claim 18, wherein said segment peripheral wall includes a base section, a generally opposed supporting section and a pair of spacing sections extending therebetween in a generally spaced apart relationship relative to each other; said base section defining a base section outer surface, said base section outer surface being provided with at least one longitudinal channel extending substantially and at least partially therealong.
24. A shell as recited in claim 18, wherein said segment peripheral wall includes a base section, a generally opposed supporting section and a pair of spacing sections extending therebetween in a generally spaced apart relationship relative to each other; said supporting section defining at least one longitudinal linking flange extending laterally therefrom in a direction leading generally adjacent from an adjacent spacing section.
25. A shell as recited in claim 24, wherein said spacing sections taper generally towards each other in a direction leading towards said base section.
26. A shell as recited in claim 18, wherein said shell is manufactured using a rotational molding process.
27. A shell as recited in claim 18, wherein at least one of said generally opposed longitudinal segment closing ends has a generally hydrodynamically convex configuration.