Method and apparatus for state/mode transitioning

• US 10,575,286 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Islam, Muhammad Khaledul, Wirtanen, Jeffrey William, Suzuki, Takashi, Young, Gordon Peter, Arzelier, Claude Jean-Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin H
• Application Number:
  US15/272,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and network element for sending a transition indication to transition a user equipment to a different state or mode, the method receiving a configuration message from a network; and transmitting a transition indication from the user equipment, the transition indication only includes a cause if the configuration message contains an inhibit transition indication. Also, a method and user equipment for processing a transitioning indication from a user equipment indicating the user equipment desires a transition to a different state or mode, the method comprising: receiving the transition indication from the user equipment; if the transition indication contains a cause: releasing a signaling connection of the user equipment or transitioning the user equipment to a different state or mode; and if the transition indication does not contain the cause: releasing the signaling connection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment (UE) and from a network, a system information message, the system information message including an inhibit transition indication indicating that the network is configured to receive signaling connection release indication (SCRI) messages having a cause set to UE Requested Packet Service (PS) Data session end; and

transmitting, to the network based on receipt of the system information message, a SCRI message with the cause set to UE Requested PS Data session end.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an information element includes the inhibit transition indication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inhibit transition indication comprises an inhibit timer value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the inhibit timer value is selected from a list of predetermined values.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the list of predetermined values includes a certain value indicating that the UE does not need to execute an inhibit timer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the certain value is zero.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to transmitting the SCRI message, receiving a message from the network to initiate a state transition to a battery efficient radio resource control (RRC) state or mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_FACH state, a CELL_PCH state, a URA_PCH state or an idle mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cause indicates that the UE does not expect more data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the SCRI message having the cause is transmitted if the UE does not expect more data for a period longer than a predetermined threshold and if an inhibit timer for sending SCRI messages is not running.

11. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

receive a system information message from a network, the system information message including an inhibit transition indication indicating that the network is configured to receive signaling connection release indication (SCRI) messages having a cause set to UE Requested Packet Service (PS) Data session end; and

transmit, to the network based on receipt of the system information message, a SCRI message with the cause set to UE Requested PS Data session end.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the inhibit transition indication comprises an inhibit timer value.

13. The UE of claim 11, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

responsive to transmitting the SCRI message, receive a message from the network to initiate a state transition to a battery efficient radio resource control (RRC) state or mode.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_FACH state, a CELL_PCH state, a URA_PCH state or an idle mode.

15. The UE of claim 11, wherein the cause indicates that the UE does not expect more data.

16. The UE of claim 11, wherein the SCRI message having the cause is transmitted if the UE does not expect more data for a period longer than a predetermined threshold and if an inhibit timer for sending SCM messages is not running.

17. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause a user equipment (UE) to perform operations comprising:

receiving a system information message from a network, the system information message including an inhibit transition indication indicating that the network is configured to receive signaling connection release indication (SCRI) messages having a cause set to UE Requested Packet Service (PS) Data session end; and

transmitting, to the network based on receipt of the system information message, a SCRI message with the cause set to UE Requested PS Data session end.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the inhibit transition indication comprises an inhibit timer value.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to transmitting the SCRI message, receiving a message from the network to initiate a state transition to a battery efficient radio resource control (RRC) state or mode.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_FACH state, a CELL_PCH state, a URA_PCH state or an idle mode.