Uplink transmission with selective ARQ based on signal quality

• US 20020094810A1
• Filed: 01/17/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Hassan, Hassan I.
• Application Number:
  US09/764,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20020094810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Bandwidth efficiency is increased by tailoring the use of ARQ transmission techniques to those situations where the signal quality on the mobile terminal uplink channel is expected to be poor. The signal quality on a downlink channel may be examined prior to uplinking a message from a mobile terminal to a base station. In response to the examination indicating that the signal quality on the uplink channel is below a predetermined threshold, the mobile terminal assumes an ARQ transmission mode, but if the examination indicates that the signal quality is not below the threshold, the mobile terminal assumes an non-ARQ transmission mode. Advantageously, the message length may also be used to help determine whether the ARQ transmission mode should be used.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a message from a wireless communications mobile terminal to a base station via an uplink channel, comprising:

examining a signal quality of a downlink channel at said mobile terminal;

uplinking said message from said mobile terminal to said base station using an ARQ transmission mode in response to said examining indicating that said signal quality is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating a BER associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined BER.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined RSSI.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating both a BER and an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold considers both BER and RSSI.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein examining said signal quality of a downlink channel comprises examining said signal quality of a downlink traffic channel.

6. A method of transmitting a message from a wireless communications mobile terminal to a base station via an uplink channel, comprising:

examining a signal quality of a downlink channel from said base station to said mobile terminal at said mobile terminal;

transmitting said message from said mobile terminal to said base station on an uplink channel using;

an ARQ transmission mode in response to said examining indicating that said signal quality is below a predetermined threshold;

a non-ARQ transmission mode in response to said examining indicating that said signal quality is not below said predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating a BER associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined BER.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined RSSI.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating both a BER and an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold considers both BER and RSSI.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein examining said signal quality of a downlink channel comprises examining said signal quality of a downlink traffic channel.

11. A method of transmitting a message from a wireless communications mobile terminal to a base station via an uplink channel, comprising:

determining a length of said message;

in response to said message being longer than a first predetermined length;

examining a signal quality of a downlink channel from said base station to said mobile terminal at said mobile terminal;

transmitting said message from said mobile terminal to said base station on an uplink channel using;

an ARQ transmission mode in response to said examining indicating that said signal quality is below a predetermined threshold;

a non-ARQ transmission mode in response to said examining indicating that said signal quality is above said predetermined threshold;

in response to said message being not longer than said first predetermined length, transmitting said message from said mobile terminal to said base station on an uplink channel using a non-ARQ transmission mode.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first predetermined length is 40 bytes.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating a BER associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined BER.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined RSSI.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating both a BER and an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold considers both BER and RSSI.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality of a downlink channel comprises examining said signal quality of a downlink traffic channel.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said first predetermined length is 40 bytes.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating a BER associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined BER.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to a first predetermined RSSI.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality comprises evaluating both a BER and an RSSI associated with said downlink channel and wherein said predetermined threshold relates to both BER and RSSI.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein examining said signal quality of a downlink channel comprises examining said signal quality of a downlink traffic channel.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 23 wherein said threshold value relates to BER.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 23 wherein said threshold value relates to RSSI.

17. A method of transmitting a message from a wireless communications mobile terminal to a base station via an uplink channel, comprising:

examining a signal quality of a downlink channel from said base station to said mobile terminal at said mobile terminal;

determining a length of said message;

transmitting said message from said mobile terminal to said base station on an uplink channel using an ARQ transmission mode in response to both said message being longer than a first predetermined length and said examining indicating that said signal quality is below a predetermined threshold;

otherwise transmitting said message from said mobile terminal to said base station on said uplink channel using a non-ARQ transmission mode.

23. A mobile terminal for communicating with a wireless communications system base station, said mobile terminal comprising:

an antenna;

control logic operatively connected to said antenna and adapted to;

examine a signal quality of a downlink channel from the base station to said mobile terminal received via said antenna;

initiate transmission of a message from said mobile terminal to the base station on an uplink channel using;

an ARQ transmission mode in response to said signal quality being below a predetermined threshold;

a non-ARQ transmission mode in response to said signal quality being not below said predetermined threshold; and

memory operatively connected to said control logic and storing therein at least one threshold value associated with said signal quality predetermined threshold.