Method, apparatus and computer programs for multiplexing and/or demultiplexing

• US 20030007517A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acacia Research Group LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Beckmann, Mark, Otte, Andreas, Eckert, Michael, Hans, Martin, Hallmann, Udo
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/537
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2612 Arrangements for wireless medium access control, e.g. by allocating physical layer transmission capacity H04B7/2615 - H04B7/2643 take precedence; provision for broadband connection H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program for multiplexing a number of second channels, in particular logical channels, in accordance with the UMTS protocol architecture for the air interface, onto a first channel, in particular a transport channel, in accordance with the UMTS protocol architecture for the air interface, in a transmission apparatus and/or for demultiplexing in the opposite direction in a receiving apparatus, with the channels that are involved being configured by means of at least one configuration command, in particular with regard to the size of the data units to be transported by them. In the configuration, at least one size of data units is in each case supported by only a single second channel, in order to allow data units of this size to be allocated to the relevant second channel.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of multiplexing a plurality of logical second channels, in accordance a UMTS protocol architecture for air interface, onto a first transport channel, also in accordance with the UMTS protocol architecture for air interface in a transmission apparatus, and demultiplexing in a direction opposite to the direction of multiplexing in a receiving apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring the channels involved via at least one configuration command with regard to a size of data units to be transported by the channels; and

supporting, in the configuration, at least one size of the data units by only a single second channel to allow the data units of this at least one size to be allocated to the single second channel.

2. A method for at least one of multiplexing and demultiplexing as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

producing RLC-PDUs, whose sizes are at least partially different from remaining data units, by at least one upper layer RLC unit;

passing on the produced RLC-PDUs, on the plurality of second channels, to at least one MAC lower layer unit, and passing on only data units of the same size on one second channel in the configuration; and

passing on the data units from the at least one MAC lower layer unit to the first channel in transmission time intervals which are predetermined by the configuration;

wherein only data units from a single second channel are passed on in the configuration in each predetermined transmission time interval in the first channel, and data units are allocated to at least one second channel based on the size of the data units, with the size not being supported by any other second channel in the configuration.

3. A method for at least one of multiplexing and demultiplexing as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

passing on data units, whose sizes are at least partially different from remaining data units, from the first channel to the plurality of second channels, with the data units being passed via the first channel in transmission time intervals, which are predetermined by the configuration;

wherein only data units from a single second channel are passed on in the configuration in each predetermined transmission time interval in the first channel, and data units are allocated to at least one second channel based on the size of the data units, with the size not being supported by any other second channel in the configuration.

4. An apparatus for at least one of transmission and reception of messages based on a UMTS protocol architecture of an air interface, the apparatus comprising a processor which is set up for effecting a method for at least one of multiplexing a plurality of logical second channels onto a first transport channel, and demultiplexing in a direction opposite to the direction of multiplexing, the channels involved being configured via at least one configuration command with regard to a size of data units to be transported by the channels, and at least one size of the data units being supported in the configuration by only a single second channel to allow the data units of this at least one size to be allocated to the single second channel.

5. An apparatus for at least one of transmission and reception of messages as claimed in claim 4, wherein the apparatus is a mobile telecommunications terminal.

6. An apparatus for at least one of transmission and reception of messages as claimed in claim 4, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communications network.

7. A computer program which can run on an apparatus for at least one of transmission and reception of messages based on a UMTS protocol architecture of an air interface, the apparatus including a processor for implementing the computer program to effect a method for at least one of multiplexing a plurality of logical second channels in accordance with a UMTS protocol architecture for air interface onto a first transport channel, and demultiplexing in a direction opposite to the direction of multiplexing, the channels involved being configured via at least one configuration command with regard to a size of data units to be transported by the channels, and at least one size of the data units being supported in the configuration by only a single second channel to allow the data units of the at least one size to be allocated to the single second channel.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer-legible memory medium on which a program is stored, for loading into an apparatus for at least one of transmission and reception of messages based on a UMTS protocol architecture of an air interface, the apparatus including a processor which is set up to implement the program to effect a method for at least one of multiplexing a plurality of logical second channels onto a first transport channel, and demultiplexing in a direction opposite to the direction of multiplexing, the channels involved being configured via at least one configuration command with regard to a size of data units to be transported by the channels, and at least one size of the data units being supported in the configuration by only a single second channel to allow the data units of the at least one size to be allocated to the single second channel.