Alternate channel for carrying selected message types

• US 20060018293A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr., Farley, Kevin L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a channel is allocated to carry messages from each of multiple subscriber units to a base station. Selected messages generated by a subscriber unit that would otherwise be transmitted over an assigned reverse link traffic channel are instead encoded and transmitted to the base station over a shared reverse link channel. Preferably, the shared reverse link channel is time-slotted and each subscriber unit transmits information to the base station in an assigned time slot so that the base station receiving the messages can identify from which subscriber unit a message is sent. Certain bits in a time slot of the shared channel as set by a subscriber unit can be used to communicate a particular message to the base station. For instance, a single bit that is transmitted in a time slot can be encoded to transmit a substitute message from one of the multiple subscriber units to a base station, where the setting of the bit itself indicates a message type.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

allocating at least one reverse link channel to be a shared acknowledgment channel that is continuously allocated for carrying acknowledgment information to a base station;

assigning at least one forward link channel for communicating a data payload from the base station to a corresponding field unit; and

transmitting acknowledgment information associated with the data payload from the corresponding field unit to the base station over the shared acknowledgment channel.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

dividing the acknowledgment channel into multiple time slots.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

assigning a time slot of the acknowledgment channel for use by a field unit to transmit acknowledgment information to the base station.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgment information is transmitted on an as-needed basis between the base station and corresponding field unit.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein field units are allocated multiple forward link channels on an as-needed basis to transmit a data payload from the base station to a subscriber field unit and a portion of the acknowledgment channel in a reverse link carries feedback messages to the base station.

6. A method as in claim 2, wherein the data payload includes at least one network message transmitted between processing devices using a network protocol.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein a first acknowledgment channel is allocated for use in a forward link and a second acknowledgment channel is allocated for use in a reverse link of the wireless communication system.

8. A method as in claim 2, wherein the time slots of the acknowledgment channel repeat on a periodic basis.

9. A method as in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

synchronizing the acknowledgment channel with another channel in a forward or reverse channel of the communication system so that acknowledgment information is transmitted or received in a corresponding time slot.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgment information indicates that a data payload was properly received.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgment information indicates that a data payload was not properly received.

12. A method as in claim 2, wherein the time slot includes CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check) check bits.

13. A method as in claim 2, wherein acknowledgment information is transmitted in at least two time slots from at least two different field units.

14. A method as in claim 2, wherein a time slot is implicitly assigned for use by a field unit based upon an assignment of a corresponding channel for transmitting a data payload from the base station to the field unit.

15. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning a portion of the acknowledgment channel for use by a field unit to transmit acknowledgment information.

16. A method as in claim 3, wherein use of an assigned time slot for transmitting messages in a reverse direction is delayed a preselected amount of time after a traffic channel is allocated for transmitting a data payload.

17. A method as in claim 1, wherein the information communicated in the wireless system includes at least one network message based on TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

18. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least part of the acknowledgment information is generated at a link layer.

19. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least part of the acknowledgment information is generated at a transport layer.

20. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgment channel is structured to carry information generated at multiple network layers.

21. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgment channel is structured to carry generic payload data.

22. A method as in claim 20, wherein the generic payload data is a maintenance message supporting a link between a field unit and the base station.

23. A method as in claim 20, wherein the generic payload data would otherwise be transmitted over a traffic channel.

24. A method as in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

allocating additional bandwidth to a field unit for transmitting acknowledgment information when throughput capacity afforded by a single time slot is exceeded.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the additional bandwidth is at least part of a traffic channel.