Method for processing traffic data in a wireless communications system

• US 20060164981A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: M-Stack Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Farnsworth, Andrew, Roberts, Gideon, Olsson, Patrik
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method of processing traffic data in Layer 2 of a wireless communications system, whereby the MAC layer is arranged, after receipt of a traffic data volume report from the RLC layer, to process said data volume report and to then issue an acknowledgement message to the RLC layer. The method ensures that the RLC and MAC layers are synchronised with respect to traffic data processing. The MAC layer may be arranged to issue an acknowledgement to the RLC layer only where it determines from processing a data volume report that the RLC layer is not permitted to transmit data in a next or subsequent corresponding TTI. The present invention also concerns a process for data discard in a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer of a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) wireless communications system such as a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The process involves, responsive to the triggering of a data discard operation, determining whether the RLC layer is permitted to transmit data. Where it is determined that the RLC layer is not permitted to transmit data in a next or subsequent TTI, the method includes the step of informing the RLC layer that data is not required.

Claims

1. A method of processing traffic data in a medium access control (MAC) layer of a wireless communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a traffic data volume report at the MAC layer;

processing said data volume report; and

following processing of said report, issuing an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity issuing the data volume report comprises a radio link control (RLC) layer of the wireless communications system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the MAC layer is arranged to issue an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received only where it is determined from the data volume report that said entity is not permitted to transmit traffic data to the MAC layer in a subsequent corresponding transmission time interval (TTI).

4. A method of discarding data in a radio link control (RLC) layer of a wireless communications system, comprising the steps of:

triggering a data discard operation in a first transmission time interval (TTI);

determining for a subsequent TTI whether the RLC layer is permitted to transmit data; and

where the determination is made that the RLC layer is not permitted to transmit data in the subsequent TTI, the method includes the steps of;

informing the RLC layer that data is not required; and

performing the data discard operation.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the RLC layer is informed that data is not required for the subsequent TTI after completion of a current Transport Format Combination (TFC) selection process.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the RLC layer is informed that data is not required during a next TTI and the data discard operation is performed before the end of said TTI.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of informing the RLC layer that data is not required for the subsequent TTI comprises informing the RLC layer of the start of the next TTI.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the data discard operation is performed immediately upon the RLC layer being informed that data is not required.

9. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer (210) informs the RLC layer that data is not required.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the triggering of the data discard operation in the first TTI causes said RLC layer to issue a request to said MAC layer in said first TTI for the MAC layer to inform the RLC layer whether data is required or not in the subsequent TTI.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said request issued by said RLC layer in said first TTI is contained in a data volume report.

12. A radio network controller (RNC) for a wireless communications system for processing traffic data in a medium access control (MAC) layer thereof, comprising:

means for receiving a traffic data volume report at the MAC layer;

means for processing said data volume report; and

means for issuing an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received following processing of said report.

13. The radio network controller of claim 12, wherein the entity issuing the data volume report comprises a radio link control (RLC) layer of the RNC.

14. The radio network controller of claim 12, wherein the MAC layer is arranged to issue an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received only where it is determined from the data volume report that said entity is not permitted to transmit traffic data to the MAC layer in a next or subsequent corresponding transmission time interval (TTI).

15. A radio network controller (RNC) for a wireless communications network, comprising:

means for triggering a data discard operation in a first transmission time interval (TTI);

means for determining for a subsequent TTI whether the RLC layer is permitted to transmit data;

means responsive to said determining means and being arranged where said determining means determines that the RLC layer is not permitted to transmit data in the subsequent TTI to inform the RLC layer that data is not required for that TTI; and

means for performing the data discard operation.

16. A radio network controller as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means responsive to the determining means informs the RLC layer that data is not required for the subsequent TTI after completion of a current Transport Format Combination (TFC) selection process.

17. A radio network controller as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means responsive to the determining means informs the RLC layer that data is not required during the next TTI.

18. A radio network controller as claimed claim 15, wherein the means responsive to the determining means is arranged to inform the RLC layer that data is not required in the subsequent TTI by way of informing the RLC layer of the start of the next TTI.

19. A radio network controller as claimed in claim 15 wherein said means for performing the data discard operation is arranged to perform said discard operation immediately upon the RLC layer being informed that data is not required.

20. A radio network controller as claimed in claim 18, wherein the means responsive to said determining means and for informing the RLC layer that data is not required comprises a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer (210) of a radio protocol architecture (100) of the radio network controller.

21. A radio network controller as claimed in claim 20, wherein the RLC layer is arranged to issue a request to said MAC layer in said first TTI for the MAC layer to inform the RLC layer whether data is required or not in said subsequent TTI in response to the triggering of the data discard operation in the first TTI.

22. A radio network controller as claimed in claim 21, wherein said request issued by said RLC layer in said first TTI is contained in a data volume report.

23. User equipment (UE) for a wireless communications network for processing traffic data in a medium access control (MAC) layer thereof, comprising:

means for receiving a traffic data volume report at the MAC layer;

means for processing said data volume report; and

means for issuing an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received following processing of said report.

24. User equipment as claimed in claim 23, wherein the entity issuing the data volume report comprises a radio link control (RLC) layer of the RNC.

25. User equipment as claimed in claim 23, wherein the MAC layer is arranged to issue an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received only where it is determined from the data volume report that said entity is not permitted to transmit traffic data to the MAC layer in a next or subsequent corresponding transmission time interval (TTI).

26. User equipment (UE) for a wireless communications network, comprising:

means for triggering a data discard operation in a first transmission time interval (TTI);

means for determining for a subsequent TTI whether the RLC layer is permitted to transmit data;

means responsive to said determining means and being arranged where said determining means determines that the RLC layer is not permitted to transmit data in the subsequent TTI to inform the RLC layer that data is not required; and

means for performing the data discard operation.

27. User equipment as claimed in claim 26, wherein the means responsive to the determining means informs the RLC layer that data is not required for the subsequent TTI after completion of a current Transport Format Combination (TFC) selection process.

28. User equipment as claimed in claim 26, wherein the means responsive to the determining means informs the RLC layer that data is not required during said next TTI.

29. User equipment as claimed in claim 26, wherein the means responsive to the determining means is arranged to inform the RLC layer that data is not required by way of informing the RLC layer of the start of said next TTI.

30. User equipment as claimed in claim 26, wherein said means for performing the data discard operation is arranged to perform said discard operation immediately upon the RLC layer being informed that data is not required.

31. User equipment as claimed in claim 29, wherein the means responsive to said determining means and for informing the RLC layer that data is not required comprises a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer (210) of a radio protocol architecture of the user equipment.

32. User equipment as claimed in claim 31, wherein the RLC layer is arranged to issue a request to said MAC layer in said first TTI for the MAC layer to inform the RLC layer whether data is required or not for said subsequent TTI in response to the triggering of the data discard operation in the first TTI.

33. User equipment as claimed in claim 32, wherein said request issued by said RLC layer in said first TTI is contained in a data volume report.

34. User equipment as claimed in claim 26 to 33, wherein said user equipment comprises a mobile communications device.

35. A computer readable medium comprising program code executable on a processor of a radio network controller (RNC) of a wireless communications system to process traffic data in a medium access control (MAC) layer of the wireless communications system, the program code enabling said RNC to:

receive a traffic data volume report at the MAC layer;

process said data volume report; and

following processing of said report, issue an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received

36. A computer readable medium comprising program code executable on a processor of a user equipment (UE) a wireless communications system to process traffic data in a medium access control (MAC) layer of the wireless communications system, the program code enabling said UE to:

receive a traffic data volume report at the MAC layer;

process said data volume report; and

following processing of said report, issue an acknowledgement message to the entity from which the report was received