Method and apparatus for signaling ad-hoc group of mobile units

• US 20060251033A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, John M., Kelley, Sean S., Oprescu-Surcobe, Valentin
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel

Abstract

Various embodiments are described for signaling an ad-hoc group of mobile units (MUs). The ad-hoc group may be a group of MUs for which signaling awaits transmission via a wireless communication resource (111). Signaling such a group involves deriving a mobile unit group identifier (MUGI) by combining individual mobile unit identifiers (MUIs) of the targeted ad-hoc group. The individual MUIs are either an identifier of each MU or derived from an identifier of each MU. The derived MUGI is then included in combined signaling that is transmitted (by RAN 121, e.g.) via the wireless communication resource. A receiving MU (101) determines whether the MUGI could have been derived from its MUI in combination with at least one other MU'"'"'s MUI. When it determines that the MUGI could have been derived from its MUI, the receiving MU processes the signaling as directed to itself.

Claims

1. A method for signaling an ad-hoc group of mobile units (MUs), the method comprising:

deriving a mobile unit group identifier (MUGI) by combining individual mobile unit identifiers (MUIs) of a plurality of MUs for which signaling awaits transmission via a wireless communication resource;

transmitting, via the wireless communication resource, combined signaling comprising the derived MUGI.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to transmitting the page message, that the wireless communication resource has insufficient bandwidth to convey signaling individually to the plurality of mobile units during a targeted time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the targeted time period comprises a paging slot.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication resource comprises a channel from the group consisting of a paging channel (PCH), a shared control channel and a common control channel (CCH).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the MUI of each MU of the plurality of MUs is derived from an identifier of each MU from the group consisting of:

an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI),

an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI),

a mobile equipment identifier (MEID),

an electronic serial number (ESN),

a user identity module identifier (UIM_ID),

a UMTS subscriber information module identifier (USIM_ID),

a subscriber identity module identifier (SIM_ID),

a temporary subscription identifier (TMSI),

a media access control (MAC) identifier,

a Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI), and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein combining individual MUIs comprises performing a bitwise logical OR of all the individual MUIs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving the MUGI comprises hashing at least a portion of each identifier of the plurality of MUs to produce the individual MUIs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the MUGI comprises a portion having M bits, wherein an n th bit of the M bits is set for each MU of the plurality of MUs and wherein

n, for each MU of the plurality of MUs, equals one plus modulo M of an identifier of the respective MU.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the MUGI comprises a first portion in which M=29, a second portion in which M=31, a third portion in which M=33, and a fourth portion in which M=35.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting combined signaling comprises paging a group of MUs using a group page message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the group page message comprises the MUGI and at least one paging indicator from the group consisting of

an indication of whether an acknowledgment to a response to the group page message is to be requested by a responding MU,

an indication of what type of signaling in response to the group page message is requested from a responding MU,

an indication of a persistence level with which a responding MU should respond to the group page message,

an indication of a communication service to which the group page message pertains,

an indication to switch to an unslotted mode,

an indication to switch to a semi-dormant mode,

an indication to switch to a page monitoring mode using a RSCI (reduced slot cycle index), and

an indication of whether the group page message is the last group page message in the present paging slot.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the persistence level indicated is based on an estimated size of the group of MUs that may respond to the group page message.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication of the communication service to which the group page message pertains comprises a compressed service option indicator.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the plurality of MUs, whose MUIs will be used to derive the MUGI, based on at least one factor from the group consisting of

whether a quick paging channel (QPCH) is provided in a paging area,

a transmit power level of the QPCH,

a slot cycle index (SCI) used in the paging area,

a present loading level of an access channel (ACH) associated with the communication resource,

a number of MUs known to be registered in the paging area,

a number of MUs known to be registered in the paging area that also support group signaling of MUs,

what communication service is targeted,

a present loading level of the communication resource, and

an estimated number of MUs that may respond to signaling comprising a MUGI resulting from a given plurality of MUs.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining to exclude a potential MU from the plurality of MUs, whose MUIs will be used to derive the MUGI, based on at least one factor from the group consisting of

a service class associated with the potential MU,

whether the potential MU has been included in an earlier plurality of MUs, whose MUIs were used to derive an earlier MUGI, for which no response was received,

a battery level of the potential MU,

a plugged-in/battery-only operating mode of the potential MU, and

the number of other MUs expected to false if the potential MU is included in the plurality of MUs.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining to include a potential MU in the plurality of MUs, whose MUIs will be used to derive the MUGI, based on at least one factor from the group consisting of

the potential MU is a member of a PTT (push-to-talk) group that is being signaled,

the potential MU has low priority signaling awaiting transmission,

the potential MU needs to be paged for a multicast, and

the potential MU has a presence update request awaiting transmission.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving responsive signaling from an MU ambiguously addressed by the MUGI but not a member of the plurality of MUs, whose MUIs were used to derive the MUGI, wherein the MU ambiguously addressed is a falsing MU;

in response to the responsive signaling, performing at least one step from the group consisting of

updating the location of the MU,

registering the falsing MU,

performing a semi-dormant update for the falsing MU,

signaling the falsing MU,

interpreting the responsive signaling from the falsing MU as a presence update, and

ignoring the responsive signaling from the falsing MU.

18. A method for receiving signaling directed to an ad-hoc group of mobile units, the method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile unit (MU) via a wireless communication resource, signaling that comprises a mobile unit group identifier (MUGI);

determining, by the MU, whether the MUGI could have been derived from a mobile unit identifier (MUI) of the MU in combination with at least one other MUI from at least one other MU;

when the MU determines that the MUGI could have been derived from the MUI of the MU, processing the signaling as directed to the MU.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the MUI of the MU is derived by hashing at least a portion of an identifier of the MU.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein determining whether the MUGI could have been derived from the MUI of the MU comprises

performing a bitwise logical AND of the MUGI and the MUI of the MU.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the MUGI comprises a portion having M bits, wherein an n th bit of the M bits is set for each MU whose MUI is combined into the MUGI and wherein

n, for each MU, equals one plus modulo M of an identifier of the respective MU.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising

when the MU determines that the MUGI could have been derived from the MUI of the MU, determining not to send a response to the signaling based on at least one condition from the group consisting of

the MU has a low battery,

the MU has an associated service class that provides enhanced battery life,

the MU does not participate in a communication service indicated by the signaling, and

the MU detects subsequent signaling that indicates that another MU responded to the signaling.

23. A radio access network (RAN) comprising:

a transceiver;

a controller, communicatively coupled to the transceiver,

adapted to derive a mobile unit group identifier (MUGI) by combining individual mobile unit identifiers (MUIs) of a plurality of mobile units (MUs) for which signaling awaits transmission via a wireless communication resource;

adapted to transmit, via the transceiver and the wireless communication resource, combined signaling comprising the derived MUGI.

24. A mobile unit (MU) comprising:

a transceiver;

a processing unit, communicatively coupled to the transceiver,

adapted to receive, via a wireless communication resource and the transceiver, signaling that comprises a mobile unit group identifier (MUGI);

adapted to determine whether the MUGI could have been derived from a mobile unit identifier (MUI) of the MU in combination with at least one other MUI from at least one other MU;

adapted to process the signaling as directed to the MU when the MU determines that the MUGI could have been derived from the MUI of the MU.