Dynamic uplink control channel gating to increase capacity

• US 20070030839A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vimpari, Anna-Mari, Ranta-Aho, Karri, Malkamaki, Esa, Nauha, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/44 in connection with interruption of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for dynamic gating of an uplink (UL) control channel, e.g., dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) for increasing capacity of communications, e.g., wireless communications, wherein said gating is defined, using a predetermined criterion, by instructions provided by a network and by a transmission gap in a discontinuous data signal, e.g., transmitted on an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

scheduling, using a predetermined criterion, a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel depending on instructions and on a transmission gap length in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel; and

transmitting said discontinuous control signal to said network element by a user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said instructions are at least one of:

a) predefined rules, and

b) instructions provided by the network element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said instructions comprise at least one of:

a maximum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

a minimum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

timing of said control channel transmission,

a duration of said control channel transmission,

a maximum transmission gap in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel still requiring an uplink control channel transmission,

a minimum transmission gap in the discontinuous data signal requiring continuous control channel transmission, and

an algorithm, according to which said discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel depends on said discontinuous data signal on the data channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said discontinuous control channel is an uplink dedicated physical control channel and said data channel is an uplink enhanced dedicated channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said network element is a Node B, and said network element and said user equipment are configured for wireless communications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein during said scheduling, said gating of said discontinuous control signal further depends on timing of a further report signal comprising channel quality indicator reporting information regarding a downlink channel and sent to said network element by said user equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein during said scheduling, a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is changed by a pre-selected value after a pre-selected time period of a transmission inactivity of said discontinuous data signal, and after transmitting said discontinuous data signal again, said gating period is changed to its initial predefined value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein during said scheduling, a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is increased by a pre-selected value after every pre-selected time period of a transmission inactivity of said discontinuous data signal, wherein said gating period cannot exceed a pre-selected maximum value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein during said scheduling, a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is increased to a pre-selected maximum value after a pre-selected time period of a transmission inactivity of said discontinuous data signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein during said scheduling, a time duration of said discontinuous control signal is adjusted according to a further predetermined criterion.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said time duration of said discontinuous control signal is increased by a pre-selected value after every pre-selected time period of a transmission inactivity of said discontinuous data signal, wherein said time duration cannot exceed a pre-selected maximum value.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein during said scheduling, a timing of gating of said discontinuous control signal relative to said discontinuous data signal is determined according to a predetermined algorithm and depends on said discontinuous data signal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is an average or a maximum allowed gap length in a randomized transmission pattern of said discontinuous control signal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said scheduling is provided by said network element or by said user equipment.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor with said computer program code, wherein said computer program code comprises instructions for performing the method of claim 1, indicated as being performed by any component or a combination of components of said user equipment or said network element.

17. A user equipment, comprising:

an uplink scheduling and signal generating module, for generating a discontinuous control signal;

a receiving/transmitting/processing module, for transmitting said discontinuous control signal to said network element,

wherein scheduling of said discontinuous control signal is provided, using a predetermined criterion, depending on instructions and on a transmission gap length in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel.

18. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein said uplink scheduling and signal generating module is configured to provide said scheduling.

19. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein said scheduling is provided by said network element using said instructions.

20. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein said instructions are one of:

c) predefined rules, and

d) instructions provided by the network element.

21. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein said instructions are provided by the network element and comprise at least one of:

a maximum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

a minimum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

timing of said control channel transmission,

a duration of said control channel transmission,

a maximum transmission gap in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel still requiring an uplink control channel transmission, and

a minimum transmission gap in the discontinuous data signal requiring continuous control channel transmission, and

an algorithm, according to which said discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel depends on said discontinuous data signal on the data channel.

22. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein said discontinuous control channel is an uplink dedicated physical control channel and said data channel is an uplink enhanced dedicated channel.

24. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein during said scheduling, said gating of said discontinuous control signal further depends on timing of a further report signal comprising channel quality indicator reporting information regarding a downlink channel and sent to said network element by said user equipment.

25. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein during said scheduling, a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is changed by a pre-selected value after a pre-selected time period of a transmission inactivity of said discontinuous data signal, and after transmitting said discontinuous data signal again, said gating period is changed to its initial predefined value.

26. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein during said scheduling, a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is increased by a pre-selected value after every pre-selected time period of a transmission inactivity of said discontinuous data signal, wherein said gating period cannot exceed a pre-selected maximum value.

27. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein during said scheduling, a time duration of said discontinuous control signal is adjusted according to a further predetermined criterion.

28. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein during said scheduling, a timing of gating of said discontinuous control signal relative to said discontinuous data signal is determined according to a predetermined algorithm and depends on said discontinuous data signal.

29. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein a gaiting period of said discontinuous control signal is an average or a maximum allowed gap length in a randomized transmission pattern of said discontinuous control signal.

30. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein said user equipment is configured for wireless communications.

31. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein an integrated circuit comprises the uplink scheduling and signal generating module and the receiving/transmitting/processing module.

32. A user equipment comprising:

means for signal generation, for generating a discontinuous control signal;

means for receiving and transmitting, for transmitting said discontinuous control signal to said network element,

wherein scheduling of said discontinuous control signal is provided, using a predetermined criterion, depending on instructions and on a transmission gap length in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel.

33. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein said means for signal generation is configured to provide said scheduling.

34. A network element, comprising:

a transmitter block, for transmitting instructions for scheduling a discontinuous control signal to a user equipment; and

a receiving block, for receiving a discontinuous data signal and said discontinuous control signal,

wherein scheduling of said discontinuous control signal is provided, using a predetermined criterion, depending on said instructions and on a transmission gap length in said discontinuous data signal on a data channel.

35. The network element of claim 34, wherein said instructions comprise at least one of:

a maximum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

a minimum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

timing of said control channel transmission,

a duration of said control channel transmission, a maximum transmission gap in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel still requiring an uplink control channel transmission, and

a minimum transmission gap in the discontinuous data signal requiring continuous control channel transmission.

36. A communication system, comprising:

a user equipment, for transmitting a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel,

a network element, for receiving said discontinuous control signal, wherein scheduling of said discontinuous control signal is provided, using a predetermined criterion, depending on instructions and on a transmission gap length in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel.

37. The system of claim 37, wherein said instructions are one of:

e) predefined rules, and

f) instructions provided by the network element.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said instructions are provided by the network element and comprise at least one of:

a maximum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

a minimum limit for a gap period or a gap length for said control channel transmission,

timing of said control channel transmission,

a duration of said control channel transmission,

a maximum transmission gap in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel still requiring an uplink control channel transmission, and

a minimum transmission gap in the discontinuous data signal requiring continuous control channel transmission, and

an algorithm, according to which said discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel depends on said discontinuous data signal on the data channel.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein said scheduling is provided by said network element or by said user equipment.