Variable length radio link ID for resource allocation in mobile communication systems

• US 20070097866A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kashima, Tsuyoshi, Kahtava, Jussi
• Granted Patent: US 7,852,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/672 Short addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• 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 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for varying a length of a radio link ID (RLID) of a user equipment for resource allocation in mobile communication systems. This allows to employ shorter RLID lengths than it is necessary if all user equipments (UEs) in the active mode are uniquely identified simultaneously, thus providing considerable savings in the signaling resource on the physical layer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

entering an active mode by a user equipment and assigning a radio link ID for the user equipment;

additionally assigning a short radio link ID for the user equipment, wherein said short radio link ID comprises a smaller number of digital bits than said radio link ID; and

allocating resources related to said user equipment using said short radio link ID during said active mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said additionally assigning is performed using at least one one of:

a) a network element providing said short radio link ID to the user equipment, b) the user equipment, and c) a predetermined algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein before said additionally assigning, the method comprises:

determining if said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with a regularity corresponding to a predetermined criterion, wherein the additionally assigning is performed only if said predetermined criterion is met.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining is performed by a network element or by the user equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein after said additionally assigning, the method comprises:

further assigning, if said predetermined criterion is met, a pattern of subframes during which the short radio link ID is valid for the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said allocating resources related to said user equipment is performed using said short radio link ID in said pattern of subframes during which the short radio link ID is valid and using said radio link ID for subframes not included in said pattern of subframes.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said further assigning is performed using at least one of:

a) a network element providing said short radio link ID to the user equipment;

b) the user equipment, and c) a predetermined algorithm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocated resources related to said user equipment are in an uplink, in a downlink or in combination thereof.

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

10. 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 a network.

11. A user equipment, comprising:

an allocation obtaining block, for determining allocated resources related to said user equipment in an active mode using a short radio link ID additionally assigned to the user equipment during said active mode, wherein said short radio link ID comprises a smaller number of digital bits than a radio link ID assigned to said user equipment when said user equipment entered said active mode.

12. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein said allocation obtaining block is configured to additionally assign said short radio link ID.

13. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein said short radio link ID is additionally assigned using at least one of:

a) said allocation obtaining block, b) a network element, and c) a predetermined algorithm.

14. The user equipment of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiving/transmitting/processing module, responsive to a downlink signal, for providing an uplink signal; and

an uplink/downlink activity block, responsive to said uplink and downlink signals, for determining if said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with a regularity corresponding to a predetermined criterion, wherein

said additionally assigning of said short radio link ID is performed if it is determined that said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with the regularity corresponding to said predetermined criterion.

15. The user equipment of claim 11, further comprising:

un uplink scheduling and signal generating module, for scheduling and providing an uplink signal to a network element using said allocated resources

16. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the allocation obtaining block is configured for the determining the allocated resources related to said user equipment using said short radio link ID in a pattern of subframes during which the short radio link ID is valid and using said radio link ID for subframes not included in said pattern of subframes, wherein said pattern of subframes during which the short radio link ID is valid for the user equipment is further assigned to said user equipment.

17. The user equipment of claim 16, wherein said allocation obtaining block is configured to further assign said short radio link ID.

18. The user equipment of claim 16, wherein said short radio link ID is further assigned using at least one of:

a) said allocation obtaining block, b) a network element, and c) a predetermined algorithm.

19. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein said allocated resources related to said user equipment are in an uplink, in a downlink or in combination thereof.

20. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein an integrated circuit comprises all or selected blocks or modules of said user equipment.

21. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a network element, for providing a downlink signal; and

a user equipment, responsive to said downlink signal, for allocating resources related to said user equipment in an active mode using a short radio link ID additionally assigned for the user equipment during said active mode, wherein

said short radio link ID comprises a smaller number of digital bits than a radio link ID assigned to said user equipment when said user equipment entered said active mode.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said short radio link ID is additionally assigned using at least one of:

a) said network element providing said short radio link ID to the user equipment, b) the user equipment, and c) a predetermined algorithm.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said short radio link ID is additionally assigned if it is determined by said user equipment or by said network element that said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with a regularity corresponding to a predetermined criterion.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is configured to allocate the resources related to said user equipment using said short radio link ID in a pattern of subframes during which the short RLID is valid and using said radio link ID for subframes not included in said pattern of subframes, wherein said pattern of subframes during which the further short RLID is valid for the user equipment is further assigned for said user equipment.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said short radio link ID is further assigned using at least one of:

a) said network element providing said short radio link ID to the user equipment, b) the user equipment, and c) a predetermined algorithm.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said network element is a Node B or a radio network controller and said network element and said user equipment are configured for wireless communications

27. A network element, comprises:

an RLID assigning block, for assigning a radio link ID for a user equipment when said user equipment enters an active state and for assigning a short radio link ID for the user equipment when said user is in the active state, wherein

said short radio link ID comprises a smaller number of digital bits than said radio link ID, and wherein said user equipment can allocate resources related to said user equipment using said short radio link ID.

28. The network element of claim 27, wherein a pattern of subframes during which the short RLID is valid for the user equipment is further assigned to said user equipment by said an RLID assigning block if it is determined that said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with a regularity corresponding to a predetermined criterion such that the user equipment can allocate the resources related to said user equipment using the short radio link ID in the pattern of subframes during which the short RLID is valid and using said radio link ID for subframes not included in said pattern of subframes.

29. The network element of claim 28, further comprising:

an uplink/downlink activity block, for determining whether said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with said regularity corresponding to said predetermined criterion.

30. The network element of claim 28, wherein said short radio link ID is further assigned by the network element and provided to the user equipment.

31. A user equipment, comprising:

allocating means, for determining allocated resources related to said user equipment in an active mode using a short radio link ID additionally assigned to the user equipment during said active mode, wherein said short radio link ID comprises a smaller number of digital bits than a radio link ID assigned to said user equipment when said user equipment entered said active mode.

32. The user equipment of claim 31, wherein said allocating means is configured to additionally assign said short radio link ID.

33. The user equipment of claim 31, further comprising:

means for receiving and transmitting, responsive to a downlink signal, for providing an uplink signal; and

activity means, responsive to said uplink and downlink signals, for determining if said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with a regularity corresponding to a predetermined criterion, wherein

said additionally assigning of said short radio link ID is performed if it is determined that said user equipment transmits and receives transport blocks with the regularity corresponding to said predetermined criterion.