Method and apparatus for enabling transmission of communication response in a slotted radio data communication system

• US 20070177537A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pecen, Mark, Wandel, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, that facilitates communication of data in a radio communication system that utilizes a slotted communication scheme. Multiple successive time slots are allocable upon which to communicate data to a receiving communication station. At selected intervals, a controller causes the mode of operation of the receiving communication station to be changed to pause operation in a receive mode and, during the pause, to cause operation of the receiving communication station to transmit data, such as control acknowledgments or other responses.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating communication response by a first communication station that receives communication data communicated upon time slots defined pursuant to a time slotted communication scheme, said apparatus comprising:

a controller adapted to receive an indication of when the communication response is to be sent by the first communication station, said controller configured selectably to generate a receive pause control signal used to pause receive operation of the first communication station during at least a first selected time slot period; and

a communication response generator configured to generate the communication response, available for communication by the first communication station during the at least the first selected time slot period identified in the receive pause control signal generated by said controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller is farther adapted to receive an indication of when the communication data received by the first communication station is communicated during more than a selected number of successive time slots, and wherein generation of the receive pause control signal in responsive, in part, to the indication of communication of the communication data during the more than the selected number of the successive time slots.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the time slotted communication scheme defines frames, each frame formed of a group of time slots, and wherein the selected number of successive time slots comprises a plurality of time slots forming at least a frame of time slots.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least the first selected time slot period identified in the receive pause controls signal comprises at least one time slot of the successive time slots during which the communication data received by the first communication station is communicated.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication response comprises a communication acknowledgement that acknowledges receipt of the communication data received at the first communication station and wherein said communication response generator comprises a communication acknowledgment generator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication response comprises traffic data and wherein said communication response generator comprises a traffic data generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first communication station comprises a receiver and wherein the receive pause control signal generated by said controller is applied to the receiver to pause receive operation thereof during the first selected time slot period.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first communication station comprises a transmitter and wherein the communication response generated by said communication response generator is applied to the transmitter for communication there from.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least the first selected time slot period comprises a duration lengthy enough to permit the first communication station to change operation thereof to permit communication of the communication response, to communicate the communication response, and to return operation thereof to receive the communication data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication response comprises traffic data, wherein said communication response generator is further adapted to receive a state flag indication, said communication response generator configured to generate the communication response comprising the traffic data when the state flag indication is of a selected value.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller and said communication response generator together operate autonomously.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the time slotted communication scheme comprises a GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) communication system that provides for high-speed data services, wherein the communication data received by the first communication station comprises high-speed service data, and wherein the receive pause control signal generated by said controller pauses operation of the first communication station to receive the high-speed service data.

13. A method for facilitating communication response by a first communication station that receives communication data communicated upon time slots defined pursuant to a time slotted communication scheme, said method comprising the operation of:

selectably generating a receive pause control signal used to pause receive operation of the first communication station during at least a first selected time slot period; and

generating the communication response, available for communication by the first communication station during the at least the first selected tie slot period identified in the receive pause control signal generated during said operation of selectably generating.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the operation, prior to said operation of selectably generating, of detecting an indication of when the communication response is to be next by the fast communication station, and wherein generation of the receive pause control signal during said operation of selectably generating is responsive to detection of the indication.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the operation of detecting an indication of when the communication data received by the first communication station is communicated by more than a selected number of successive time slots, and wherein generation of the receive pause control signal during said operation of selectably generating is further responsive to the indication.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least the first selected time slot identified in the receive pause control signal generated during said operation of selectably generating comprises at least one time slot of the successive time-slots during which the communication data received by the first communication station is communicated.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the communication response comprises a communication acknowledgment that acknowledges receipt of the communication data received at the first communication station, and wherein said operation of generating the communication response comprises generating the communication acknowledgment.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the communication response comprises traffic data and wherein said operation of generating the communication response comprises generating the traffic data.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the operation of pausing reception at the first communication station during the first time slot period identified in the receive pause control signal generated during said operation of selectably generating the receive pause control signal.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the operation of send the communication response generated during said operation of generating the communication response to a remote station.