METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BACKLOG RELATED INFORMATION

• US 20070258365A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rangan, Sundeep, Celebi, Samel, Hussain, Yunus, DAS, Arnab
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1221 based on age of data to be sent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for efficient communication of backlog information, e.g., backlog information indicating amounts of uplink traffic waiting to transmitted by a wireless terminal are described. Delta backlog reports are used in addition to absolute backlog reports, thus reducing control signaling overhead, at least some information communicated in a delta backlog report being referenced with respect to a previously transmitted backlog report. A base station uses received backlog information from wireless terminals in determining scheduling of uplink traffic channel segments In some embodiments, the absolute backlog report uses a first fixed size report format, while the delta backlog report using a second fixed size report format, said second size being different from said first fixed size.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications device to communicate transmission backlog information, the method comprising:

transmitting at a first point in time a first backlog report communicating backlog information about an amount of data waiting to be transmitted; and

transmitting at a second point in time a second backlog report communicating additional backlog information, at least some of said additional information being communicated as a differential value computed using a value communicated by said first backlog report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes fewer bits than said first size report.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes more bits than said first size report, the method further comprising:

transmitting a third report of the same fixed size as said second backlog report, said third report communicating one of;

a total backlog value and transmission delay information.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein said first, second and third reports are transmitted suing dedicated time slots in a reporting structure;

and

wherein prior to transmitting said second report, said communications device selects, for said second report, to communicate a differential value from a plurality of selection alternatives including communicating a differential value, communicating a value indicative of total backlog, and communicating transmission delay information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein prior to transmitting said third report, said communications device selects, for said third report, to communicate one of a value indicative of total backlog and transmission delay information from a plurality of selection alternatives including communicating a differential value, communicating a value indicative of total backlog, and communicating transmission delay information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating in said second report in addition to said differential value an indication as to whether or not there is at least one unit of data waiting to be transmitted with a first transmission deadline.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said first transmission deadline is a predetermined transmission deadline.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said predetermined transmission deadline is relative to a communication time corresponding to said report transmission.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein one of said first and second reports is a 3 bit report and the other one of said first and second reports is a 4 bit report.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said communications device is a mobile node and wherein said first and second reports are uplink traffic channel request reports.

11. A communications device, comprising

a backlog monitoring module for maintaining information about the amount of data waiting to be transmitted;

and

a report generation module for generating backlog reports communicating different types of backlog related information, one of said type of backlog related information being differential type information.

12. The communications device of claim 11, further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting at a first point in time a first backlog report communicating backlog information about an amount of data waiting to be transmitted; and

for transmitting at a second point in time a second backlog report communicating additional backlog information, at least some of said additional backlog information being communicated as a differential value computed using a value communicated by said first backlog report.

13. The communications device of claim 12, wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes fewer bits than said first size report.

14. The communications device of claim 12,

wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes more bits than said first size report.

15. The communications device of claim 14, further comprising:

memory including stored dedicated control channel structure information and

wherein said first and second reports are transmitted using dedicated time slots in a reporting structure.

16. The communications device of claim 14, further comprising:

a selection module for selecting between a plurality of alternative backlog information types which can be communicated, said alternative information types including at least two of a differential value, a value indicative of total backlog, and a transmission delay information value.

17. The communications device of claim 11, wherein said report generation module includes:

an encoding module for encoding into a report both a differential value and an indication of whether or not there is at least one unit of data waiting to be transmitted with a first transmission deadline.

18. The communications device of claim 17, wherein said first transmission deadline is a predetermined transmission deadline.

19. The communications device of claim 18, wherein said predetermined transmission deadline is relative to a communication time corresponding to said report transmission.

20. The communications device of claim 18, wherein one of said first and second reports is a 3 bit report and the other one of said first and second reports is a 4 bit report.

21. The communications device of claim 20, wherein said communications device is a mobile node and wherein said first and second reports are uplink traffic channel request reports.

22. The communications device, comprising:

means for backlog monitoring for maintaining information about the amount of data waiting to be transmitted; and

means for generating backlog reports communicating different types of backlog related information, one of said type of backlog related information being differential type information.

23. The communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for transmitting at a first point in time a first backlog report communicating backlog information about an amount of data waiting to be transmitted; and

for transmitting at a second point in time a second backlog report communicating additional backlog information, at least some of said additional backlog information being communicated as a differential value computed using a value communicated by said first backlog report.

24. The communications device of claim 23, wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes fewer bits than said first size report.

25. The communications device of claim 23,

wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes more bits than said first size report.

26. The communications device of claim 25, further comprising:

storage means including stored dedicated control channel structure information and

wherein said first and second reports are transmitted using dedicated time slots in a reporting structure.

27. The communications device of claim 25, further comprising:

means for selecting between a plurality of alternative backlog information types which can be communicated, said alternative information types including at least two of a differential value, a value indicative of total backlog, and a transmission delay information value.

28. The communications device of claim 22, wherein said means for generating backlog reports includes:

means for encoding into a report both a differential value and an indication of whether or not there is at least one unit of data waiting to be transmitted with a first transmission deadline.

29. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instruction for controlling a communications device to implement a method, the method comprising:

transmitting at a first point in time a first backlog report communicating backlog information about an amount of data waiting to be transmitted; and

transmitting a second point in time a second backlog report communicating additional backlog information, at least some of said additional information being communicated as a differential value computed using a value communicated by said first backlog report.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes fewer bits than said first size report.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29,

wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes more bits than said first size report, the computer readable medium further embodying machine executable instructions for:

transmitting a third report of the same fixed size as said second backlog report, said third report communicating one of;

a total backlog value and transmission delay information.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31,

wherein said first, second and third reports are transmitted using dedicated time slots in a reporting structure;

and

wherein said computer readable medium further embodies machine readable instructions for;

performing a reporting alternative type selection prior to transmitting said second report, and wherein said selection selects for said second report, to communicate a differential value from a plurality of selection alternatives including communicating a differential value, communicating a value indicative of total backlog, and communicating transmission delay information.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 31, said computer readable medium further embodies machine executable instruction for:

performing a reporting alternative selection prior to transmitting said third report, and said selection selects, for said third report, to communicate one of a value indicative of total backlog and transmission delay information from a plurality of selection alternatives including communicating a differential value, communicating a value indicative of total backlog, and communicating transmission delay information.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 29, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

communicating in said second report in addition to said differential value an indication as to whether or not there is at least one unit of data waiting to be transmitted with a first transmission deadline.

35. A device comprising:

a processor configured to;

transmit at a first point in time a first backlog report, communicating backlog information about an amount of data waiting to be transmitted; and

transmit at a second point in time a second backlog report communicating additional backlog information, at least some of said additional information being communicated as a differential value computed using a value communicated by said first backlog report.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes fewer bits than said first size report.

37. The device of claim 35,

wherein said first backlog report is a first fixed size report and said second backlog report is a second fixed size report which includes more bits than said first size report, and wherein said processor is further configured to:

transmit a third report of the same fixed size as said second backlog report, said third report communicating one of;

a total backlog value and transmission delay information.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein said processor is further configured to:

transmit said first, second and third reports using dedicated time slots in a reporting structure; and

wherein said processor is further configured to;

select prior to transmitting said second report and wherein said processor selects, for said second report, to communicate a differential value from a plurality of selection alternatives including communicating a differential value, communicating a value indicative of total backlog, and communicating transmission delay information.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein said processor is further configured to:

select prior to transmitting said third report and wherein said processor selects, for said third report, to communicate one of a value indicative of total backlog and transmission delay information from a plurality of selection alternatives including communicating a differential value, communicating a value indicative of total backlog, and communicating transmission delay information.

40. The device of claim 35, wherein said processor is further configured to:

communicate in said second report in addition to said differential value an indication as to whether or not there is at least one unit of data waiting to be transmitted with a first transmission deadline.