Methods and apparatus for transitioning between states

• US 20080014920A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Uppala, Sathyadev Venkata, Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi, Anigstein, Pablo, Srinivasan, Murari, Dugad, Rakesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate transitioning between states associated with a wireless terminal. The wireless terminal may transition to and/or from a split-tone on state, which may enable increasing overall user capacity related to a base station or sector. Further, such state transitions may reduce power consumption associated with the wireless terminal.

Claims

1. A method that facilitates transitioning between wireless terminal states, comprising:

utilizing a first state;

transitioning from the first state to a split-tone on state to reduce power consumption associated with the wireless terminal; and

utilizing the split-tone on state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state is a full-tone on state and the transitioning is effectuated with low latency and high reliability.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the split-tone on state is associated with at least one of a rate related to an uplink control channel lower than associated with the full-tone on state and a diminished rate of power control as compared to the full-tone on state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state is a hold state and the wireless terminal directly transitions from the hold state to the split-tone on state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the split-tone on state is associated with at least one of a rate related to an uplink control channel greater than associated with the hold state and a rate of power control greater than that of the hold state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state is a sleep state and the transitioning includes employing an access state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning is base station initiated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning is wireless terminal initiated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the split-tone on state employs a 1/N split of a full-tone on state, where N is an integer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the split-tone on state utilizes a ⅓

split of the full-tone on state and supports three wireless terminals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the split-tone on state further comprises inhibiting transmission and utilization of associated circuitry during segments not assigned to the wireless terminal.

12. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains a state assignment associated with a first state; and

a processor that utilizes the first state, transitions to a split-tone on state from the first state to tailor resource utilization to wireless terminal usage, and employs the split-tone on state.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor changes from the first state being at least one of a full-tone on state and a hold state to the split-tone on state via a contention-free transition.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor transitions to the split-tone on state by transmitting a request upon an uplink.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor transitions to the split-tone on state upon receipt of a state transition channel segment via a downlink.

16. A wireless communications apparatus that enables transitioning between states associated with a wireless terminal, comprising:

means for utilizing a first state;

means for transitioning to a split-tone on state from the first state to reduce a rate associated with power control; and

means for utilizing the split-tone on state.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first state is at least one of a full-tone on state, a hold state, and the split-tone on state and transitioning is contention-free.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the transitioning is base station initiated.

19. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the transitioning is wireless terminal initiated.

20. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for:

employing a split-tone on state;

transitioning from the split-tone on state to a second state; and

employing the second state.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the second state is at least one of a full-tone on state, a hold state, and the split-tone on state and the transitioning skips an access state.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the split-tone on state utilizes a 1/N split of a full-tone on state, where N is an integer.

23. A processor that executes the following instructions:

utilizing a first state;

changing to a split-tone on state from the first state in response to receiving a state transition channel segment; and

utilizing the split-tone on state.

24. The processor of claim 23, wherein the first state is at least one of a full-tone on state, a hold state, and the split-tone on state.

25. The processor of claim 24, wherein the processor directly changes to the split-tone on state from the first state by skipping an access state.

26. A method that facilitates increasing a number of users capable of simultaneously being supported by a base station, comprising:

evaluating characteristics of usage related to a wireless terminal in a first state;

transitioning the wireless terminal to a split-tone on state from the first state to increase user capacity; and

communicating with the wireless terminal in the split-tone on state.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first state comprises at least one of a full-tone on state and a hold state.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the transitioning occurs without utilizing an access state.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the first state comprises a null state and a sleep state and the transitioning is effectuated with an intermediate access state.

30. The method of claim 26, the transitioning being effectuated based upon an evaluation by a base station.

31. The method of claim 26, the transitioning being effectuated based upon a received request from the wireless terminal.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein evaluating the characteristics of usage comprise analyzing wireless channel conditions.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein evaluating the characteristics of usage comprise evaluating a data usage pattern of the wireless terminal.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein evaluating the characteristics of usage comprise analyzing a quality of service profile associated with the wireless terminal to provide differential user treatment by employing the split-tone on state and a full-tone on state.

35. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains measured characteristics associated with a wireless terminal; and

a processor that determines to transition a state associated with the wireless terminal, transmits a state transition channel segment to the wireless terminal indicating to switch to a split-tone on state, receives an acknowledgement from the wireless terminal, and communicates with the wireless terminal in the split-tone on state.

36. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the split-tone on state employs a 1/N split of a full-tone on state, where N is an integer.

37. A wireless communications apparatus for controlling base station capacity, comprising:

means for receiving a request to transition from a first state to a split-tone on state for a wireless terminal;

means for transmitting a state transition channel segment to the wireless terminal to change from the first state to the split-tone on state; and

means for communicating with the wireless terminal in the split-tone on state.

38. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for determining whether to transition the wireless terminal from the first state to the split-tone on state.

39. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 37, wherein the first state is at least one of a full-tone on state, a hold state, and the split-tone on state, and the transitioning skips an access state.

40. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for:

evaluating available control channel resources;

transmitting a state transition channel request to a wireless terminal in a full-tone on state to effectuate transitioning to a split-tone on state; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the wireless terminal.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the state transition channel request includes at least one of a state to transition to, a duration for the transition, and a rate associated with a split-tone on state.

42. A processor that executes the following instructions:

receiving a request to switch from a first state to a split-tone on state for a wireless terminal;

sending a state transition channel segment to the wireless terminal to change from the first state to the split-tone on state; and

communicating with the wireless terminal in the split-tone on state.

43. The processor of claim 42, wherein the first state is at least one of a full-tone on state, a hold state, and the split-tone on state.