ALLOCATION OF RADIO RESOURCES FROM A NETWORK IN A PACKET SWITCHED DATA TRANSMISSION

• US 20080151830A1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: LEPPISAARI, Arto, KALLIOKULJU, Juha M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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 object of the invention is a method for allocating a radio resource in a packet switched data transmission system, such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), which data transmission system comprises terminals and a network. In the method, terminals communicate with the network over the radio interface by using the packet transfer mode, and for communication, a radio resource is allocated to the terminal. For allocating the radio resource, the terminal sends a message to the network. In particular, for allocating a radio resource for the packet switched implementation of a realtime service, a first message is transmitted from the terminal to the network and said first message is received in the network. The network identifies said first message as a radio resource request for the packet switched implementation of a realtime service and allocates to the terminal the requested radio resource for the packet switched implementation of the realtime service. The object of the invention is also a wireless terminal and a network element relating to the method according to the invention.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for allocating radio resources in a packet-switched data transmission system, in which system a terminal is capable of communicating with a network over a radio interface by using packet transfer mode, wherein the method comprises:

generating a radio resource request for allocating a radio resource to the terminal for packet-switched communication;

sending the radio resource request from the terminal to the network, wherein

the radio resource request comprises an express indication on whether the radio resource is requested for a real-time service, and wherein

the radio resource request is implemented by a protocol layer which defines procedures that enable radio resources to be allocated and divided among multiple users.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said radio resource request is sent in a message comprising a bit pattern for identifying said radio resource request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said protocol layer is a radio link control/medium access control layer.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein sending said radio resource request comprises sending a packet channel request of a general packet radio service system.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said packet channel request is:

8 bits long and comprises a bit pattern 01101 for identifying the request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service;

or

11 bits long and comprises a bit pattern 110101 for identifying the request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service.

23. A method for allocating radio resources in a packet-switched data transmission system, in which system a terminal is capable of communicating with a network over a radio interface by using packet transfer mode, wherein the method comprises:

receiving at the network a radio resource request sent by the terminal for allocating a radio resource to the terminal for packet-switched communication, wherein the radio resource request comprises an express indication that the radio resource is requested for a real-time service, wherein the method comprises;

allocating, by a network element, the requested radio resource for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service, and wherein

the radio resource request is implemented by a protocol layer which defines procedures that enable radio resources to be allocated and divided among multiple users.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said radio resource allocation comprises:

establishing an open ended temporary block flow connection between the terminal and the network;

setting a radio link control mode of said temporary block flow connection as an unacknowledged mode.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein as an indication of the radio resource allocation the network sends to the terminal a packet uplink assignment message.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein said protocol layer is a radio link control/medium access control layer.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the network allocates to the terminal the requested radio resource for the packet-switched implementation of the real-time service in response to receiving said radio resource request, the method being one-phased.

28. A terminal for communication, wherein

the terminal is configured for communication with a network over a radio interface by using packet transfer mode, the terminal comprising:

a processor for generating a radio resource request for allocating radio resource to the terminal for packet-switched communication;

a transmitter for sending the radio resource request from the terminal to the network;

a protocol layer for defining procedures that enable radio resources to be allocated and divided among multiple users, the protocol layer being configured to implement said radio resource request, wherein

the terminal is configured to include into the radio resource request an express indication on whether radio resource is requested for a real-time service.

29. A terminal according to claim 28, wherein the terminal is configured to send said radio resource request in a message comprising a bit pattern for identifying said radio resource request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service.

30. A terminal according to claim 28, wherein said protocol layer is a radio link control/medium access control layer.

31. A terminal according to claim 28, wherein said radio resource request comprises a packet channel request of a general packet radio service system.

32. A terminal according to claim 31, wherein said packet channel request is:

8 bits long and comprises a bit pattern 01101 for identifying the request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service;

or

11 bits long and comprises a bit pattern 110101 for identifying the request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service.

33. A terminal according to claim 28, wherein said terminal is one of the following:

a mobile terminal of a cellular network or a computer terminal that is configured to communicate via a mobile terminal of a cellular network.

34. A terminal according to claim 28, wherein the real-time service is selected from a group consisting of:

transmission of speech, transmission of video image.

35. An apparatus for allocating radio resources in a packet-switched data transmission system, in which system a terminal is capable of communicating with a network over a radio interface by using packet transfer mode, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a receiver for receiving at the network a radio resource request sent by the terminal for allocating a radio resource to the terminal for packet-switched communication, wherein the radio resource request comprises an express indication that the radio resource is requested for a real-time service, wherein the apparatus further comprises;

a control unit for allocating the requested radio resource for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service, wherein

the radio resource request is implemented by a protocol layer which defines procedures that enable radio resources to be allocated and divided among multiple users.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said apparatus comprises said protocol layer and is configured to identify said radio resource request as a radio resource request for packet-switched implementation of a real-time service and to allocate the requested radio resource.

37. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the allocation comprises:

establishing an open ended temporary block flow connection between the terminal and the network;

setting a radio link control mode of said temporary block flow connection as an unacknowledged mode.

38. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the apparatus is configured to send to the terminal a packet uplink assignment message as an indication of the radio resource allocation.