Communication unit, system and method for saving power therein

• US 20080267148A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: IPWireless Inc. (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Speight, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication unit comprises a receiver for receiving a message sent on an allocation channel, packet identifying logic, capable of identifying a data type of the received message, operably coupled to buffer logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit. In an active mode of operation, the receiver of the communication unit is capable of intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel and transition to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to either: the buffer logic identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; or the packet identifying logic receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

Claims

1. A communication unit comprising a receiver for receiving a message sent on an allocation channel, packet identifying logic capable of identifying a data type of the received message, operably coupled to buffer logic for buffering data packets to be sent to a second communication unit, and wherein, in an active mode of operation, the receiver is capable of intermittently receiving a message sent on the allocation channel and capable of transitioning to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to at least one of:

the buffer logic identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; and

the packet identifying logic receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

2. The communication unit of claim 1 wherein the communication unit is operable in a third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

3. The communication unit of claim 2 wherein the packet identifying logic is operable to identify packet data control protocol (PDCP) data.

4. The communication unit of claim 2 wherein the packet identifying logic is operable to identify whether a keep alive message is contained in the communication resource allocation message, and upon determining a message other than the keep alive message the communication unit is operable to transition to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel.

5. The communication unit of claim 4 wherein the keep alive message is a link control protocol (LCP) echo/response message in the inactive state.

6. The communication unit of claim 1 wherein the communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit and the second communication unit is a network-based communication unit.

7. The communication unit of claim 6 wherein the wireless subscriber communication unit comprises buffer determining logic operably coupled to the buffer logic and for identifying buffer occupancy in at least one uplink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

8. The communication unit of claim 1 wherein the communication unit is a network-based communication unit and the second communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit.

9. The communication unit of claim 8 wherein the network-based communication unit comprises buffer determining logic operably coupled to the buffer logic operable for identifying buffer occupancy in at least one of:

at least one uplink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s); and

at least one downlink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

10. A method of saving power in a cellular communication unit comprising:

receiving a message sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

identifying a data type of the message sent between the communication unit and a second communication unit;

buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit;

intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel; and

transitioning to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to at least one of;

identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; and

receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the communication system is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein identifying a data type comprises identifying packet data control protocol (PDCP) data.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein identifying a data type comprises:

identifying whether a keep alive message is contained in the communication resource allocation message, and upon determining a message other than the keep alive message, and

transitioning to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein identifying whether a keep alive message is contained in the communication resource allocation message comprises identifying whether the keep alive message is a link control protocol (LCP) echo/response message in an inactive state.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit and the second communication unit is a network-based communication unit.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising identifying buffer occupancy in at least one uplink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the communication unit is a network-based communication unit and the second communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising identifying buffer occupancy in at least of:

at least one uplink radio link control (RLC), buffer(s); and

at least one downlink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

19. A communication unit comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

program code executable on the processor, the program code operable for;

receiving a message sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

identifying a data type of the message sent between the communication unit and a second communication unit;

buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit;

intermittently receiving the a message sent on the allocation channel; and

transitioning to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to at least one member of a group including;

identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; and

receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

20. A computer program product comprising program code for:

receiving a message sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

identifying a data type of the message sent between the communication unit and a second communication unit;

buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit;

intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel; and

transitioning to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to at least one of;

identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; and

receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

21. A communication unit comprising:

logic for receiving a message sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

logic for identifying a data type of the message sent between the communication unit and a second communication unit;

logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit;

logic for intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel; and

logic for transitioning to continuously receive one or more messages sent on the allocation channel in response to at least one of;

logic for identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; and

logic for receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

22. A cellular communication system supporting communication between a communication unit and a second communication unit, wherein the communication unit comprises a receiver for receiving a message sent on an allocation channel of the cellular communication system, packet identifying logic for identifying a data type of the received message operably coupled to buffer logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit, wherein in an active mode of operation, the receiver of the communication unit is operable for intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel and the communication unit is operable for transitioning to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to at least one of:

the buffer logic identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; and

the packet identifying logic receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.