METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING USER EQUIPMENT CAPABILITY INFORMATION

• US 20090093280A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kitazoe, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a wireless communication system, sends an initial connection request with the device capabilities of an indicated mobile station. The device capabilities comprise both semi-static capabilities and dynamic capabilities. The semi-static capabilities are stored in the core network. Data is transmitted via a wireless node before the mobile station transitions to an idle state. When transitioning back to an active state from the idle state when the semi-static capabilities have not changed, a connection request is sent with the dynamic capabilities of the user equipment without also transmitting the semi-static mobile station capabilities to the wireless node.

Claims

1. A method operable in a wireless communication, the method comprising:

sending an initial connection request, the initial connection request including device capabilities of an indicated user equipment, the device capabilities comprising semi-static capabilities and dynamic capabilities, the semi-static capabilities to be stored in the core network;

transmitting data via a wireless node;

transitioning to an idle state; and

when transitioning back to an active state from the idle state when the semi-static capabilities have not changed, sending a connection request with the dynamic capabilities of the user equipment without also transmitting the semi-static device capabilities to the wireless node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the semi-static capabilities included in the initial connection request; and

when transitioning back to an active state from the idle state when the semi-static capabilities have changed, sending a connection request with the dynamic capabilities and changed semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless system is based upon the Long Term Evolution (LTE).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the dynamic capabilities is achieved by borrowing one capability for the use of another capability.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transitioning to the idle state for a second time; and

when transitioning back to the active state from the second idle state when the semi-static capabilities have not changed, sending a connection request with the dynamic capabilities of the user equipment without also transmitting the semi-static device capabilities to the wireless node.

6. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for indicating semi-static and dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network upon initial connection of the mobile station to the wireless communication network; and

means for indicating dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network without indicating the semi-static capabilities of the apparatus when returning to an active state if semi-static capabilities of the apparatus have not changed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for indicating semi-static and dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network upon initial connection of the mobile station to the wireless communication network comprises means for indicating the semi-static and dynamic capabilities of the apparatus as part of a connection request.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means for indicating changed semi-static and dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network when returning to an active state if semi-static capabilities of the apparatus have changed.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for indicating dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network without indicating the semi-static capabilities of the apparatus when returning to an active state if semi-static capabilities of the apparatus have not changed comprises means for indicating dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network without indicating the semi-static capabilities of the apparatus when returning from an idle state.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for indicating semi-static and dynamic capabilities of a mobile station to a wireless communication network upon initial connection of the mobile station to the wireless communication network; and

code for when returning from an idle state to an active state when semi-static capabilities of the mobile station have not changed, indicating dynamic capabilities of the mobile station to the wireless communication network without indicating the semi-static capabilities of the mobile station.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising code for transitioning to an idle state when predetermined conditions are met.

12. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to

indicate semi-static and dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network upon initial connection to the wireless communication network; and

when returning from an idle state to an active state when semi-static capabilities have not changed, indicating dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network without indicating the semi-static capabilities of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication network is a cell-based wireless communication network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication network is a UMTS-based wireless communication network.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to when returning from an idle state to an active state when semi-static capabilities have changed, indicating the changed semi-static capabilities and dynamic capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

when the wireless communication network indicates that the network does not know the semi-static capabilities of the apparatus, indicating the semi-static capabilities of the apparatus to the wireless communication network.

17. A method operable in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a connection request to establish an active connection, the connection request indicating at least some device capabilities of an indicated mobile station;

determining mobile station capabilities sent with the connection request; and

when semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station are not sent with the connection request,

requesting the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station from a core network; and

receiving an indication of the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station from the core network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

when the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station are included with the connection request, transmitting the device capabilities of the indicated mobile station to the core network so that the semi-static capabilities of the mobile station are stored in the core network until the mobile station de-registers from the network.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising establishing an active connection with the indicated mobile station in accordance with the capabilities of that mobile station.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving of a connection request to establish an active connection further comprises at least one of:

receiving a connection request to return from an idle state;

or

receiving a connection request for an initial connection to a wireless communication network.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for receiving a connection request to establish an active connection in a wireless communication network, the connection request indicating at least some device capabilities of an indicated user equipment; and

code for when semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment are not sent with the connection request, requesting the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment from a core network and receiving an indication of the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment from the core network.

22. The computer product of claim 21 wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for facilitating establishing a connection with the indicated user equipment in accordance with the capabilities of the user equipment.

23. The computer product of claim 21 wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for when the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment are sent with the connection request, transmitting the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment to the core network for storage until the user equipment de-registers from the wireless communication network.

24. The computer product of claim 21 wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for releasing the capabilities of the indicated user equipment when the user equipment enters a non-active state.

25. An apparatus for use in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving multiple connection requests from mobile stations, each request to establish an active connection and the request indicating at least some device capabilities of an indicated mobile station;

means for requesting semi-static capabilities of an indicated mobile station from a core network of the wireless communication network when the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station are not sent with the connection request; and

means for receiving an indication of the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station from the core network.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising means for sending the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station to the core network for storage until the indicated mobile station de-registers from the wireless communications network.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

means for receiving an indication that the core network does not know the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station and transmitting a request for the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station to the indicated mobile station.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

means for releasing the capabilities of the indicated mobile station when the indicated mobile station enters an idle state.

29. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to

receive a connection request to establish an active connection, the connection request indicating at least some device capabilities of an indicated user equipment; and

when semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment is sent with the connection request, transmitting the semi-static capabilities of the user equipment to a core network for storage until the indicated user equipment de-registers from the computer network.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to when semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment are not sent with the connection request, request the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment from the core network and receive an indication of the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment from the core network.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the connection request is one of an initial connection request or a connection request when returning to an active state.

32. A method in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of semi-static capabilities of an indicated user equipment upon initial connection to the wireless communication system;

storing the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment at least until the indicated user equipment de-registers from the wireless communication system; and

when the indicated user equipment returns to an active state, indicating the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment to a Node B associated with the indicated user equipment.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the method is performed for each of multiple indicated user equipment.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the indicating of the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment to the Node B associated with the indicated user equipment is in response to a request from the Node B associated with the user equipment.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the indicating of the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment to the Node B associated with the indicated user equipment is in response to an active connection request from the user equipment via the Node B associated with the user equipment.

36. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to

receive an indication of semi-static capabilities of an indicated mobile station upon initial connection of the mobile station to the wireless network;

store the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station at least until the indicated mobile station de-registers from the wireless communication network; and

when the mobile station returns to an active state, indicating the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station to a Node B associated with the indicated mobile station.

37. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an indication of semi-static capabilities of an indicated mobile station upon initial connection to the wireless communication network;

means for storing the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station at least until the indicated mobile station de-registers from the wireless communication network; and

means for indicating the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station to a Node B associated with the indicated mobile station when the mobile station returns to an active state.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising means for releasing the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station when the mobile station de-registers from the wireless communication network.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for receiving an indication of capabilities of an indicated mobile station upon initial connection to a wireless communication network, the capabilities including dynamic capabilities and semi-static capabilities;

code for storing the semi-static capabilities of the indicated mobile station at least until the indicated mobile station de-registers from the wireless communication network; and

code for, when the mobile station returns to an active state, indicating the semi-static capabilities of the indicated user equipment to a Node B associated with the indicated mobile station.

40. The computer product of claim 39 wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for releasing the dynamic capabilities of the mobile station when the mobile station enters a non-active state.

41. The computer product of claim 39 wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for releasing the semi-static capabilities of the mobile station

when the mobile station de-registers from the wireless communication network.