METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STATE/MODE TRANSITIONING

• US 20090124212A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: WIRTANEN, Jeffrey, ARZELIER, Claude, SUZUKI, Takashi, ISLAM, Muhammad Khaledul, YOUNG, Gordon Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transitioning states or modes on a user equipment, the method having the steps of receiving, at a network element, a transition indication; checking a radio resource profile for the user equipment; and making a transitioning decision at the network element based on the received transition indication and the radio resource profile.

Claims

1. A method for transitioning states or modes on a user equipment comprising:

receiving, at a network element, a transition indication;

checking a radio resource profile for the user equipment; and

making a transitioning decision at the network element based on the received transition indication and the radio resource profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition indication is triggered by a message from an application on the user equipment indicating that the application is finished with an exchange of data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition indication further includes data embedded therein.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the data includes one or more of a cause indication, a probability of error, and a radio resource profile aspect.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the radio resource profile includes static profile information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the static profile information includes an access point name, quality of service, or a packet data protocol context.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the radio resource profile includes a transition profile.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the transition profile includes whether the state of the user equipment should enter transition at all, state transition preferences, delay or inactivity timer values, or a probability that a user equipment is correct to request a transition.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the transition profile is application specific.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the transition profile is a composite of application transition profiles.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the radio resource profile is a composite of all radio access bearer radio resource profiles for the user equipment.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition decision is a decision selected from the group:

do nothing;

transition to a less battery intensive state;

transition to an idle mode; and

tear down one or more radio access bearers.

13. A network element adapted to make a transitioning decision, comprising:

a communications subsystem adapted to receive a transition indication;

memory; and

a processor adapted to check a radio resource profile for a user equipment, the processor further adapted to make the transitioning decision based on the received transition indication and the radio resource profile.

14. The network element of claim 13 wherein the transition indication is a message from an application on the user equipment indicating that the application is finished with an exchange of data.

15. The network element of claim 13 wherein the transition indication further includes data embedded therein.

16. The network element of claim 15 wherein the data includes one or more of a cause indication, a probability of error, and a radio resource profile aspect.

17. The network element of claim 13 wherein the radio resource profile includes static profile information.

18. The network element of claim 17 wherein the static profile information includes an access point name, quality of service, or a packet data protocol context.

19. The network element of claim 13 wherein the radio resource profile includes a transition profile.

20. The network element of claim 19 wherein the transition profile includes whether the state of the user equipment should enter transition at all, state transition preferences, delay or inactivity timer values, or a probability that a user equipment is correct to request a transition.

21. The network element of claim 19 wherein the transition profile is application specific.

22. The network element of claim 19 wherein the transition profile is a composite of application transition profiles.

23. The network element of claim 13 wherein the radio resource profile is a composite of all radio access bearer radio resource profiles for the user equipment.

24. The network element of claim 13 wherein the transition decision is a decision selected from the group:

do nothing;

transition to a less battery intensive state;

transition to an idle mode; and

tear down one or more radio access bearers.

25. The network element of claim 13 wherein the memory is adapted to store the radio resource profile.

26. A user equipment adapted to initiate a transitioning decision, comprising:

a communications subsystem adapted communicate with a network;

memory; and

a processor adapted to determine if a state/mode transition is desirable and further adapted to send a transition indication to the network responsive to the determination,

wherein the user equipment is adapted to receive a transitioning decision from the network based on the transitioning indication.

27. The user equipment of claim 26 wherein the transition indication is triggered by a message from an application on the user equipment indicating that the application is finished with an exchange of data.

28. The user equipment of claim 27 wherein the transition indication is a composite status of all applications on the user equipment

29. The user equipment of claim 26 wherein the transition indication further includes data embedded therein.

30. The user equipment of claim 28 wherein the embedded data is a transition profile.

31. The user equipment of claim 26, wherein the transition indication is a dedicated message between the user equipment and the network.

32. The user equipment of claim 26, further comprising a timer adapted to be set after the processor has sent the transition indication.

33. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein the processor is adapted to check whether the sending was successful, and responsive to the check delaying resending the transition indication until the expiration of the timer.

34. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein a value for the timer is received from the network.

35. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein a value for the timer is determined based on the transition indication.

36. A method for initiating a transitioning decision from a user equipment comprising:

determining if a state/mode transition is desirable at the user equipment; and

sending a transition indication to the network responsive to the determination,

whereby the user equipment receives a transitioning decision from the network based on the transitioning indication.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the transition indication is triggered by a message from an application on the user equipment indicating that the application is finished with an exchange of data.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the transition indication is a composite status of all applications on the user equipment

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the transition indication further includes data embedded therein.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the embedded data is a transition profile.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the transition indication is a dedicated message between the user equipment and the network.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising setting a timer after the sending.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising checking whether the sending was successful, and responsive to the checking delaying resending the transition indication until the expiration of the timer.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein a value for the timer is received from the network.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein a value for the timer is determined based on the transition indication.