Techniques for reducing buffer overflow in a communication system

• US 20090245223A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Godfrey, Tim G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A technique for operating a wireless communication device includes transmitting a first downlink rate in a first control message. The first downlink rate is based on a latency of an inter-processor communication link associated with the wireless communication device. First downlink data at the first downlink rate is then received for a first time period. Following the first time period, second downlink data is received at a second downlink rate that is higher than the first downlink rate.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, comprising:

transmitting, in a first control message, a first downlink rate, wherein the first downlink rate is based on a latency of an inter-processor communication link associated with the wireless communication device;

receiving, for a first time period, first downlink data at the first downlink rate; and

receiving, following the first time period, second downlink data at a second downlink rate that is higher than the first downlink rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time period and the second downlink rate are also transmitted in the first control message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first downlink rate is specified by an initial downlink rate capability parameter and the second downlink rate is specified by a maximum downlink rate capability parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, in a second control message, the second downlink rate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second control message is transmitted on an uplink channel assigned in an uplink grant in response to a random access channel procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second downlink data corresponds to user datagram protocol data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second downlink data corresponds to voice over internet protocol data or video data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inter-processor communication link is a universal serial bus link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the inter-processor communication link couples a first processor that is included in the wireless communication device to a second processor that is not included in the wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the inter-processor communication link couples a first processor that is included in the wireless communication device to a second processor that is included in the wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first event associated with initiation of an operation within the wireless communication device;

transmitting a first flow control message to initiate a reduction in a flow rate associated with the second downlink data to a level below the second downlink rate;

receiving an acknowledgement to the first flow control message; and

initiating the operation following the acknowledgement.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a second event associated with termination of the operation within the wireless communication device; and

transmitting a second flow control message to initiate an increase in the flow rate, associated with the second downlink data, to the second downlink rate.

13. A method of operating a wireless communication device, comprising:

detecting a first event associated with initiation of an operation within the wireless communication device;

transmitting a first flow control message to initiate a reduction in a flow rate associated with downlink data to a level below a first downlink rate; and

initiating the operation following the transmitting of the first flow control message.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a second event associated with termination of the operation within the wireless communication device; and

transmitting a second flow control message to initiate an increase in the flow rate, associated with the downlink data, to the first downlink rate.

15. A method of operating a base station, comprising:

receiving, in a first control message, a first downlink rate, wherein the first downlink rate is based on a latency of an inter-processor communication link associated with a subscriber station that is in communication with the base station;

transmitting, for a first time period, first downlink data at the first downlink rate; and

transmitting, following the first time period, second downlink data at a second downlink rate that is higher than the first downlink rate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first time period and the second downlink rate are also received in the first control message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first downlink rate is specified by an initial downlink rate capability parameter and the second downlink rate is specified by a maximum downlink rate capability parameter.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, in a second control message, the second downlink rate.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, in response to a first event associated with initiation of an operation within the subscriber station, a first flow control message to initiate a reduction in a flow rate associated with the second downlink data to a level below the second downlink rate;

transmitting an acknowledgement to the first flow control message; and

transmitting the second downlink data at a reduced downlink rate that is less than the second downlink rate.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, in response to a second event associated with termination of the operation within the subscriber station, a second flow control message to initiate an increase in the flow rate associated with the second downlink data to the second downlink rate; and

transmitting the second downlink data at the second downlink rate in response to the second flow control message.