RESOURCE ALLOCATION

• US 20100240375A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ahluwalia, Jagdeep Singh
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A system is proposed to provide handover in a mobile telecommunications environment, particularly applicable to 3GPP networks, in which a user device, such as a mobile telephone, receives signalling for persistently allocated resources generated by a target base station via a source base station.

Claims

1. A method performed in a target communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a handover request from a source communications device indicating handover of a user communications device from the source communications device to the target communications device;

determining required resources to be persistently allocated for communication with the user communications device; and

preparing a handover request acknowledgment including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device; and

sending the handover request acknowledgment to the source communications device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the persistently allocated resources to communicate with the user device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allocation data is provided within a transparent container that is included within the handover request acknowledgment.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allocation data comprises data identifying the resource blocks to use for communications.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allocation data comprises data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources are to be used.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said data indicating a start time comprises a system frame number.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allocation data comprises data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said allocation data comprises:

i) uplink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to transmit data to the target communications device;

ii) downlink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to receive data from the target communications device; and

iii) common data relating to information that is common for uplink and downlink communications.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said common data comprises data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources can be used.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said common data comprises data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used.

11. A method performed in a source communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a target communications device, a handover request indicating handover of a user communications device from the source communications device to the target communications device;

receiving, from the target communications device, a handover request acknowledgment including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device to communicate with the target communications device;

preparing a handover command including said allocation data identifying said persistently allocated resources; and

sending the handover command to the user communications device.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the allocation data is received within a transparent container that is included within the handover request acknowledgment.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the preparing of said handover command includes:

including said transparent container within the handover command.

14. A method performed in a user communications device, the method comprising:

communicating with a source communications device using first persistently allocated resources;

receiving a handover command from the source communications device, the handover command instructing the user communications device to handover to a target communications device and including second persistently allocated resources allocated by the target communications device; and

processing the received handover command to determine the persistently allocated resources to be used to communicate with said target communications device.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

using the second persistently allocated resources to communicate with the target communications device.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the second persistently allocated data is provided within a transparent container that is included within the handover command.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the second persistently allocated data comprises data identifying the resource blocks to use for communications.

18. A method according to claim 14, wherein the second persistently allocated data comprises data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources are to be used.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said data indicating a start time comprises a system frame number.

20. A method according to any claim 14, wherein the second persistently allocated data comprises data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used.

21. A method according to claim 14, wherein said second persistently allocated data comprises:

i) uplink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to transmit data to the target communications device;

ii) downlink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to receive data from the target communications device; and

iii) common data relating to information that is common for uplink and downlink communications.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said common data comprises data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources can be used and wherein:

the method comprises using the start time to control when an initial communication with said target communications device is made.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein said common data comprises data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used and further comprising:

using the interval data to control times when said user device uses said second persistently allocated resources to communicate with said target communications device.

24. A target communications device comprising:

means for receiving a handover request from a source communications device indicating handover of a user communications device from the source communications device to the target communications device;

means for determining required resources to be persistently allocated for communication with the user communications device;

means for preparing a handover request acknowledgment including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device; and

means for sending the handover request acknowledgment to the source communications device.

25. A device according to claim 24, further comprising means for using the persistently allocated resources to communicate with the user device.

26. A device according to claim 24, wherein the means for preparing is operable to provide said allocation data within a transparent container that is included within the handover request acknowledgment.

27. A device according to claim 24, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare allocation data that comprises data identifying the resource blocks to use for communications.

28. A device according to claim 24, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare allocation data comprising data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources are to be used.

29. A device according to claim 28, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare data indicating a start time comprising a system frame number.

30. A device according to claim 24, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare allocation data comprising data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used.

31. A device according to claim 24, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare allocation data that comprises:

i) uplink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to transmit data to the target communications device;

ii) downlink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to receive data from the target communications device; and

iii) common data relating to information that is common for uplink and downlink communications.

32. A device according to claim 31, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare common data having data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources can be used.

33. A device according to claim 31, wherein said preparing means is operable to prepare common data comprising data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used.

34. A source communications device comprising:

means for transmitting, to a target communications device, a handover request indicating handover of a user communications device from the source communications device to the target communications device;

means for receiving, from the target communications device, a handover request acknowledgment including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device to communicate with the target communications device;

means for preparing a handover command including said allocation data identifying said persistently allocated resources; and

means for sending the handover command to the user communications device.

35. A device according to claim 34, wherein the allocation data is received within a transparent container that is included within the handover request acknowledgment.

36. A device according to claim 35, wherein said means for preparing said handover command includes means for including said transparent container within the handover command.

37. A user communications device comprising:

means for communicating with a source communications device using first persistently allocated resources;

means for receiving a handover command from the source communications device, the handover command instructing the user communications device to handover to a target communications device and including second persistently allocated resources allocated by the target communications device; and

means for processing the received handover command to determine the persistently allocated resources to be used to communicate with said target communications device.

38. A device according to claim 37, wherein said communicating means is operable to use the second persistently allocated resources to communicate with the target communications device.

39. A device according to claim 37, wherein the receiving means is operable to receive said second persistently allocated data within a transparent container that is included within the handover command.

40. A device according to claim 37, wherein the receiving means is operable to receive said second persistently allocated data that comprises data identifying the resource blocks to use for communications.

41. A device according to claim 37, wherein the receiving means is operable to receive said second persistently allocated data that comprises data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources are to be used.

42. A device according to claim 37, wherein said data indicating a start time comprises a system frame number.

43. A device according to claim 37, wherein the receiving means is operable to receive second persistently allocated data that comprises data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used.

44. A device according to claim 37, wherein the receiving means is operable to receive second persistently allocated data that comprises:

i) uplink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to transmit data to the target communications device;

ii) downlink allocation data defining resources to be used by the user communications device to receive data from the target communications device; and

iii) common data relating to information that is common for uplink and downlink communications.

45. A device according to claim 44, wherein said common data comprises data indicating a start time from which the allocated resources can be used and wherein the device comprises means for using the start time to control when an initial communication with said target communications device is made.

46. A device according to claim 44, wherein said common data comprises data indicating an interval between successive times that the allocated resources are to be used and further comprising means for using the interval data to control times when said user device uses said second persistently allocated resources to communicate with said target communications device.

47. (canceled)

48. A target communications device comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a handover request from a source communications device indicating handover of a user communications device from the source communications device to the target communications device;

a processor operable to;

i) determine required resources to be persistently allocated for communication with the user communications device; and

ii) prepare a handover request acknowledgment including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device; and

a transmitter operable to send the handover request acknowledgment to the source communications device.

49. A source communications device comprising:

a transmitter operable to transmit, to a target communications device, a handover request indicating handover of a user communications device from the source communications device to the target communications device;

a receiver operable to receive, from the target communications device, a handover request acknowledgment including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device to communicate with the target communications device;

a processor operable to prepare a handover command including said allocation data identifying said persistently allocated resources; and

wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit the handover command to the user communications device.

50. A user communications device comprising:

a transceiver operable to communicate with a source communications device using first persistently allocated resources;

a processor operable;

i) to receive a handover command from the source communications device, the handover command instructing the user communications device to handover to a target communications device and including second persistently allocated resources allocated by the target communications device; and

ii) to process the received handover command to determine the persistently allocated resources to be used to communicate with said target communications device.

51. A method of signalling persistently allocated resources in a communications system, the method comprising:

generating uplink allocation data defining resources for use in communicating data in an uplink between a user device and a communications device;

generating downlink allocation data defining resources for use in communicating data in a downlink between the user device and the communications device;

generating common allocation data that controls the uplink and the downlink communications; and

signalling the uplink allocation data, the downlink allocation data and the common allocation data from the communications device to the user device.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein said signalling signals said uplink allocation data, said downlink allocation data and said common allocation data at the same time or in a single container.

53. A method according to claim 51, wherein said common allocation data defines times at which said resources are to be used for said uplink and said downlink communications.

54. A communications device comprising:

means for generating uplink allocation data defining resources for use in communicating data in an uplink between a user device and a communications device;

means for generating downlink allocation data defining resources for use in communicating data in a downlink between the user device and the communications device;

means for generating common allocation data that controls the uplink and the downlink communications; and

means for signalling the uplink allocation data, the downlink allocation data and the common allocation data from the communications device to the user device.

55. A method performed in a target communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a handover confirm message from a user device indicating that a handover procedure is completed for the user device;

in response to receipt of said handover confirm message;

i) determining required resources to be persistently allocated for communication with the user communications device;

ii) preparing a connection change command including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device; and

iii) sending the connection change command to the user device.

56. A target communications device comprising:

means for receiving a handover confirm message from a user device indicating that a handover procedure is completed for the user device;

means, response to receipt of said handover confirm message, for;

i) determining required resources to be persistently allocated for communication with the user communications device;

ii) preparing a connection change command including allocation data identifying resources to be persistently allocated for the user communications device; and

iii) sending the connection change command to the user device.