METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USER EQUIPMENT DIRECTED RADIO RESOURCE CONTROL IN A UMTS NETWORK

• US 20110007682A1
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wirtanen, Jeffery, Islam, Muhammad Khaledul
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for improved battery performance of user equipment in a wireless network having multiple radio resource control (RRC) states, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, application data exchange; determining when no application on the user equipment is expected to exchange data; and initiating, from the user equipment, a transition to a less battery demanding radio resource control state or mode.

Claims

1. A method of transitioning a user equipment between radio resource control (RRC) states or modes in a wireless network, the method comprising at the user equipment:

determining that no further data exchange is expected; and

when no further data is expected, sending a message to the wireless network for a network controlled transition from a first RRC state or mode to a second RRC state or mode that is a less battery demanding RRC state or mode than the first RRC state or mode.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a signaling connection release indication (SCRI) message.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_DCH state and a CELL_FACH state.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_PCH state and a URA_PCH state.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_FACH state, a CELL_PCH state, a URA_PCH state and an idle mode.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising at the user equipment releasing a signaling connection set-up between the user equipment and the network.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message is a request for release of a signaling connection for a core network domain.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the core network domain is a packet switched domain.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the release of the signaling connection set-up by the user equipment causes the wireless network to release a signaling connection between the user equipment and the network.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining that no further data exchange is expected comprises a determination that no application at the user equipment is expected to exchange data.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the determination that no further data exchange is expected is based on a composite status of data exchange completion indications received from any application that exchanged data in the first RRC state or mode.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending a message to the wireless network for a network controlled transition is only performed if the first RRC state or mode is not a URA_PCH state.

15. A user equipment for use in a wireless network, the user equipment comprising an RRC connection manager adapted to determine when no further data exchange is expected;

and when no further data is expected, to send a message to the network for a network controlled transition from a first RRC state or mode to a second RRC state or mode that is a less battery demanding RRC state or mode than the first RRC state or mode.

16. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the message comprises a signaling connection release indication (SCRI) message.

17. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the wireless network comprises a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

18. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the wireless network comprises a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.

19. The user equipment according to claim 17, wherein the first RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_DCH state and a CELL_FACH state.

20. The user equipment according to claim 17, wherein the first RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_PCH state and a URA_PCH state.

21. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the second RRC state or mode is one of a CELL_FACH state, a CELL_PCH state, a URA_PCH state and an idle mode.

22. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the RRC connection manager is further adapted to release a signaling connection set-up between the user equipment and the network.

23. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the message is a request for release of a signaling connection for a core network domain.

24. The user equipment according to claim 23, wherein the core network domain is a packet switched domain.

25. The user equipment according to claim 22, wherein the release of the signaling connection set-up by the user equipment if for causing the wireless network to release a signaling connection between the user equipment and the network.

26. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the RRC connection manager is adapted to determine that no further data exchange is expected by determining that no application at the user equipment is expected to exchange data.

27. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the determination that no further data exchange is expected is based on a composite status of data exchange completion indications received from any application of the user equipment that exchanged data in the first RRC state or mode.

28. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the RRC connection manager is further adapted to send a message to the wireless network for a network controlled transition only if the first RRC state or mode is not a URA_PCH state.