ASSISTED STATE TRANSITIONS OF A USER EQUIPMENT WITHIN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20110194436A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Song, Bongyong, Lin, Yih-Hao
• Granted Patent: US 8,848,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In an embodiment, a user equipment (UE) determines to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server. The UE determines a type of the communication session (e.g., delay-sensitive, PTT, etc.) and/or a size of a call message to be sent by the UE for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server. The UE selects a reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message based at least in part upon the determined type of the communication session and/or the determined size of the call message. The UE transitions to a given state (e.g., CELL_FACH, CELL_DCH, etc.) that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel. The UE transmits the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

Claims

1. A method of selectively transitioning a state of a user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, comprising:

determining, at the UE, to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

determining a size of a call message to be sent by the UE for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

selecting a reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message based at least in part upon the determined size of the call message;

transitioning the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

transmitting the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining to initiate the communication session step is in response to a request from a user of the UE to initiate the communication session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined size of the call message is based at least in part upon a wireless communications protocol associated with the communication session and/or whether supplemental information is bundled with the call message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless communications protocol corresponds to Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Push-to-Talk (PTT) or Push-to-Transfer (PTX).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the supplemental information includes location information associated with the UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes:

comparing the determined size of the call message with a size threshold;

selecting a first reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message if the comparison indicates that the determined size is below the size threshold; and

selecting a second reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message if the comparison indicates that the determined size is not below the size threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first reverse-link channel corresponds to a reverse-link shared channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first reverse-link shared channel corresponds to a random access channel (RACH).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the second reverse-link channel corresponds to a reverse-link dedicated channel.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the size threshold is configured such that, when factoring in overhead, data packets below the size threshold are expected to be capable of completing transmission more quickly upon the first reverse-link channel and data packets that are not below the size threshold are expected to be capable of completing transmission more quickly upon the second reverse-link channel.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the size threshold is no larger than an Event 4a Traffic Volume Measurement (TVM) threshold of a serving access network of the UE.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the size threshold is conveyed to the UE from a serving access network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is in an idle state when the UE determines to initiate the communication session.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning step includes:

configuring a message to request a serving access network to transition the UE to the given state; and

transmitting the configured message to the serving access network on a given reverse-link channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the given reverse-link channel corresponds to the selected reverse-link channel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the given reverse-link channel does not correspond to the selected reverse-link channel.

17. The method of claim 14,

wherein the configuring message corresponds to a Cell Update message, and

wherein the configuring step sets a value of a Traffic Volume Indicator (TVI) field within the Cell Update message that instructs the serving access network to transition the UE to the given state.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein the TVI field is set to “

no TVI”

if the given state corresponds to CELL_FACH state, and

wherein the TVI field is set to “

TVI=True”

if the given state corresponds to CELL_DCH state.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse-link channel corresponds to a reverse-link shared channel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the reverse-link shared channel corresponds to a random access channel (RACH).

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse-link channel corresponds to a reverse-link dedicated channel.

22. A method of selectively transitioning a state of a user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, comprising:

determining, at the UE, to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

determining a type of the communication session;

selecting, based at least in part upon the determined type of the call message, a reverse-link channel on which to transmit a call message for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

transitioning the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

transmitting the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the determining to initiate the communication session step is in response to a request from a user of the UE to initiate the communication session.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the determined type of the communication session corresponds to Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Push-to-Talk (PTT) or Push-to-Transfer (PTX).

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the selecting step includes:

comparing the determined type of the communication session with a list of session types;

selecting a first reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message if the comparison indicates that the determined type corresponds to one or more of the listed session types; and

selecting a second reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message if the comparison indicates that the determined type does not correspond to one or more of the listed session types.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein one of the first and second reverse-link channels corresponds to a reverse-link shared channel.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the reverse-link shared channel corresponds to a random access channel (RACH).

28. The method of claim 25, wherein one of the first and second reverse-link channels corresponds to a reverse-link dedicated channel.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the list of sessions types includes either a list of communication session types that are delay-sensitive, or a list of communication session types that are not delay-sensitive.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the UE is in an idle state when the UE determines to initiate the communication session.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the transitioning step includes:

configuring a message to request a serving access network to transition the UE to the given state; and

transmitting the configured message to the serving access network on a given reverse-link channel.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the given reverse-link channel corresponds to the selected reverse-link channel.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the given reverse-link channel does not correspond to the selected reverse-link channel.

34. The method of claim 31,

wherein the configuring message corresponds to a Cell Update message, and

wherein the configuring step sets a value of a Traffic Volume Indicator (TVI) field within the Cell Update message that instructs the serving access network to transition the UE to the given state.

35. The method of claim 34,

wherein the TVI field is set to “

no TVI”

if the given state corresponds to CELL_FACH state, and

wherein the TVI field is set to “

TVI=True”

if the given state corresponds to CELL_DCH state.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the reverse-link channel corresponds to a reverse-link shared channel.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the reverse-link shared channel corresponds to a random access channel (RACH).

38. The method of claim 22, wherein the reverse-link channel corresponds to a reverse-link dedicated channel.

39. A user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for determining to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

means for determining a size of a call message to be sent by the UE for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

means for selecting a reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message based at least in part upon the determined size of the call message;

means for transitioning the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

means for transmitting the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

40. A user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for determining to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

means for determining a type of the communication session;

means for selecting, based at least in part upon the determined type of the call message, a reverse-link channel on which to transmit a call message for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

means for transitioning the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

means for transmitting the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

41. A user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, comprising:

logic configured to determine to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

logic configured to determine a size of a call message to be sent by the UE for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

logic configured to select a reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message based at least in part upon the determined size of the call message;

logic configured to transition the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

logic configured to transmit the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

42. A user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, comprising:

logic configured to determine to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

logic configured to determine a type of the communication session;

logic configured to select, based at least in part upon the determined type of the call message, a reverse-link channel on which to transmit a call message for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

logic configured to transition the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

logic configured to transmit the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, cause the UE to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to determine to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

program code to determine a size of a call message to be sent by the UE for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

program code to select a reverse-link channel on which to transmit the call message based at least in part upon the determined size of the call message;

program code to transition the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

program code to transmit the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.

44. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a user equipment (UE) within a wireless communications system, cause the UE to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to determine to initiate a communication session with at least one other UE to be arbitrated by an application server;

program code to determine a type of the communication session;

program code to select, based at least in part upon the determined type of the call message, a reverse-link channel on which to transmit a call message for requesting initiation of the communication session by the application server;

program code to transition the UE to a given state that supports transmissions upon the selected reverse-link channel; and

program code to transmit the call message on the selected reverse-link channel after the UE is transitioned to the given state.