ACCESS CONTROL AND CONGESTION CONTROL IN MACHINE-TO-MACHINE COMMUNICATION

• US 20110199905A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pinheiro, Ana Lucia, Anepu, Bhaskar M., Murray, Joseph, Pani, Diana, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, DiGirolamo, Rocco, Aghili, Behrouz
• Application Number:
  US13/025,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0958 based on metrics or performance parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load

Abstract

A method for performing load balancing by a wireless transmit/receive unit includes evaluating a current cell load value and on a condition that the current cell load value is greater than a predetermined threshold, performing load balancing by barring the current cell.

Claims

1. A method for performing load balancing by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), comprising:

evaluating a current cell load value; and

on a condition that the current cell load value is greater than a predetermined threshold, performing load balancing by barring the current cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the barring includes adding the current cell to a barred cell list for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined period of time corresponds to any one of:

a network provided value specifically for the WTRU, a barring time for barred cells, or a fraction of the barring time for barred cells.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current cell load value is determined by the WTRU and includes any one of:

a predetermined number of consecutive failed random access channel (RACH) access attempts;

a predetermined number of consecutive RACH accesses in which a response is received but no resources are allocated;

a predetermined number of a combination of failed RACH access attempts or RACH accesses in which a response is received but no resources are allocated;

a predetermined number of consecutive contention resolution phase failures;

a predetermined number of consecutive RACH failures, wherein a RACH failure includes a combination of failed RACH access attempts, RACH accesses in which a response is received but no resources are allocated, or contention resolution phase failures;

or

a predetermined number of RACH failures within a predetermined period of time.

5. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), comprising:

a processor configured to;

evaluate a current cell load value; and

on a condition that the current cell load value is greater than a predetermined threshold, perform load balancing by barring the current cell.

6. A method for identifying a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) as a machine type communication (MTC) device, comprising:

sending an identifier from the WTRU to a network, wherein the identifier includes any one of;

a bit combination on a random access channel (RACH) transmission, including an establishment clause value;

a bit in an LAPDm frame;

a bit in an uplink radio link control/medium access control data block;

a bit in an uplink radio link control/medium access control control block;

an indicator in a packet resource request message;

a combination of signature sequences in a RACH preamble;

an indicator appended to an end of repeated signature sequences in the RACH preamble;

a one slot MTC indication message;

or

an indicator in an acquisition response.

7. A method for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to identify itself as a machine type communication (MTC) device to a network, comprising:

sending an identifier from the WTRU to a network, wherein the identifier includes any one of;

a bit combination on a random access channel (RACH) transmission, including an establishment clause value;

a bit in an LAPDm frame;

a bit in an uplink radio link control/medium access control data block;

a bit in an uplink radio link control/medium access control control block;

an indicator in a packet resource request message;

a combination of signature sequences in a RACH preamble;

an indicator appended to an end of repeated signature sequences in the RACH preamble;

a one slot MTC indication message;

or

an indicator in an acquisition response.

8. A method for restricting access by a set of devices to a network, comprising:

barring the devices from a cell, wherein the barring includes any one of;

the cell broadcasting in system information that it is barred or reserved;

the cell broadcasting that a specific access class of devices are barred;

or

a Node B sends an activation or deactivation order in the system information, and the devices determine whether to transmit based on the order.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the set of devices includes any one of:

one or more machine type communication (MTC) devices;

one or more devices belonging to a specific group, wherein the specific group includes any one of;

belongs to a specific user, is located in a specific cell, is located in a specific location area, is located in a specific registration area, is located in a specific tracking area, or supports a specific feature;

or

one or more time tolerant devices, wherein a time tolerant device is a device whose data transmission is not real time and may be delayed.

10. A method for restricting access by a device to a network, comprising:

limiting data transmission capabilities of the device, wherein the limiting includes any one of;

the network sending a predefined access time period to the device, wherein the device only transmits within the predefined access time period;

limiting grants given to the device, on a condition that the device is time tolerant, wherein a time tolerant device is a device whose data transmission is not real time and may be delayed;

or

the device identifies itself to the network as being time tolerant, and the device receives a defer transmission instruction from the network.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein on a condition that the device attempts to transmit outside of the predetermined access time period, the network signals a new predetermined access time period to the device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the defer transmission instruction includes any one of:

a negative acknowledgement;

an indication of when the device may reattempt transmission;

or

an updated predefined access time period.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined access time period is sent to the device in response to a message received from the device, wherein the response includes any one of:

a general packet radio service attach accept message;

a location update message;

a direct transfer message;

an Iu release command;

or

a paging command.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the device includes any one of:

a machine type communication (MTC) device;

a device belonging to a specific group, wherein the specific group includes any one of;

belongs to a specific user, is located in a specific cell, is located in a specific location area, is located in a specific registration area, is located in a specific tracking area, or supports a specific feature;

or

a time controlled device, wherein a time controlled device is a device configured to transmit only during a predetermined access time period.

15. A method for controlling congestion in wireless communications, comprising:

on a condition that a congestion condition exists, signaling a device by any one of;

rejecting an attach request or a connection request from the device;

rejecting a location update request;

signaling a backoff period of time to the device;

or

accepting a request from the device and imposing a transmission backoff period of time for the device, wherein the backoff period of time is signaled in an accept message for registration, wherein the request includes any one of;

an attach request, a routing area update request, a tracking area update request, or a location update request.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the rejecting includes rejecting a single device or a group of devices.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transmission backoff period of time is signaled to the device by any one of:

a non-access stratum message sent to a device that is already attached to the network;

or

a message sent to the device over a paging channel.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the device includes any one of:

a machine type communication (MTC) device;

a device belonging to a specific group, wherein the specific group includes any one of;

belongs to a specific user, is located in a specific cell, is located in a specific location area, is located in a specific registration area, is located in a specific tracking area, or supports a specific feature;

or

a time tolerant device, wherein a time tolerant device is a device whose data transmission is not real time and may be delayed.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

generating an additional backoff period of time by the MTC device in response to the backoff period of time ending.

20. A method for device prioritization in wireless communications, comprising:

receiving a request from a machine type communication (MTC) device that is not time tolerant, wherein a time tolerant device is a device whose data transmission is not real time and may be delayed;

on a condition that a network that received the request is near congestion, selecting a group of time tolerant devices that are currently attached to the network;

notifying the time tolerant devices not to transmit;

accepting the request from the non-time tolerant device; and

notifying the time tolerant devices to resume transmission.