METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING MACHINE-TYPE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110201343A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cave, Christopher R., Murray, Joseph, Pani, Diana, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, DiGirolamo, Rocco, Watfa, Mahmoud, Pinheiro, Ana Lucia, Aghili, Behrouz
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• 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 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supporting machine-type communications (MTC) are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may configure itself to operate in a mobile-originated-only mode. The WTRU may perform no, or a subset of, radio resource control (RRC) idle and/or non-access stratum (NAS) idle/standby state procedures in the mobile-originated-only mode. For example, the WTRU may perform cell reselection but not paging monitoring in the mobile-originated-only mode. Alternatively, the WTRU may perform paging monitoring but not cell reselection and location update. The operation in the mobile-originated-only mode may be triggered explicitly or implicitly. For example, the WTRU may operate in the mobile-originated-only mode if an inactivity timer expires. The WTRU may switch the mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule. After transition of the operation mode, the WTRU may send a message to the network indicating such mode switch.

Claims

1. A method of supporting machine-type communications, the method comprising:

a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) operating in a mobile-originated-only mode, wherein the WTRU performs no, or a subset of, radio resource control (RRC) idle and/or non-access stratum (NAS) idle/standby state procedures in the mobile-originated-only mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the WTRU sending a message to a network indicating that the WTRU operates, or stops operating, in the mobile-originated-only mode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by one of a separate RRC idle state, an RRC idle mode with a profile configuration configured for the mobile-originated-only mode, or a mobile-originated-only state in an RRC idle mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by a separate NAS state or a mobile-originated-only configuration supported in an NAS state.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU does not perform at least one of paging monitoring, cell reselection, or location update in the mobile-originated-only mode.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the WTRU sending a message to a network indicating that the WTRU supports the mobile-originated-only mode and/or functionalities supported by the WTRU in the mobile-originated-only mode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU configures itself to operate, or stop operating, in the mobile-originated-only mode either based on a preconfigured trigger or in accordance with a message from a network, wherein the message is at least one of a paging message, a broadcast message, an RRC message, a cell broadcast service (CBS) message, a non-access stratum (NAS) message, a short message service (SMS) message, or a message in accordance with open mobile alliance (OMA) device management (DM) or over-the-air (OTA) protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU operates in the mobile-originated-only mode based on a network/operator policy or a device operation mode, the device operation mode being either automatic or manual closed subscriber group (CSG) or public land mobile network (PLMN) selection.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU operates in the mobile-originated-only mode on a condition that an inactivity timer expires.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU operates in the mobile-originated-only mode and stops operating in the mobile-originated-only mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule.

11. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) supporting machine-type communications, the WTRU comprising:

a processor configured to operate in a mobile-originated-only mode, wherein the processor is configured to perform no, or a subset of, radio resource control (RRC) idle and/or non-access stratum (NAS) idle/standby state procedures in the mobile-originated-only mode.

12. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to send a message to a network indicating that the WTRU operates or stops operating in the mobile-originated-only mode.

13. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by one of a separate RRC idle state, an RRC idle mode with a profile configuration configured for the mobile-originated-only mode, or a mobile-originated-only state in an RRC idle mode.

14. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by a separate NAS state or a mobile-originated-only configuration supported in an NAS state.

15. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor does not perform at least one of paging monitoring, cell reselection, or location update in the mobile-originated-only mode.

16. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to send a message to a network indicating that the WTRU supports the mobile-originated-only mode and/or functionalities supported by the WTRU in the mobile-originated-only mode.

17. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to operate or stop operating in the mobile-originated-only mode either based on a preconfigured trigger or in accordance with a message from a network, wherein the message is at least one of a paging message, a broadcast message, an RRC message, a cell broadcast service (CBS) message, a non-access stratum (NAS) message, a short message service (SMS) message, or a message in accordance with open mobile alliance (OMA) device management (DM) or over-the-air (OTA) protocol.

18. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to operate in the mobile-originated-only mode based on a network/operator policy or a device operation mode, the device operation mode being either automatic or manual closed subscriber group (CSG) or public land mobile network (PLMN) selection.

19. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to operate in the mobile-originated-only mode on a condition that an inactivity timer expires.

20. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to operate in the mobile-originated-only mode and stop operating in the mobile-originated-only mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule.