COMMUNICATION STATIONS AND METHODS FOR TRANSMITTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON AN ENHANCED RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL

• US 20110222476A1
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Borsella, Remo, Hole, David Philip, Venkob, Satish, Faurie, Rene, Kreuzer, Werner Karl, Hanov, Steven Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0891 for synchronized access

Abstract

Example communication stations and methods for transmitting additional information on an enhanced random access channel (RACH) are disclosed herein. An example method performed by a device involves generating an initial access burst for transmission on an enhanced RACH and transmitting the initial access burst using a timing advance. The timing advance is to cause the initial access burst to be received at the network within a single time slot of the enhanced RACH. The initial access burst includes at least one of information about capabilities of the device or information identifying the device. The example method also involves receiving a temporary block flow (TBF) assignment from the network in response to sending the at least one of the information about the capabilities of the device or the information identifying the device.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device comprising:

generating an initial access burst for transmission on an enhanced random access channel (RACH);

transmitting the initial access burst using a timing advance, the timing advance to cause the initial access burst to be received at the network within a single time slot of the enhanced RACH,

wherein the initial access burst includes at least one of information about capabilities of the device or information identifying the device; and

receiving a temporary block flow (TBF) assignment from the network in response to sending the at least one of the information about the capabilities of the device or the information identifying the device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the timing advance is greater than zero, and wherein the initial access burst is a request for uplink channel resources and the initial access burst is transmitted without using a radio link control (RLC) acknowledge mode or an RLC unacknowledge mode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial access burst also includes at least one of an indication of an amount of data to be sent, an indication of radio-frequency measurements, a priority associated with the data to be sent, or quality of service (QoS) parameters associated with the data to be sent.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the capabilities of the device includes information for use by a base station in setting up the TBF with the device with parameters corresponding to the capabilities of the device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising refraining from providing the information about the capabilities of the device when the initial access burst is not requesting the TBF and when the initial access burst includes user data, the user data including data having a network destination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information identifying the device includes an identifier for use by a base station to identify the device transmitting the initial access burst, wherein the identifier is shorter than at least one of a full-length international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) or a full-length temporary logical link identifier (TLLI) identifier, and wherein the identifier is for use by the base station to distinguish the device from other devices with enhanced RACH capabilities that are configured to transmit on the enhanced RACH during a same time slot.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the identifier is assigned by the base station and is based on a cell identifier (ID) of a cell in which the device is associated, the identifier assigned to distinguish the device from other devices with an enhanced RACH capability.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the identifier is based on one of the full-length identifiers.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the information identifying the communication station further includes a RACH group identifier in addition to the identifier, the identifier being configured to at least partially identify the device from other devices with an enhanced RACH capability to transmit on the enhanced RACH, the RACH group identifier to be used by the base station along with the identifier to fully identify the device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial access burst 103 includes a full-length identifier for use by a base station to unambiguously identify the device transmitting the initial access burst, wherein the full-length identifier comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) or a temporary logical link identifier (TLLI) identifier, and wherein the method further comprises including data having a network destination within the initial access burst.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a time-division multiple access (TDMA) communication system, wherein the method further comprises receiving a notification from a base station indicating that the enhanced RACH is configured for initial access transmissions including parameters defining the enhanced RACH, the parameters including an identification of time-slots of TDMA frames that comprise the enhanced RACH, wherein the enhanced RACH is a secondary RACH, wherein a primary RACH is provided by the base station for transmission of access request messages by devices requesting assignment of a channel resource, wherein when the timing advance is unknown, the method further comprises:

using the primary RACH for transmitting access request messages for an assignment of a channel resource for a subsequent transmission of data; and

refraining from transmitting the initial access burst on the enhanced RACH.

12. A tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to implement the method as defined in claim 1.

13. A device comprising a processor configured to:

generate an initial access burst for transmission on an enhanced random access channel (RACH);

locate in the initial access burst at least one of information about capabilities of the device or information identifying the device;

cause the device to transmit the initial access burst using a timing advance, the timing advance to cause the initial access burst to be received at the network within a single time slot of the enhanced RACH; and

receive a temporary block flow (TBF) assignment from the network in response to sending the at least one of the information about the capabilities of the device or the information identifying the device.

14. The communication station of claim 13 wherein the initial access burst is a request for uplink channel resources and the initial access burst is transmitted without using a radio link control (RLC) acknowledge or an RLC unacknowledge mode.

15. The communication station of claim 13 wherein the initial access burst also includes at least one of an indication of an amount of data to be sent, an indication of interference measurements, a priority associated with the data to be sent, or quality of service (QoS) parameters associated with the data to be sent.

16. The communication station of claim 13 wherein the information about the capabilities of the device includes information for use by a base station in setting up the TBF with the device with parameters corresponding to the capabilities of the device.