Method and Apparatus for Monitoring a Random Access Channel

• US 20120008524A1
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Amirijoo, Mehdi, Eriksson, Erik, Gunnarsson, Fredrik, Jersenius, Kristina
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A user equipment for obtaining data for observing performance related to Random Access in a cellular radio system is provided. The user equipment can connect to the system. In order to provide the network/system with data for observing the random access procedure the user equipment measures and stores data needed to compute measurements to be reported to the system. The user equipment further generates a measurement report, and transmits the measurement report based on a trigger event.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method in a user equipment of reporting information for observing performance of random access in a cellular radio system, the method comprising:

storing data needed to compute measurements that are to be reported and that are associated with said random access;

computing said measurements;

generating a measurement report for said measurements to include an indication of whether a contention has occurred in attempting to acquire said random access; and

transmitting the measurement report based on a trigger event.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the user equipment has transmitted one or more preambles in attempting to acquire said random access, and wherein computing said measurements comprises computing the number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted due to preamble detection miss and the number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted due to the occurrence of a random access contention.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein computing said measurements comprises computing the absolute time when the user equipment first attempted said random access.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein computing said measurements comprises computing the difference between the time when said random access is granted and the time when the user equipment first attempted said random access.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein said generating comprises generating the measurement report to include an indication of whether the user equipment has used a maximum transmission power in any random access attempt.

32. The method according to claim 27, further comprising receiving control signaling that is encoded in a Radio Resource Control message and that relates to setup of said measurements and said reporting.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the measurement report as a Radio Resource Control message.

34. The method according to claim 27, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the measurement report via Media Access Control (MAC) control elements.

35. The method according to claim 27, further comprising sending a Random Access Channel, RACH, information report concerning a recent random access procedure on demand responsive to receiving a direct request from the system.

36. The method according to claim 27, wherein the user equipment has transmitted one or more preambles in attempting to acquire said random access, and wherein computing said measurements comprises computing the total number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted and the number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted due to the occurrence of a random access contention.

37. A method in a radio base station of obtaining data from a user equipment for observing performance related to random access in a cellular radio system, the method comprising receiving from the user equipment reported data of measurements that have been performed by the user equipment and that are associated with said random access, wherein the reported data includes an indication of whether a contention has occurred in attempting to acquire said random access.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising transmitting a demand for a Random Access Channel, RACH, information report concerning a recent random access procedure.

39. The method according to claim 37, further comprising transmitting control signaling that is encoded in a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message and that relates to setup of said measurements and reporting.

40. A user equipment configured to report data from which performance related to random access in a cellular radio system can be observed, the user equipment configured to:

store data needed to compute measurements that are to be reported and that are associated with said random access;

compute said measurements;

generate a measurement report for said measurements to include an indication of whether a contention has occurred in attempting to acquire said random access; and

transmit the measurement report based on a trigger event.

41. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein the user equipment is configured to transmit one or more preambles in attempting to acquire said random access, and to compute said measurements by computing the number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted due to preamble detection miss and the number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted due to the occurrence of a random access contention.

42. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein user equipment is configured to compute said measurements by computing the absolute time when the user equipment first attempted said random access.

43. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein user equipment is configured to compute said measurements by computing the difference between the time when said random access is granted and the time when the user equipment first attempted said random access.

44. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein the user equipment is further configured to generate the measurement report to include an indication of whether the user equipment has used a maximum transmission power in any random access attempt.

45. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein the user equipment is further configured to receive control signaling that is encoded in a Radio Resource Control message and that relates to setup of said measurements and said reporting.

46. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein user equipment is configured to transmit the measurement report via Media Access Control, MAC, control elements.

47. The user equipment according to claim 40, user equipment is configured to transmit the measurement report as a Radio Resource Control, RRC message.

48. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein the user equipment is further configured to send a Random Access Channel, RACH, information report concerning a recent random access procedure in response to receiving a direct request from the system.

49. The user equipment according to claim 40, wherein the user equipment is configured to transmit one or more preambles in attempting to acquire said random access, and to computing said measurements by computing the total number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted and the number of preambles that the user equipment has transmitted due to the occurrence of a random access contention.

50. A radio base station configured to obtain data from a user equipment for observing performance related to Random Access in a cellular radio system, the radio base station comprising a module configured to receive from the user equipment reported data of measurements that have been performed by the user equipment, wherein the reported data includes an indication of whether a contention has occurred in attempting to acquire said random access.

51. The radio base station according to claim 50, wherein the module is further configured to transmit to the user equipment a demand for a Random Access Channel, RACH, information report concerning a recent random access procedure.

52. The radio base station according to claim 50, wherein the module is further configured to transmit control signaling that is encoded in a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message and that relates to setup of said measurements and reporting.