METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BURSTY NETWORK ENTRY AND RE-ENTRY IN MACHINE TO MACHINE NETWORKS

• US 20120230178A1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Lei, Murias, Ronald G., Seed, Dale N., Pinheiro, Ana Lucia, Grandhi, Sudheer A.
• Application Number:
  US13/417,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230178A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0627 by acting on the notification or alarm source
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• 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 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A method and apparatus may be used for handling bursty network entry and re-entry in M2M networks. For example, a base station (BS) may receive a trigger from at least one device associated with the BS. The at least one device may be a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), or it may be a network device. The BS may determine whether a widespread exception is imminent based on the trigger. If a widespread exception is imminent, the BS may transmit an indication to the at least one device. The indication may indicate to the at least one device that the BS has received a widespread exception report. The WTRU may receive the indication, and terminate a network entry procedure in response to the indication. The WTRU may enter a power saving mode in response to the indication.

Claims

1. A method for use in a base station (BS), the method comprising:

receiving an event indication message from one device of a plurality of devices in communication with the BS;

determining, based on the event indication message, whether a widespread exception event is imminent, wherein a widespread exception event is an event that will result in the plurality of devices in communication with the BS losing communication with the BS; and

on a condition that a widespread exception event is imminent, transmitting a first system indication message to at least the one device, wherein the system indication message indicates that the plurality of devices in communication with the BS should cease transmitting event indication messages to the BS.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the BS has recovered from the widespread exception event; and

on a condition that the BS has not recovered from the widespread exception event, transmitting a second system indication message to at least one of the plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system indication message is transmitted periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the event indication message is an exception report.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system indication message is transmitted by the BS based on the BS receiving a plurality of exception reports from a plurality of devices within a pre-determined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system indication message is transmitted by the BS based on the BS receiving a plurality of messages of a specific type within a pre-determined time period.

7. A base station (BS) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an event indication message from one device of a plurality of devices in communication with the BS;

a processor configured to determine whether a widespread exception event is imminent based on the event indication message, wherein a widespread exception event is an event that will result in the plurality of devices in communication with the. BS losing communication with the BS; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, on a condition that a widespread exception event is imminent, a first system indication message to at least the one device, wherein the system indication message indicates that the plurality of devices in communication with the BS should cease transmitting event indication messages to the BS.

8. The BS of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the BS has recovered from the widespread exception event, and wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit, on a condition that the BS has not recovered, a second system indication message to at least one of the plurality of devices.

9. The BS of claim 7, wherein the system indication message is transmitted periodically.

10. The BS of claim 7, wherein the event indication message is an exception report.

11. The BS of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the first system indication message based on the BS receiving a plurality of exception reports from a plurality of devices within a pre-determined time period.

12. The BS of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the first system indication message based on the BS receiving a plurality of messages of a specific type within a pre-determined time period.

13. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

initiating a network entry procedure to gain access to a base station (BS);

receiving, from the BS, a system indication message that indicates a widespread exception event, wherein the widespread exception event is an event that will result in a plurality of devices in communication with the BS losing communication with the BS;

in response to receiving the system indication message, terminating the network entry procedure.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

entering a power saving mode in response to the system indication message.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining whether a power supply of the WTRU is above a threshold; and

on a condition that the power supply is above a threshold, entering a power saving mode.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

on a condition that the power supply is below a threshold, remaining awake and monitoring a downlink (DL) channel from the BS.

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

a processor configured to initiate a network entry procedure;

a receiver configured to receive a system indication message from a base station (BS), wherein the system indication message indicates a widespread exception event, wherein the widespread exception event is an event that will result in a plurality of devices in communication with the BS losing communication with the BS; and

wherein the processor is further configured to terminate the network entry procedure in response to the system indication message.

18. The WTRU of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to enter a power saving mode in response to the system indication message.

19. The WTRU of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a power supply of the WTRU is above a threshold and enter a power saving mode on a condition that the power supply is above a threshold.

20. The WTRU of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to remain awake and monitor a downlink (DL) channel from the BS on a condition that the power supply is below a threshold.