Random access data channel for machine type communications

• US 20120250630A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation, Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Saily, Mikko, Paiva, Rafael Cauduro Dias, Vieira, Robson Domingos
• Granted Patent: US 9,345,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments of this invention reduce signaling overhead for machine type communications (MTC) devices that are assumed to transmit small messages and that have no or limited mobility. By using these assumptions, the exemplary embodiments of this invention provide a random access procedure for MTC devices to send small messages via a random access data channel (RADCH). An exemplary method includes: obtaining a subscription for a MTC device to use, for a period of time specified by the subscription, a RADCH to a wireless communication network; and transmitting bursts containing data on the RADCH in accordance with the subscription.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining a subscription for a device to use, for a period of time specified by the subscription, an uplink random access data channel to a wireless communication network; and

transmitting bursts containing data on the random access data channel in accordance with the subscription.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a subscription is initiated by the device sending a subscription request and wherein the subscription request comprises information specifying how often the device will transmit a burst and an amount data that will be transmitted in each burst.

6. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, execution of the computer program code comprising the method as in claim 1.

3-5. -5. (canceled)

7. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory including computer program code, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus at least to obtain a subscription to use, for a period of time specified by the subscription, an uplink random access data channel to a wireless communication network, and to transmit bursts containing data on the random access data channel in accordance with the subscription.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein obtaining the subscription to use comprises one of the at least one processor sending a subscription request and the wireless communication network initiating said obtaining.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the subscription request comprises information specifying how often the apparatus will transmit a burst and an amount data that will be transmitted in each burst.

11. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the transmitted bursts do not have a guard period.

12. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said at least one processor obtains a subscription by receiving subscription parameters comprising parameters that specify at least one of the period of time that the subscription is valid, a timing advance, a modulation coding scheme, a transmit power level for the uplink random access data channel, authentication-related information, a maximum number of re-transmissions of a burst that are permitted, and information descriptive of a duration of a guard period in each burst.

13. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein after transmitting a burst the at least one processor waits to receive an acknowledgement from the wireless communication network that the burst was correctly received, and if the acknowledgement is not received after some period of time, and until a maximum number of allowable re-transmissions are made, delays a random period of time and re-transmits the burst.

15. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said at least one processor, when obtaining a subscription, sends a destination address for the data and receives a token from the wireless communication network that is associated with the destination address, and wherein each burst that is transmitted that contains data for that destination address comprises the token and wherein an acknowledgement of the successful reception of the burst also includes the token.

16. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the transmitted bursts comprise first bursts, the method further comprising:

transmitting second bursts containing data on a random access channel, wherein the first bursts have a first priority that is established using first power control, wherein the second bursts have a second priority that is established using second power control, wherein a lower priority for the first priority yields a higher priority for the second priority.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first bursts have a first burst class and the second bursts have a second burst class of a plurality of burst classes, wherein a burst class k of the plurality of burst classes has a k-th priority that is established using a k-th power control, wherein a lower priority for one burst class yields a higher priority for at least one other burst class, wherein adjusting the power controls of the plurality of burst classes yields relative priority among said plurality of burst classes.

10. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. A method, comprising:

granting a subscription for a device to use, for a period of time specified by the subscription, an uplink random access data channel to a wireless communication network; and

receiving bursts containing data on the random access data channel in accordance with the subscription.

23. The method as in any claim 19, wherein granting the subscription comprises transmitting to the device subscription parameters comprising parameters that specify at least one of the period of time that the subscription is valid, a timing advance, a modulation coding scheme, a transmit power level for the uplink random access data channel, authentication-related information, a maximum number of re-transmissions of a burst that are permitted, and information descriptive of a duration of a guard period in each burst.

28. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, execution of the computer program code comprising the method as in claim 19.

20-22. -22. (canceled)

24-27. -27. (canceled)

29. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory including computer program code, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus at least to grant a subscription for a device to use, for a period of time specified by the subscription, an uplink random access data channel to a wireless communication network, and to receive bursts containing data on the random access data channel in accordance with the subscription.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said at least one data processor grants the subscription in response to a receipt of a subscription request from the device and wherein the received subscription request comprises information specifying how often the device will transmit a burst and an amount data that will be transmitted in each burst.

31. The apparatus as in claim 29, wherein said at least one data processor initiates the granting of the subscription by identifying devices that potentially can use the random access data channel by determining a device or devices that have no or limited mobility and that transmit a limited amount of data.

32. The apparatus as in claim 29, wherein said at least one data processor when granting the subscription transmits to the device subscription parameters comprising parameters that specify at least one of the period of time that the subscription is valid, a timing advance, a modulation coding scheme, a transmit power level for the uplink random access data channel, authentication-related information, a maximum number of re-transmissions of a burst that are permitted, and information descriptive of a duration of a guard period in each burst.

33. The apparatus as in claim 29, wherein said at least one data processor in response correctly receiving a burst transmits an acknowledgement to the device and, if the bust is not correctly received, receives at least one re-transmission of the burst until a maximum number of allowable re-transmissions is received.

36. The apparatus as in claim 29, wherein said at least one data processor when granting a subscription assigns a transmit power level to be used when transmitting a burst on the random access data channel, and wherein assigned transmit power level is selected to be less than a transmit power level used when other devices transmit a burst on a random access channel.

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

37. (canceled)