METHOD AND COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO A WIRELESS ACCESS NETWORK

• US 20130272119A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Ke-Chi Jang
• Inventors: JANG, Ke-Chi, CHERIAN, Airin
• Granted Patent: US 9,480,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access

Abstract

A method for controlling access to a wireless Access Network (AN) by a wireless communication device. The device stores a Device Access Priority (DAP) level based on characteristics of the device. When the device has data to send, the device receives an overhead message from the AN containing a Network Access Priority (NAP) parameter defining a minimum priority level for initiating network access. The device determines whether its DAP level is equal to or greater than the NAP parameter. If not, the device periodically repeats the receiving and determining steps until the stored DAP level is determined to be equal to or greater than the NAP parameter received from the AN. When the stored DAP level is equal to or greater than the NAP parameter, the device initiates network access. The device may perform and pass a Persistence Test before transmitting the data on an access channel (ACH).

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to a wireless Access Network (AN) by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a non-transitory memory in the wireless communication device, a Device Access Priority (DAP) level based on characteristics of the wireless communication device;

when the wireless communication device has data to send, receiving by a radio receiver in the wireless communication device, a message from the AN containing a Network Access Priority (NAP) parameter, which defines a minimum priority level that the wireless communication device must meet to be allowed to initiate network access;

determining by a processor in the wireless communication device, whether the stored DAP level is equal to or greater than the NAP parameter received from the AN;

when the stored DAP level is determined to be less than the NAP parameter received from the AN, periodically repeating the receiving and determining steps until the stored DAP level is determined to be equal to or greater than the NAP parameter received from the AN; and

when the stored DAP level is determined to be equal to or greater than the NAP parameter received from the AN, initiating network access by the wireless communication device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the AN periodically sets a value of the NAP parameter based on current network loading or congestion conditions.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the AN sets a higher value for the NAP parameter when the network loading or congestion conditions increase.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of initiating network access by the wireless communication device includes the steps of:

performing a Persistence Test in which the processor generates a random persistence value and determines that the device passed the Persistence Test when the generated random persistence value is equal to or larger than a persistence value assigned by the AN; and

when the wireless communication device passes the Persistence Test, transmitting on an access channel by a radio transmitter in the wireless communication device, the data the device has to send.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the AN is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network, and the message received from the AN is a broadcast overhead message comprising a System Information Block (SIB) message.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the AN is a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) network, and the message received from the AN is a broadcast overhead message comprising a QuickConfig/SectorParameters message.

8. A wireless communication device configured to control access to a wireless Access Network (AN), the wireless communication device comprising:

a non-transitory memory configured to store a Device Access Priority (DAP) level, wherein the DAP level is based on characteristics of the wireless communication device;

radio receiver configured to receive a message from the AN containing a Network Access Priority (NAP) parameter when the wireless communication device has data to send, wherein the NAP parameter defines a minimum priority level that the wireless communication device must meet to be allowed to initiate network access; and

a processor configured to determine whether the stored DAP level is equal to or greater than the NAP parameter received from the AN;

wherein when the stored DAP level is determined to be less than the NAP parameter received from the AN, the device is configured to periodically receive additional messages from the AN with new NAP parameters, and to determine whether the stored DAP level is equal to or greater than one of the new NAP parameters received from the AN; and

wherein when the stored DAP level is determined to be equal to or greater than the NAP parameter received from the AN, the device is configured to initiate network access.

9. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 8, wherein the device is configured to:

initiate network access by performing a Persistence Test in which the processor generates a random persistence value and determines that the device passed the Persistence Test when the generated random persistence value is equal to or larger than a persistence value assigned by the AN; and

when the wireless communication device passes the Persistence Test, transmit on an access channel by a radio transmitter in the wireless communication device, the data the device has to send.

10. The communication device as recited in claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device is a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication device.

11. A wireless Access Network (AN) configured to control access to the AN by a wireless communication device, wherein the AN includes a processor coupled to a non-transitory memory, wherein when the processor executes computer program instructions stored in the memory, the processor causes the AN to:

determine traffic loading and congestion conditions for the AN;

determine a value of a Network Access Priority (NAP) parameter based on the traffic loading and congestion conditions, the NAP parameter defining a minimum priority level that the wireless communication device must meet to be allowed to initiate network access; and

broadcast, utilizing a radio transmitter, an overhead message to the wireless communication device, the overhead message containing the NAP parameter.

12. The AN as recited in claim 11, wherein a NAP determining unit is configured to set a higher value for the NAP parameter when the network loading or congestion conditions increase.

13. The AN as recited in claim 11, wherein a NAP determining unit is configured to set the NAP parameter to zero or omit the NAP parameter from the overhead message when the network loading is light.

14. The AN as recited in claim 11, wherein the AN is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network, and the overhead message comprises a System Information Block (SIB) message.

15. The AN as recited in claim 11, wherein the AN is a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) network, and the overhead message comprises a QuickConfig/SectorParameters message.

16. A method of controlling access to a wireless Access Network (AN) by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a non-transitory memory in the wireless communication device, a Device Access Priority (DAP) class depending on characteristics of the wireless communication device;

when the wireless communication device has data to send, receiving by a radio receiver in the wireless communication device, a message from the AN containing one or more prohibited Network Access Priority (NAP) classes;

determining by a processor in the wireless communication device, whether the stored DAP class is equal to any of the prohibited NAP classes received from the AN;

when the stored DAP class is equal to one of the prohibited NAP classes received from the AN, periodically repeating the receiving and determining steps until it is determined that the stored DAP class does not equal any of the prohibited NAP classes received from the AN; and

when the stored DAP class does not equal any of the prohibited NAP classes received from the AN, initiating network access by the wireless communication device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the AN periodically sets the prohibited NAP classes based on current network loading or congestion conditions.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the AN sets additional prohibited NAP classes when the network loading or congestion conditions increase, and sets fewer prohibited NAP classes when the network loading or congestion conditions decrease.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the AN indicates there are no prohibited NAP classes when the network loading is light.

20. A method of controlling access to a wireless Access Network (AN) by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a non-transitory memory in the wireless communication device, a Device Access Priority (DAP) class depending on characteristics of the wireless communication device;

when the wireless communication device has data to send, receiving by a radio receiver in the wireless communication device, a message from the AN containing one or more allowed Network Access Priority (NAP) classes;

determining by a processor in the wireless communication device, whether the stored DAP class is equal to any of the allowed NAP classes received from the AN;

when the stored DAP class does not equal any of the allowed NAP classes received from the AN, periodically repeating the receiving and determining steps until it is determined that the stored DAP class is equal to one of the allowed NAP classes received from the AN; and

when the stored DAP class is equal to one of the allowed NAP classes received from the AN, initiating network access by the wireless communication device.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising detecting by the wireless access device that the AN has changed the allowed NAP classes based on current network loading or congestion conditions.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the step of detecting that the AN has changed the allowed NAP classes includes the steps of:

detecting that the AN has set fewer allowed NAP classes due to increased network loading or congestion conditions; and

detecting that the AN has set additional allowed NAP classes due to decreased network loading or congestion conditions.