RADIO BEARERS FOR MACHINE TYPE COMMUNICATION

• US 20130286957A1
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: BUCKNELL, Paul, LI, Zhaojun
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A wireless communication method for machine type communication (MTC) where a base station defines a cell for wireless communication of the base station with devices within the cell via a downlink from the base station and via an uplink to the base station using one or more radio bearers; and a plurality of MTC devices are in wireless communication with the base station. The plurality of MTC devices share a radio bearer on at least one of the downlink by taking turns to receive data from the base station according to a predetermined schedule; or the uplink by taking turns to transmit data to the base station according to a predetermined schedule and the base station records each MTC device as a member of a group and assigns to each MTC device a first respective timing based on information which distinguishes the MTC device within the group.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method for machine type communication, MTC, wherein:

a base station defines a cell for wireless communication of the base station with devices within the cell via a downlink from the base station and via an uplink to the base station using one or more radio bearers; and

a plurality of MTC devices are in wireless communication with the base station, wherein;

the plurality of MTC devices share a radio bearer on at least one of;

the downlink by taking turns to receive data from the base station according to a predetermined schedule;

or

the uplink by taking turns to transmit data to the base station according to a predetermined schedule; and

the base station records each MTC device as a member of a group and assigns to each MTC device a first respective timing based on information which distinguishes the MTC device within the group.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmissions on the uplink take place within predetermined time periods, and the base station assigns to each MTC device a first respective timing within a said predetermined time period.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the MTC devices are only allowed to access the uplink after being paged by the base station.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein said predetermined schedule for receiving data involves each MTC device receiving data at a second respective timing which is derived from said first respective timing.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the base station assigns an index to each MTC device, and said first respective timing is derived from a transmission start timing plus an offset based on said index.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the base station assigns each index in order of requests received from the MTC devices.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the MTC devices share the same radio network identifier, such that the plurality of MTC devices is treated like one user equipment by the base station.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein a group of the MTC devices contains devices with more than one radio network identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the MTC devices share the same MTC group identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein an MTC group identifier is derived from the or each radio network identifier of the MTC devices.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein data transmitted from each MTC device to the base station is in the form of one or more packets each including information identifying the MTC device.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the base station maintains group configuration information of the MTC devices so that only updates of the information need be communicated on the uplink to the base station.

13. A wireless communication system for machine type communication, MTC, comprising:

a base station which defines a cell for wireless communication with devices within the cell using on a downlink from the base station and on an uplink to the base station using one or more radio bearers; and

a plurality of MTC devices in wireless communication with the base station, wherein;

the plurality of MTC devices are arranged to share the same radio bearer on at least one of;

the downlink by taking turns to receive data from the base station according to a predetermined schedule;

or

the uplink by taking turns to transmit data to the base station according to a predetermined schedule; and

the base station is arranged to record each MTC device as a member of a group and is arranged to assign to each MTC device a first respective timing based on information which distinguishes the MTC device within the group.

14. A base station for use in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising:

scheduling means arranged to define a predetermined schedule for a group of MTC devices in wireless communication with the base station such that the plurality of MTC devices share the same radio bearer on at least one of;

the downlink by taking turns to receive data from the base station according to a predetermined schedule;

or

the uplink by taking turns to transmit data to the base station according to a predetermined schedule; and

the base station is arranged to record each MTC device as a member of a group and is arranged to assign to each MTC device a first respective timing based on information which distinguishes the MTC device within the group.

15. An MTC device arranged for wireless communication with a base station in successive predetermined time periods and comprising:

transmission means arranged to determine at least one of;

a timing during each said predetermined time period at which to receive data on the downlink from the base station according to a predetermined schedule;

or

a timing during each said predetermined time period at which to transmit data on the uplink to the base station according to a predetermined schedule, p1 from a transmission start timing notified to a group of MTC devices including said MTC device from the base station and an offset specific to the MTC device.