Synchronizing Uplink and Downlink Transmissions in a Wireless Device

• US 20140064160A1
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jeong, Hyeonkuk, Chung, Chris Y., Verger, Luciano M., Lu, Gang
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Synchronizing uplink and downlink transmissions by a wireless user equipment (UE) device. A connection with a network may be established via a wireless link with a cell. The UE may operate in an active state during first periods of time in which uplink or downlink communications may be performed between the UE and the network. The UE may operate in a reduced-power state during second periods of time in which uplink and downlink communications are not performed. The first periods of time may alternate with the second periods of time in a repeating manner. Uplink data generated by the UE may be buffered during second periods of time and transmitted during first periods of time. Buffering uplink data in this manner may prevent the UE from immediately transitioning from the reduced-power state to the active state to transmit uplink data, which may conserve battery of the UE.

Claims

1. A method for baseband layer operation of a wireless user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:

establishing a connection with a network via a wireless link with a first cell;

receiving uplink data from an application layer in the UE, wherein the uplink data comprises data to be transmitted to the network via the wireless link;

storing the uplink data in a buffer;

receiving a downlink grant via the wireless link;

receiving downlink data via the wireless link during the downlink grant;

transmitting an uplink scheduling request via the wireless link in response to receiving the uplink data and receiving the downlink grant;

receiving an uplink grant via the wireless link in response to transmitting the uplink scheduling request;

transmitting the buffered uplink data via the wireless link during the uplink grant.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the downlink grant overlaps temporally with the uplink scheduling request.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a command to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions from an application layer in the UE;

wherein the UE stores the uplink data in the buffer and waits until the downlink grant is received to transmit the uplink scheduling request in response to the command.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

detecting a condition, wherein the baseband layer is configured to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions in response to detecting the condition;

wherein the UE stores the uplink data in the buffer and waits until the downlink grant is received to transmit the uplink scheduling request in response to detecting the condition.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

sending an indication that the baseband layer is configured to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions to the application layer in response to detecting the condition.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the condition comprises one or more of:

battery level of the UE falling below a battery level threshold;

temperature exceeding a thermal mitigation threshold;

or

detecting that a type of traffic pattern is a bi-directional repeated transfer.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

initiating an uplink transmission timer in response to receiving the uplink data, wherein if the uplink transmission timer expires before the downlink grant is received, the uplink scheduling request is transmitted in response to expiration of the uplink transmission timer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink data is received while the UE is in an inactive state as part of a discontinuous reception mode, wherein storing the uplink data in the buffer until the downlink grant is received prevents the UE from re-entering an active state until the downlink grant is received, thereby reducing battery consumption for a time period between receiving the uplink data and receiving the downlink grant.

9. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, the UE comprising:

a radio, comprising one or more antennas for performing wireless communication;

device logic, wherein the device logic is configured to;

establish a connection with a network via a wireless link;

communicate with the network via the wireless link using connected-mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX), wherein to use C-DRX the UE is configured to alternate between an active state in which communications are performed between the UE and the network and a reduced-power state in which communications are not performed between the UE and the network;

receive an indication to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions in conjunction with C-DRX operation;

synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions in conjunction with C-DRX operation in response to the indication.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein in order to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions, the device logic is configured to:

buffer uplink data generated by the UE while the UE is in the reduced-power state until the UE enters the active state.

11. The UE of claim 10, wherein the device logic is configured to:

buffer uplink data generated by the UE during each of a plurality of occasions that the UE is in the reduced-power state.

12. The UE of claim 9, wherein in order to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions, the device logic is configured to:

buffer uplink data generated by the UE while the UE is in the reduced-power state until a downlink grant is received or an uplink transmission timer expires;

transmit an uplink scheduling request to the network via the wireless link in response to receiving a downlink grant or determining that the uplink transmission timer has expired;

receive an uplink grant via the wireless link in response to transmitting the uplink scheduling request;

transmit the buffered uplink data via the wireless link during the uplink grant.

13. The UE of claim 12,

wherein the uplink transmission timer comprises a timer initiated upon receiving the uplink data generated by the UE.

14. The UE of claim 9,

wherein the device logic comprises baseband layer logic configured to control the radio.

15. The UE of claim 9,

wherein the device logic is configured to power down one or more components of the UE in the reduced-power state.

16. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the one or more components comprise one or more baseband logic components and/or one or more radio components.

17. A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium comprising program instructions for a wireless user equipment (UE) device to communicate with a network via a wireless link, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

establish a connection with a network via a wireless link;

at a first time, wherein the UE is operating in a reduced-power state at the first time;

buffer uplink data generated by the UE, wherein the uplink data is configured for transmission via the wireless link, wherein the uplink data is generated by the UE;

at a second time, wherein the UE is operating in an active state at the second time, wherein the second time occurs after the first time;

transmit a request for an uplink grant via the wireless link, wherein the request is for an uplink grant in which to transmit the buffered uplink data;

receive an indication of an uplink grant via the wireless link in response to the request for an uplink grant; and

transmit the buffered uplink data via the wireless link during the uplink grant.

18. The memory medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to, at the second time:

receive an indication of a downlink grant via the wireless link;

receive downlink data via the wireless link during the downlink grant;

wherein the program instructions are executable to transmit the request for the uplink grant in response to one or more of receiving the downlink grant or receiving downlink data during the downlink grant;

19. The memory medium of claim 18,

wherein the downlink grant overlaps temporally with one or more of transmitting the request for the uplink grant or the uplink grant.

20. The memory medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

determine that an uplink transmission timer has expired;

wherein the program instructions are executable to transmit the request for the uplink grant in response to determining that uplink transmission timer has expired.

21. The memory medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive an indication to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions;

wherein buffering the uplink data generated by the UE at the first time is performed in response to the indication to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions.

22. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein receiving the indication to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions comprises one or more of:

detecting that battery level of the UE has fallen below a battery level threshold;

detecting that the UE has exceeded a thermal mitigation threshold;

detecting a type of traffic pattern predetermined to be appropriate for synchronization of uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions;

or

receiving an indication from an application to synchronize uplink transmissions with downlink transmissions, wherein the application generates the uplink data.

23. The memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the UE is configured to operate in the reduced-power state and the active state during alternating periods of time in a repeating manner;

wherein the program instructions are further executable to buffer uplink data generated by the UE during each of a plurality of periods of time in which the UE is operating in the reduced-power state.

24. A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium comprising program instructions for a wireless user equipment (UE) device to communicate with a network via a wireless link, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

operate the UE in an active state during first periods of time in which uplink or downlink communications are performed between the UE and the network;

operate the UE in a reduced-power state during second periods of time in which uplink and downlink communications are not performed between the UE and the network, wherein the first periods of time alternate with the second periods of time in a repeating manner;

buffer uplink data generated by the UE during each of a plurality of second periods of time;

transmit buffered uplink data during each of a plurality of first periods of time.

25. The memory medium of claim 24, wherein the uplink data is generated by a bi-directional multimedia application executing on the UE, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

determine that the uplink data is generated by the bi-directional multimedia application executing on the UE;

wherein the program instructions are executable to buffer the uplink data while operating in the reduced-power state and transmit the uplink data while operating in the active state in response to determining that the uplink data is generated by the bi-directional multimedia application executing on the UE.

26. The memory medium of claim 24,

wherein buffering uplink data generated by the UE during each of the plurality of second periods of time prevents the UE from immediately transitioning to the active state to transmit the uplink data.