Method and Apparatus

• US 20150016366A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranta-Aho, Karri Markus, Sayenko, Alexander, He, Jing, Bazar, Isman
• Granted Patent: US 9,814,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method includes determining in a network node that a first channel is to be established between an access node and a user equipment. The first channel including one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment. The first channel provides information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment. The data channel is such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity. The method also includes providing information to said access node to cause said first channel to be established responsive to said determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining in a network node that a first channel is to be established between an access node and a user equipment, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

providing information to said access node to cause said first channel to be established responsive to said determination.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein providing information comprises providing said information with packet data which are to be sent by said access node to said user equipment on said data channel.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein providing information comprises providing said information with each of said packets.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said providing information comprises providing said information to cause said first channel to be established for an identified user equipment.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information comprises information controlling if said first channel is set up before an associated transmission on said data channel or if said first channel is set up in parallel with an associated transmission on said data channel.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information comprises expected amount of data and/or if a corresponding data transmission is expected.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising providing termination information configured to control the termination of said first channel.

11. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code which when run on a processor performs the method claim 1.

8. A method comprising:

determining in a network node that a first channel is to be terminated between an access node and a user equipment, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

providing a command to said access node to cause said first channel to be terminated responsive to said determination.

9. A method comprising:

receiving at an access node information from an network node indicating that a first channel is to be established, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity ; and

causing said first channel to be set up between said access node and said user equipment.

10. A method comprising:

receiving at an access node a command from an network node indicating that a first channel is to be terminated, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

causing said first channel to be terminated.

12. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine in a network node that a first channel is to be established between an access node and a user equipment, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

provide information to said access node to cause said first channel to be established responsive to said determination.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine in a network node that a first channel is to be terminated between an access node and a user equipment, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

provide a command to said access node to cause said first channel to be terminated responsive to said determination.

14. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive at an access node information from an network node indicating that a first channel is to be established, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

cause said first channel to be set up between said access node and said user equipment.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive at an access node a command from an network node indicating that a first channel is to be terminated, said first channel comprising one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

causing said first channel to be terminated.