Packet Scheduling in Communications

• US 20150257144A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hooli, Kari Juhani, Tiirola, Esa Tapani, Pajukoski, Kari Pekka, Lunttila, Timo Erkki
• Granted Patent: US 9,295,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load

Abstract

A method is disclosed for scheduling packet data in a communications system. The method includes configuring, in a network apparatus, semi-persistent transmission resources to a user equipment via higher layer signalling, wherein the configuring step includes pre-allocating a data transmission resource and assigning a scheduling request resource to the user equipment. A confirmation message is transmitted to the user equipment from the network apparatus, wherein the confirmation message informs the user equipment that the user equipment is able to start transmitting data on a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH to the net-work apparatus by using the pre-allocated data trans-mission resource and a pre-configured transmission format, wherein the pre-allocated data transmission resource is linked to the corresponding confirmation message, the corresponding confirmation message being linked to the corresponding semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling packet data in a communications system, the method comprising

configuring, in a network apparatus, semi-persistent transmission resources to a user equipment via higher layer signalling, wherein the configuring includes pre-allocating a data transmission resource and assigning a scheduling request resource to the user equipment;

and

transmitting, from the network apparatus a confirmation message to the user equipment, the confirmation message informing the user equipment that the user equipment is able to start transmitting data on a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH to the network apparatus by using the pre-allocated data transmission resource and a pre-configured transmission format, wherein the pre-allocated data transmission resource is linked to the corresponding confirmation message, the corresponding confirmation message being linked to the corresponding semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the confirmation message is transmitted from the network apparatus to the user equipment, in response to receiving, in the network apparatus, a scheduling request message from the user equipment, the scheduling request message being transmitted by using the semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource when the user equipment has data in a buffer.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized by allowing the user equipment to start reception on a predetermined confirmation resource after a pre-defined time after sending the scheduling request message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises transmitting of the scheduling request message by using a PUCCH format 1;

and/or

using a dedicated PRACH resource semi-persistently allocated for the user equipment, wherein preambles used are sequences that are not part of a cell-specific preamble set, wherein the assigned scheduling request resource does not overlap with regular PRACH resources in time nor frequency.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises scheduling aperiodic uplink data with constant size packets without having a need to transmit a dedicated uplink resource allocation grant message.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises using DCI format 3 as a group grant for sending jointly coded confirmation messages and/or eNB-triggered reporting requests.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises transmission of the confirmation message and/or eNB-triggered reporting request by using PHICH, wherein a normal PHICH resource, used for HARQ feedback, is configured to the user equipment as a confirmation message resource.

23. An apparatus comprising means for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

27. A computer program comprising program code means adapted to perform steps of claim 1 when the program is run on a computer.

28. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code for executing a computer process according to claim 1.

4. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

12. An apparatus comprising a communication control circuitry configured to

configure semi-persistent transmission resources to a user equipment via higher layer signalling, wherein the configuring includes pre-allocating a data transmission resource and assigning a scheduling request resource to the user equipment;

and

transmit a confirmation message to the user equipment, the confirmation message informing the user equipment that the user equipment is able to start transmitting data on a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH to the apparatus by using the pre-allocated data transmission resource and a pre-configured transmission format, wherein the pre-allocated data transmission resource is linked to the corresponding confirmation message, the corresponding confirmation message being linked to the corresponding semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the communication control circuitry is further configured to transmit the confirmation message to the user equipment, in response to receiving a scheduling re-quest message from the user equipment, the scheduling request message being transmitted by using the semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource when the user equipment has data in a buffer.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the communication control circuitry is further configured to allow the user equipment to start reception on a predetermined confirmation resource after a pre-defined time after sending the scheduling request message.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the communication control circuitry is further configured to receive the scheduling request message transmitted from the user equipment by

using a PUCCH format 1;

and/or

using a dedicated PRACH resource semi-persistently allocated for the user equipment, wherein preambles used are sequences that are not part of a cell-specific preamble set, wherein the assigned scheduling request resource does not overlap with regular PRACH resources in time nor frequency.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the communication control circuitry is further configured to schedule aperiodic uplink data with constant size packets without having a need to transmit a dedicated uplink resource allocation grant message.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the communication control circuitry is further configured to use DCI format 3 as a group grant for sending jointly coded confirmation messages and/or eNB-triggered reporting requests.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the communication control circuitry is further configured to transmit the confirmation message and/or eNB-triggered reporting request by using PHICH, wherein a normal PHICH resource, used for HARQ feedback, is configured to the user equipment as a confirmation message resource.

15. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

24. An apparatus comprising

at least one processor;

and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to

configure semi-persistent transmission resources to a user equipment via higher layer signalling, wherein the configuring includes pre-allocating a data transmission resource and assigning a scheduling request resource to the user equipment; and

transmit a confirmation message to the user equipment, the confirmation message informing the user equipment that the user equipment is able to start transmitting data on a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH to the apparatus by using the pre-allocated data transmission resource and a pre-configured transmission format, wherein the pre-allocated data transmission resource is linked to the corresponding confirmation message, the corresponding confirmation message being linked to the corresponding semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource.

25. A user equipment comprising a communication control circuitry configured to

receive, from a network apparatus, a confirmation message, the confirmation message informing the user equipment that the user equipment is able to start transmitting data on a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH to the network apparatus by using a pre-configured transmission format and a pre-allocated data transmission resource configured, in the network apparatus, to the user equipment via higher layer signalling, the configuring including pre-allocating the data transmission resource and assigning a scheduling request resource to the user equipment, wherein the pre-allocated data transmission resource is linked to the corresponding confirmation message, the corresponding confirmation message being linked to a corresponding semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource.

26. A user equipment according to claim 25, characterized in that it comprises a communication control circuitry configured to transmit, to the network apparatus, a scheduling request message, the scheduling request message being transmitted by using the semi-persistently assigned scheduling request resource when the user equipment has data in a buffer.