Methods and systems for reduced power operation of cellular mobile terminals

• US 5,978,366 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Weiss, Richard E., Reinhold, Stan L., Massingill, Larry William, Solve, Torbjorn Wilson
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US08/770,259
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/347, 370/349, 370/337, 370/336, 370/338, 370/401, 370/465, 370/311, 455/38.3, 455/343, 455/458
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a mobile terminal having a receiver for receiving a time multiplexed message distributed over a plurality of time slots by receiving a first subset of the plurality of time slots so as to receive a first portion of the time multiplexed message corresponding to the first subset of the plurality of time slots. The mobile terminal then determines from the first portion of the time multiplexed message if additional time slots of the time multiplexed message need to be received by the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives a second subset of the plurality of time slots so as to receive a second portion of the time multiplexed message if the mobile terminal determines from the first portion that additional portions of the time multiplexed message are to be received by the mobile terminal. This first portion of the message is preferably independently decodeable from the remainder of the message.

Claims

1. A method of communicating to a mobile terminal having a receiver for receiving a time multiplexed message distributed over a plurality of time slots, wherein a mobile terminal address is associated with the mobile terminal and wherein the time multiplexed message contains an address distributed over a plurality of time slots specifying an intended recipient of the message, the method comprising:

receiving a first subset of the plurality of time slots so as to receive a first portion of the time multiplexed message corresponding to the first subset of the plurality of time slots, wherein the first portion of the time multiplexed message contains at least a portion of the address specifying the intended recipient of the message;

determining from the at least a portion of the address contained in the first portion of the time multiplexed message if additional time slots of the time multiplexed message need to be received by the mobile terminal; and

receiving a second subset of the plurality of time slots so as to receive a second portion of the time multiplexed message if said determining step determines that additional portions of the time multiplexed message are to be received by the mobile terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises determining if the address contained in the time multiplexed message is within a range of addresses which includes the mobile terminal address;

and

wherein said step of receiving a second subset of the plurality of time slots comprises receiving a second subset of the plurality of time slots so as to receive a second portion of the time multiplexed message if said determining step determines that the address contained in the time multiplexed message is within the range of addresses which include the mobile terminal address.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mobile terminal address is a mobile unit identifier comprising a plurality of bits and wherein the first portion of the time multiplexed message contains a subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile unit identifier of the intended recipient of the message;

and

wherein said determining step comprises determining if the subset of the plurality of bits contained in the first portion of the time multiplexed message are identical to a corresponding subset of the plurality of bits of the mobile unit identifier of the mobile terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the bits which comprise the subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile identifier contained in the first portion of the time multiplexed message are selected from the plurality of bits such that a random distribution of possible mobile unit identifier values is obtained from a distribution of mobile terminals.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the time multiplexed message comprises a paging message.

6. A method of communicating to a mobile terminal having a receiver for receiving a message distributed over a plurality of time slots in a time division multiple access (TDMA) cellular network, wherein the message contains a mobile unit identifier distributed over a plurality of time slots and associated with an intended recipient of the message and wherein the mobile terminal has a terminal mobile unit identifier associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving a first subset of the plurality of time slots of a channel in a multi-frame so as to receive a first portion of the time multiplexed message corresponding to the channel;

determining from the first portion of the time multiplexed message if the mobile unit identifier contained in the message corresponds to the terminal mobile unit identifier associated with the mobile terminal such that the remainder of the time slots of the channel need to be received by the mobile terminal; and

receiving additional time slots of the channel so as to receive a second portion of the time multiplexed message if said determining step determines that additional portions of the time multiplexed message are to be received by the mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the channel comprises a common control channel.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the channel comprises a paging channel and wherein the message comprises a paging message.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said determining step comprises determining if the paging message has a mobile unit identifier which is included in a range of mobile unit identifiers which includes the terminal mobile unit identifier associated with the mobile terminal.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the mobile terminal has associated with it a terminal mobile unit identifier comprising a plurality of bits and wherein the received first portion of the paging message includes a subset of the plurality of bits of the mobile unit identifier associated with an intended recipient;

and

wherein said determining step comprises determining if the subset of the plurality of bits included in the received first portion of the paging message are identical to a corresponding subset of the plurality of bits of the terminal mobile unit identifier of the mobile terminal.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the bits which comprise the subset of the plurality of bits of the mobile identifier associated with the intended recipient are selected from the plurality of bits such that a random distribution of possible mobile unit identifier values is obtained from a distribution of mobile terminals.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first portion of the message and the second portion of the message are separately decodable.

13. A method of communicating to a mobile terminal having a receiver for receiving a time multiplexed message distributed over a plurality of time slots from a base station, wherein a terminal address is associated with the mobile terminal and wherein the time multiplexed message contains an address which specifies an intended recipient of the message, the method comprising:

dividing the message into at least a first independently decodable portion of the message and a second independently decodable portion of the message wherein the first independently decodable portion of the message and the second independently decodable portion of the message each contain at least a portion of the address which specifies the intended recipient of the message from which the mobile terminal can determine if the second independently decodable portion of the message needs to be received by the mobile terminal;

transmitting at a predetermined time corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of time slots the first independently decodable portion of the message; and

transmitting at a predetermined time corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of time slots the second independently decodable portion of the message.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the address contained in the time multiplexed message contains comprises a plurality of bits which specify the intended recipient of the message;

wherein said dividing step comprises dividing the time multiplexed message into a first independently decodable portion of the message which includes at least a subset of the plurality of bits of the address.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the address is a mobile unit identifier.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the bits which comprise the subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile identifier associated with the time multiplexed message are selected from the plurality of bits such that a random distribution of possible mobile unit identifier values is obtained from a distribution of mobile terminals.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the time multiplexed message comprises a paging message.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the message the base station and mobile terminal are included in a time division multiple access (TDMA) cellular network and wherein messages are transmitted through a channel in a multi-frame.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the channel comprises a common control channel.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the channel comprises a paging channel and wherein the message comprises a paging message.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the channel comprises a broadcast channel.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the message comprises a repetitively broadcast message.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the first separately decodeable portion of the repetitively broadcast message contains version information corresponding to the version of the repetitively broadcast message.

24. A method of communication between a base station and a mobile terminal having a receiver for receiving a time multiplexed message distributed over a plurality of time slots, wherein the base station carries out the steps of:

dividing the message into at least a first independently decodable portion of the message and a second independently decodable portion of the message wherein the first independently decodable portion of the message and the second independently decodable portion each contain at least a portion of an address identifying an intended recipient of the message from which a mobile terminal can determine if the second independently decodable portion of the message needs to be received by the mobile terminal;

transmitting at a predetermined time corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of time slots the first independently decodable portion of the message; and

transmitting at a predetermined time corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of time slots the second independently decodable portion of the message; and

wherein the mobile terminal carries out the steps of;

receiving the first subset of the plurality of time slots to receive the first portion of the time multiplexed message;

determining from the first portion of the time multiplexed message if additional time slots of the time multiplexed message need to be received by the mobile terminal based on the at least a portion of the address of the intended recipient of the message of the first portion of the message; and

receiving the second portion of the time multiplexed message if said determining step determines that additional portions of the time multiplexed message are to be received by the mobile terminal.

25. The method according to claim 24,

wherein said determining step comprises determining if the at least a portion of the address of the time multiplexed message contained in the first portion of the message corresponds to a range of addresses which includes the mobile terminal;

and

wherein said step of receiving the second portion of the time multiplexed message comprises receiving the second portion of the time multiplexed message if said determining step determines that the message contains an address in a range of addresses which include the mobile terminal.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal has associated with it a mobile unit identifier comprising a plurality of bits, wherein the at least a portion the address contained in the first portion of the message comprises at least a subset of a plurality of bits of a mobile unit identifier associated with the message, and wherein said determining step comprises determining if the subset of the plurality of bits of the mobile unit identifier included in the first portion of the time multiplexed message are identical to a corresponding subset of the plurality of bits of the mobile unit identifier associated with the mobile terminal.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the bits which comprise the subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile identifier associated with the time multiplexed message are selected from the plurality of bits such that a random distribution of possible mobile unit identifier values is obtained from a distribution of mobile terminals.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the time multiplexed message comprises a paging message.

29. A mobile terminal for use in a mobile communications network having time multiplexed messages distributed across a plurality of time slots, wherein a terminal address is associated with the mobile terminal and wherein the time multiplexed message contains an address distributed across a plurality of times slots and specifies an intended recipient of the message, comprising:

receiver circuitry for selectively receiving radio communications at predetermined times corresponding to time slots of a time multiplexed message;

means, responsive to said receiver circuitry, for determining from a subset of said plurality of times slots corresponding to a first portion of said time multiplexed message if additional time slots of the time multiplexed message need to be received by the mobile terminal, wherein the first portion of the time multiplexed message contains at least a portion of the address specifying the intended recipient of the message and wherein said means for determining determines if additional time slots need to be received based on the at least a portion of the address; and

receiver control means operably associated with said means for determining and said receiver circuitry for selectively causing said receiver circuitry to receive radio communications at a predetermined time corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of time slots wherein said second subset of the plurality of time slots corresponds to a second portion of the time multiplexed message if said means for determining determines that additional time slots of the time multiplexed message are to be received by the mobile terminal.

30. The mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining if the address contained in the time multiplexed message is within a range of addresses which includes the terminal address of said mobile terminal;

and

wherein said receiver control means further comprises means for selectively causing said receiver circuitry to receive radio communications at a predetermined time corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of time slots wherein said second subset of the plurality of time slots corresponds to a second portion of the time multiplexed message if said means for determining determines that the address contained in the message is within said range of addresses which include ther terminal address of said mobile terminal.

31. The mobile terminal according to claim 29 wherein the mobile terminal has associated with it a mobile unit identifier comprising a plurality of bits and wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining if a subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile unit identifier associated with the time multiplexed message are identical to a corresponding subset of the plurality of bits of the mobile unit identifier of the mobile terminal.

32. The mobile terminal according to claim 31 wherein the bits which comprise the subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile identifier associated with the time multiplexed message are selected from the plurality of bits such that a random distribution of possible mobile unit identifier values is obtained from a distribution of mobile terminals.

33. The mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the time multiplexed message comprises a paging message.

34. The mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the first portion of the message and the second portion of the message are separately decodable and wherein said receiver circuitry of said mobile terminal includes decoder means operatively associated with said receiver circuitry for selectively decoding said first portion and said second portion of said message.

35. A base station for use in cellular communications utilizing time multiplexed messages distributed over a plurality of time slots, the base station comprising:

means for dividing the message into at least a first independently decodable portion of the message and a second independently decodable portion of the message wherein the first independently decodable portion of the message and the second independently decodable portion of the message each contain at least a portion of an address associated with the message from which a mobile terminal can determine if the second independently decodable portion of the message needs to be received by the mobile terminal;

means for transmitting at a predetermined time corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of time slots the first independently decodable portion of the message; and

means for transmitting at a predetermined time corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of time slots the second independently decodable portion of the message.

36. The base station according to claim 35, wherein an address is associated with a mobile terminal and wherein the time multiplexed message contains an address comprised of a plurality of bits which specify the intended recipient of the message;

wherein said means for dividing comprises means for dividing the time multiplexed message into a first independently decodable portion of the message which includes at least a subset of the plurality of bits of the address.

37. The base station according to claim 36, wherein the address is a mobile unit identifier.

38. The base station according to claim 37 wherein the bits which comprise the subset of the plurality of bits of a mobile identifier associated with the first portion of the time multiplexed message are selected from the plurality of bits such that a random distribution of possible mobile unit identifier values is obtained from a distribution of mobile terminals.

39. The base station according to claim 35, wherein the time multiplexed message comprises a paging message.