Method for variable block scheduling indication by an uplink state flag in a packet data communication system

• US 6,501,745 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1998
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Turina, Dalibor, Persson, Bengt
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/201,777
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/389, 370/398, 370/399, 370/401, 370/402, 370/403, 370/336, 370/337, 370/493, 370/528, 370/345, 370/347, 370/465, 370/494, 370/332, 370/441, 370/442, 370/346, 370/341, 370/338, 370/334, 370/329, 370/326, 370/321, 370/314, 370/522, 370/524, 370/480, 455/422, 455/466, 455/332, 455/522, 455/456, 455/457, 455/524, 455/428, 455/437, 455/452, 455/455, 455/15, 455/509, 455/516, 455/517
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A packet data communication system uses an USF (Uplink State Flag) transmitted on the downlink and interleaved with downlink data, to schedule traffic on the uplink for one or several mobile users utilizing the same physical channel. The USF indication is made variable and defined in the control signaling at setup of a packet transmission. An USF indicates to a mobile that one or several consecutive radio blocks is reserved for uplink transmission from a specific mobile. The mobile does not have to receive the USF during the remaining period defined by the number of radio blocks scheduled. The solution is especially advantageous in combination with adaptive antennas when all radio blocks on the downlink transmissions do not have to be broadcast to all users on a certain channel.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information in a packet switched communication system where uplink and downlink transmissions are segmented into radio blocks and a number of mobile stations share a single transmission resource, said method comprising the steps of:

informing a mobile station of an arbitrary number of radio blocks that can be consecutively transmitted upon receipt of an uplink state flag;

transmitting an uplink state flag in a downlink transmission to said mobile station in order to initiate an uplink transmission of said arbitrary number of radio blocks; and

consecutively transmitting, by said mobile station, said number of blocks in said uplink transmission.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting, during said consecutive transmission of said arbitrary number of radio blocks when said arbitrary number is greater than one, at least one Unused uplink state flag for indicating that other mobile stations are prevented from transmitting on the uplink of the transmission resource.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of informing further comprises:

broadcasting a value of said arbitrary number of blocks to said mobile stations.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of informing further comprises:

specifying a value of said arbitrary number of blocks when transmission resources are allocated between a mobile station and said system.

5. A method for scheduling uplink transmissions in a communication system where uplink and downlink transmissions are segmented into radio blocks and a number of mobile stations share a single transmission resource, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an indicator in a downlink transmission to a mobile station during setup of a radio connection between said mobile station and a base station;

wherein said indicator indicates a number of radio blocks that the mobile station can transmit consecutively on the transmission resource upon receipt of a flag directed to said mobile station.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the communication system is a radio packet communication system.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the communication system is a Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system.

8. A system for transmitting information in a packet switched communication system where uplink and downlink transmissions are segmented into radio blocks and a number of mobile stations share a single transmission resource, said system comprising:

means for informing a mobile station of an arbitrary number of radio blocks that can be consecutively transmitted upon receipt of an uplink state flag;

means for transmitting an uplink state flag in a downlink transmission to said mobile station in order to initiate an uplink transmission of said arbitrary number of radio blocks; and

means for consecutively transmitting, by said mobile station, said number of blocks in said uplink transmission.

9. The system according to claim 8 further comprising means for transmitting, during said consecutive transmission of said arbitrary number of radio blocks when said arbitrary number is greater than one, at least one Unused uplink state flag for indicating that other mobile stations are prevented from transmitting on the uplink of the transmission resource.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said means for informing further comprises:

means for broadcasting a value of said arbitrary number of blocks to said mobile stations.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said means for informing further comprises:

means for specifying a value of said arbitrary number of blocks when transmission resources are allocated between a mobile station and said system.

12. A method for transmitting data packets comprising the steps of:

broadcasting data packets including an uplink state flag in a first set of a plurality of antenna lobes; and

transmitting data packets in a second set of said plurality of antenna lobes directed toward a particular mobile station, wherein said uplink state flag identifies which mobile station can transmit, on the uplink, a predetermined, consecutive number of blocks.

13. A base station for transmitting data packets comprising:

an array antenna for transmitting said data packets in at least one of a plurality of antenna lobes; and

means for broadcasting packets including an uplink state flag in a first set of said plurality of lobes and for transmitting packets in a second set of said plurality of lobes directed toward a particular mobile station, wherein said uplink state flag identifies which mobile station can transmit, on the uplink, a predetermined, consecutive number of blocks.

14. A method for scheduling uplink transmissions in a communication system where uplink and downlink transmissions are segmented into radio blocks and a number of mobile stations share a single transmission resource, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an uplink state flag in a downlink transmission to a mobile station during setup of a radio connection between said mobile station and a base station;

wherein said uplink state flag indicates a number of radio blocks that the mobile station can transmit consecutively on the transmission resource.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of:

transmitting, during a transmission of said number of radio blocks when said number of blocks is greater than one, at least one Unused uplink state flag for indicating that transmission on the uplink of the transmission resource is not permitted.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the communication system is a radio packet communication system.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein the communication system is a Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein said base station comprises an adaptive antenna array.

19. A system for scheduling uplink transmissions in a communication system where uplink and downlink transmissions are segmented into radio blocks, said system comprising:

a single transmission resource which is shared by a number of mobile stations; and

means for transmitting an uplink state flag in a downlink transmission to a mobile station during a setup of a connection between said mobile station and a base station;

wherein said uplink state flag indicates a number of radio blocks that the mobile station can transmit consecutively on the transmission resource.

20. The system according to claim 19 further comprising means for transmitting, during a transmission of said number of radio blocks when said number of radio blocks is greater than one, at least one Unused uplink state flag for indicating that other mobile stations are prevented from transmitting on an uplink of the transmission resource.

21. The system according to claim 19 wherein the communication system is a radio packet communication system.

22. The system according to claim 19 wherein the communication system is a Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system.

23. The system according to claim 19 wherein said base station comprises an adaptive antenna array.