Adaptive throughput in packet data communication systems using idle time slot scheduling

• US 6,567,396 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wenåker, Pär, Svensson, Håkan, Pohjanvouri, Timo, Kärnbo, Torbjörn, Lindskog, Jan, Rydnell, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US09/459,570
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 370/342-352, 370/313, 370/458-463, 370/522, 370/412, 370/421, 370/445, 370/389-395, 370/331-336, 709/243, 709/217-223, 711/169, 455/575, 455/426-430, 455/406-411, 725/28-33, 725/108, 725/133, 725/141
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Random access opportunities are provided to packet data devices needing urgent transmit resources. Additionally, random access opportunities are controlled by prioritizing both the random access opportunities and one or more of the packet data device that needs to transmit or the application data that needs to be transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting packets between a remote station and a communication system comprising the steps of:

assigning an address to said remote station;

waiting, by said remote station, for a reserved access opportunity associated with said address to transmit payload data;

receiving, at said remote station, predetermined control data for transmission wherein said predetermined control data is control data with a threshold latency period; and

permitting said remote station to transmit said predetermined control data on a random access opportunity while the remote station is waiting for the reserved access opportunity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of waiting further comprises the steps of:

starting a timer; and

permitting said remote station to use said random access opportunity to transmit said payload data only after said timer expires.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said address is a temporary medium access control (MAC) layer address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined control data is a message to suspend a data transaction associated with said address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting, by said communication system, at least two different types of random access opportunities, wherein one of said at least two different random access opportunities has a higher priority level than the other of said at least two different random access opportunities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least two different random access opportunities are distinguished by at least two different addresses transmitted by said system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least two different random access opportunities are assigned a same address code by said system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

determining a priority level of a random access opportunity using a state machine.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of permitting further comprises the step of:

selectively permitting said mobile station to access said random access opportunity based upon a priority level associated with said mobile station and a priority level of said random access opportunity.

10. A method for a remote station to randomly access a packet data radiocommunication system comprising the steps of:

providing at least two different random access channels;

assigning a different address to each of said at least two different random access channels, wherein each of said different random access channels has a different priority level;

transmitting, in a downlink, one of said different addresses to identify a random access opportunity associated with one of said at least two random access channels; and

selectively transmitting, on an uplink, an access burst by said remote station based on a comparison between a priority level associated with said one of said different addresses transmitted on said downlink and a priority level of an application generating data for transmission at said remote station.

11. A method for a remote station to randomly access a packet data radiocommunication system comprising the steps of:

transmitting, on a downlink, an indicator of a random access opportunity;

determining, in said remote station, a priority level of said random access opportunity based on a stored pattern of transmissions by said radiocommunication system; and

selectively transmitting, on an uplink, an access burst by said remote station based on a comparison between said determined priority level of said random access opportunity and a priority level of associated with one of said remote station and an application running on said remote station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of determining further comprises:

providing a state machine in said remote station having a state associated with each different priority level; and

transitioning from one state to the next state after a predetermined number of random access opportunities are identified by said remote station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of selectively transmitting further comprises the step of:

transmitting said access burst when said remote station is in a state having a priority level corresponding to a priority level associated with one of said remote station and an application running on said remote station.

14. A method for transmitting packets between a remote station and a communication system comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by the remote station, a burst on a random access channel;

providing, by the communication system, a temporary address to said remote station if the burst is successfully received by the communication system;

waiting, by the remote station, for a reserved access opportunity associated with the address to transmit payload data; and

transmitting, by the remote station predetermined control data on a random access opportunity while waiting for the reserved access opportunity wherein said predetermined control data is control data with a threshold latency period.