Control-hold mode

• US 6,717,924 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Sai Yiu Duncan, Wei, Yongbin, Sinnarajah, Ragulan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US10/042,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/310, 370/317, 370/318, 370/331, 370/332, 370/335, 370/342, 370/349, 370/441, 370/431, 455/436-444, 455/13.4, 455/522, 455/574
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are presented for implementing an improved Control-Hold Mode that reduces the load of the reverse link and reduces the battery consumption of remote stations. While a remote station is in the improved Control-Hold Mode, the circuitry that monitors the forward packet data channels and the associated control channels are turned off. Since the forward packet data channels and their associated control channels are not monitored, the operations of the reverse channels can be gated off to predetermined duty cycles, or set on intermittent transmission modes, or shut down completely. Transitions from the Control-Hold Mode to the Active Mode can be initiated by the remote station or by a base station. When a transition is initiated by a remote station, the remote station transmits a signaling message to a serving base station and then starts operating the feedback channels before actually receiving forward link signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus for implementing an improved Control-Hold Mode within a remote station, wherein the remote station operates within a communication system that employs packet data channels with associated control channels, and associated feedback channels, comprising:

a memory element; and

a processing element configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory element, the set of instructions for;

ceasing the monitoring of packet data channels from a base station;

ceasing the monitoring of control channels associated with the packet data channels from the base station;

turning off a reverse link acknowledgment channel;

gating off transmissions from the remote station to the base station; and

intermittently transmitting over a data control channel.

2. A method for updating an active set when a remote station is in an improved Control-Hold Mode, comprising:

transmitting a pilot strength measurement to a base station;

receiving a signaling message from the base station;

transitioning from the improved Control-Hold Mode to an Active Mode, wherein the transitioning is triggered by the signaling message;

receiving an acknowledgment message with update information from the base station;

updating the active set with the update information from the base station; and

transitioning from the Active Mode to the Control-Hold Mode.

3. A method for a remote station to switch sectors in a base station while the remote station is in a Control-Hold Mode, comprising:

determining whether a channel quality indicator channel is presently gated off;

if the channel quality indicator channel is not completely gated off, then transmitting a message on the channel quality indicator channel to a different sector;

if the channel quality indicator channel is completely gated off, then;

transmitting a signaling message on a data control channel to the base station;

receiving a forward link acknowledgment message on a common assignment channel;

switching to a different sector; and

transmitting a reverse link acknowledgment message on the data control channel.

4. A method for transitioning from an improved Control-Hold Mode to an Active Mode, wherein the transitioning is initiated by a remote station, the method comprising:

transmitting a signaling message over a reverse data control channel to a base station while in the improved Control-Hold Mode;

starting continuous transmissions over a channel quality indicator channel to the base station;

starting the monitoring of a forward packet data channel and an associated control channel;

receiving an acknowledgment signal over the forward packet data channel; and

starting reverse link transmissions in accordance with the Active Mode.

5. A method for transitioning a remote station from an improved Control-Hold Mode to an Active Mode, wherein the transitioning is initiated by a base station, the method comprising:

transmitting a signaling message over a forward common assignment channel to the remote station, whereupon the signaling message is repeatedly transmitted until an acknowledgment signal is received from the remote station;

transmitting an acknowledgment message over a reverse data control channel to the base station from the remote station;

activating at least two feedback channels at the remote station; and

starting the monitoring of a forward packet data channel and associated control channel at the remote station.