Adaptive data compression in a wireless telecommunications system

• US 6,745,012 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Côté, Guy, Ton, Bobby That Dao
• Primary Examiner(s): Craver, Charles R.
• Application Number:
  US09/716,171
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423-425, 455/501, 455/504, 455/506, 455/65, 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/68, 455/69, 455/72, 375/225, 375/227, 704/221-228
• US Class Current: 455/67.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0006 by adapting the transmission format

Abstract

A method and system for performing adaptive compression in a wireless communication network includes monitoring a link quality of a signal transmitted via an air interface using, for example, a telecommunications node. Next, it is determined whether the link quality deteriorates below a first link quality threshold. A compressor associated with the transmitted signal is disabled in response to a determination that the link quality has deteriorated below the first link quality threshold.

Claims

1. A method for performing adaptive compression in a wireless communication network, comprising the steps of:

compressing a first of a plurality of data packets;

monitoring a link quality of a signal comprising the first of the plurality of data packets transmitted via an air interface;

determining whether the link quality deteriorates below a first link quality threshold, and determining whether a signal quality of the first data packet is below the first link quality threshold;

disabling a compressor associated with the transmitted signal in response to a determination that the link quality has deteriorated below the first link quality threshold; and

transmitting a second of the plurality of data packets without compressing the second data packet after the step of disabling the compressor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packets are transmitted using a general packet radio service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring the link quality comprises monitoring a bit error rate for at least one of the plurality of data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises a downlink signal received by a mobile station, said mobile station including the compressor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of utilizing at least one data packet without attempting to decompress the data packet after the step of disabling the compressor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted signal comprises an uplink signal received from a mobile station, and the compressor is located on a network side of the air interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the link quality increases above a second link quality threshold; and

reenabling the compressor in response to a determination that link quality has increased above the second link quality threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second link quality threshold represents a better link quality than the first link quality.

9. A mobile telecommunications system, comprising:

a compressor for compressing at least a portion of a data packet to be transmitted via an air interface;

a telecommunications node for monitoring a link quality of signals transmitted between a mobile station and a radio access network;

a processor for controlling the compressor and disabling compression when the monitored link quality deteriorates below a preselected disable threshold; and

a base station for transmitting a plurality of data packets via the air interface, said base station transmitting compressed data packets received from the compressor and transmitting non-compressed data packets via the air interface when compression is disabled.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a general packet radio service (GPRS) network for transporting the data packet.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the GPRS network comprises a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) that includes the compressor and the processor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the GPRS network comprises a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) that includes the compressor and the processor.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the radio access network includes the telecommunications node.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the telecommunications node comprises a base station controller.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a decompressor for decompressing compressed data packets received via the air interface, said decompressor being controlled by the processor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor operates to forward certain data packets without attempting to decompress the certain data packets using the decompressor when a compressor for the mobile station from which the certain data packets are transmitted is disabled.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor reenables compression when the monitored link quality increases above a preselected reenable threshold.

18. The system of claim 9, further comprising a mobile station that includes the compressor and the processor, said mobile station receiving instructions from the telecommunications node to disable compression.

19. A mobile station for use in a wireless telecommunications network, comprising:

a compressor for compressing at least a portion of a data packet to be transmitted; and

a processor for controlling the compressor, said processor disabling the compressor in response to a determination that a signal quality of a signal received by the mobile station is below a selected disable threshold and transmitting a second of the plurality of data packets without compressing the second data packet after the step of disabling the compressor.

20. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein the processor reenables the compressor in response to a determination that a signal quality of a signal received by the mobile station is above a selected enable threshold.

21. The mobile station of claim 19, further comprising a decompressor for decompressing data packets received by the mobile station, wherein the processor operates to forward certain received data packets for processing in accordance with a higher level protocol when an attempt to decompress at least one of the certain received data packets fails.