Contention resolution method in channel allocation

• US 6,810,258 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vialen, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/606,635
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 455/509, 455/515, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/411, 455/512, 370/322, 370/348, 370/443, 370/329, 370/337
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of performing contention resolution for dedicated channel reservation of a cellular radio network air interface (170), a network part (128) of the cellular radio network, and a subscriber terminal (150) of the cellular radio network. (404) The network part (128) captures a random access request message (acc_req) transmitted on a random access channel by the subscriber terminal (150). (406) The network part (128) transmits an access grant message (acc_gra) on an access grant channel to the subscriber terminal (150). (408, 410) At least one subscriber terminal (150) receives the access grant message (acc_gra) on the access grant channel and on the basis thereof assumes having reserved a dedicated channel. (412, 416) The network layer of at least one subscriber terminal (150) transmits on the dedicated channel a network layer service request message (d MS1), which contains the subscriber terminal (150) identifier, to the network layer of the network part. In accordance with the invention, the contention is resolved in such a way that (420) the radio network sublayer included in the network layer of the network part (128) transmits on the dedicated channel a response message (cont_res MS1), which contains the subscriber terminal (150) identifier to the radio network sublayer of the subscriber terminal (150). Thereafter, (422,424) the radio network sublayer of at least one subscriber terminal (150) compares the subscriber terminal (150) identifier included in the response message (cont_res MS1) received on the dedicated channel with its own identifier, and (422) if the identifiers are identical, it concludes that the channel reservation succeeded, and (424) if the identifiers are different, it concludes that the channel reservation failed.

Claims

1. A method of performing contention resolution for dedicated channel reservation of a cellular radio network air interface, which comprises:

a network part and a radio connection from the network part to at least one subscriber terminal;

the network part captures a random access request message transmitted on a random access channel by the subscriber terminal;

the network part transmits an access grant message on an access grant channel to the subscriber terminal;

at least one subscriber terminal receives the access grant message on the access grant channel and on the basis thereof assumes having reserved a dedicated channel;

a network layer of at least one subscriber terminal transmits a network layer service request message, which contains the subscriber terminal identifier, on the dedicated channel to the network layer of the network part,

characterized in that

a radio network sublayer included in the network layer of the network part transmits on the dedicated channel a response message containing a subscriber terminal identifier to a radio network sublayer of the subscriber terminal;

the radio network sublayer of at least one subscriber terminal compares the subscriber terminal identifier received in the response message on the dedicated channel with its own identifier, and if the identifiers are identical, it comes to a conclusion that its dedicated channel reservation succeeded, and if the identifiers are different, that its dedicated channel reservation failed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the response message sent by the radio network sublayer of the network part is a particular contention resolution message.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the response message sent by the radio network sublayer of the network part is a normal network layer message.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the service request message is a paging response message of the radio network sublayer.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the service request message is one of the following:

a location updating request message of the mobility management sublayer, an IMSI detach message of the mobility management sublayer, a service request message of the connection management sublayer included in the network layer, a re-establishment request of the connection management sublayer, a notification response message or an immediate set-up message.

6. A network part of the cellular radio network comprising protocol software, which is arranged

to capture a random access request message on a random access channel of a subscriber terminal;

to transmit an access grant message on an access grant channel to the subscriber terminal;

to receive a service request message, which contains the subscriber terminal identifier, transmitted on the dedicated channel by at least one subscriber terminal network layer,

characterized in that the protocol software is arranged to transmit on the dedicated channel a response message, which contains the subscriber terminal identifier, to the radio network sublayer of the subscriber terminal.

7. The A network part of the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the response message sent by the radio network sublayer of the network part is a particular contention resolution message.

8. The network part of the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the response message sent by the radio network sublayer of the network part is a normal network layer message.

9. The network part of the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the service request message is a paging response message of the radio network sublayer.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the service request message is one of the following:

a location updating request message of the mobility management sublayer included in the network layer, an IMSI detach message of the mobility management sublayer, a service request message of the connection management sublayer included in the network layer, a re-establishment request of the connection management sublayer, a notification response message or an immediate set-up message.

11. A subscriber terminal of the cellular radio network comprising protocol software, which is arranged

to transmit a random access request message on a random access channel to a network part;

to receive an access grant message sent by the network part on an access grant channel and to assume on the basis thereof that a dedicated channel is reserved;

to transmit on the dedicated channel a service request message, which contains a subscriber terminal identifier, to a network layer of the network part,

characterized in that the protocol software is arranged

to receive a response message, which includes the subscriber terminal identifier, transmitted on the dedicated channel by a radio network sublayer included in the network layer of the network part;

to compare the subscriber terminal identifier included in the response message received in the radio network sublayer with its own identifier, and if the identifiers are identical, to conclude that the reservation succeeded, and if the identifiers are different, to conclude that the reservation failed.

12. The subscriber terminal in the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the response message sent by the radio network sublayer of the network part is a particular contention resolution message.

13. The subscriber terminal in the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the response message sent by the radio network sublayer is a normal network layer message.

14. The subscriber terminal in the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the service request message is a paging response message of the radio network sublayer.

15. The subscriber terminal in the cellular radio network as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the service request message is one of the following:

a location updating request message of the mobility management sublayer included in the network layer, an IMSI detach message of the mobility management sublayer, a service request message of the connection management sublayer included in the network layer, a re-establishment request of the connection management sublayer, a notification response message, an immediate set-up message.