Method for reducing overhead in forward link traffic multiplexing

• US 7,031,281 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hang
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/721,700
• Time in Patent Office: 1,968 Days
• Field of Search: 370/335, 370/441, 370/449, 370/465, 370/498, 340/825.52
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users

Abstract

A method and frame structure for assembling a forward link traffic multiplexing frame for transmission of packets over a radio link. The method consists of splitting a conventional user ID to provide a group ID and a sub-user ID for each packet or RLP frame. The packets belonging to each group are then assembled together in a forward link traffic multiplexing frame in which each group is identified by its group ID or a group identification field, and the packets in the group are identified according to the terminal or user to which they are destined. This splitting of the user ID results in reduced layer 2 overhead, thereby increasing system capacity for the transmission of user traffic.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a forward link traffic multiplexing frame for transmission of a plurality of packets over a radio link, comprising:

(i) determining a plurality of packets associated to a group;

ii) assembling the group of determined packets in a forward link traffic multiplexing frame;

(iii) providing an identification of the group in the forward link traffic multiplexing frame; and

(iv) providing an identification of a destined terminal for each of the determined packets in the group.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the identification of the group includes providing a group identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the identification of the group includes providing a group identification field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the identification of the group includes providing a group length field.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the identification of the group includes providing a group number field.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the identification of the destined terminal for each of the determined packets includes providing a sub-user identifier.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including assembling a plurality of groups in the forward link multiplexing frame.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including providing a multiplex header for the forward link traffic multiplexing frame.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein providing the multiplex header includes a number field indicating a number of groups in the forward link traffic multiplexing frame.

10. A transmitter for transmission of a plurality of packets over a radio link, comprising:

a scheduler to schedule packets for transmission; and

a multiplexer to assemble a forward link traffic multiplexing frame having a plurality of packets associated to a group, a group identification, and a sub-user identification for each of the plurality of packets in the group.

11. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the group identification includes a group identifier.

12. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the group identification includes a group identification field.

13. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the group identification includes a group length field.

14. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the group identification includes a group length field.

15. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the sub-user identification includes a sub-user identifier.

16. The transmitter of claim 10, further including a plurality of groups.

17. The transmitter of claim 16, further including a number field for indicating the number of groups.

18. The transmitter of claim 17, wherein the number field is included in a multiplex frame header.

19. A method for detecting a packet in a forward link traffic multiplexing frame that is destined to a terminal, comprising:

(i) receiving a forward link traffic multiplexing frame at a terminal;

(ii) determining that the forward link traffic multiplexing frame includes a group associated to the terminal by examining group identification information;

(iii) determining that the group includes a packet destined to the terminal; and

(iv) retrieving the packet.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining that the forward link traffic multiplexing frame includes a group associated to the terminal includes examining a group identifier.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining that the forward link traffic multiplexing frame includes a group associated to the terminal includes examining a group identification field.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining that the group includes a packet destined to the terminal includes examining a sub-user identifier.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein retrieving the packet includes retrieving the packet associated to the sub-user identifier.

24. A wireless access network for transmitting a plurality of packets over a radio link, comprising:

a scheduler for scheduling a plurality of packets for transmission over a radio link; and

a multiplexer for assembling a forward link traffic multiplexing frame by determining which packets are associated to a group, assembling the group of determined packets in the forward link traffic multiplexing frame, providing an identification of the group in the forward link traffic multiplexing frame, and providing an identification of a destined terminal for each of the determined packets in the group.

25. A terminal for receiving a forward link traffic multiplexing frame, comprising:

a receiver for receiving the forward link traffic multiplexing frame;

means to examine a group identification information to determine that the forward link traffic multiplexing frame includes a group associated to the terminal;

means to determine that the group includes a packet destined to the terminal; and

means to retrieve the packet.

26. The terminal according to claim 25, wherein the means to examine the group identification information includes means to examine a group identifier.

27. The terminal according to claim 25, wherein the means to examine the group identification information includes means to examine a group identification field.

28. The terminal according to claim 25, wherein the means to examine the group identification information includes means to examine a group length field.

29. The terminal according to claim 25, wherein the means to determine that the group includes the packet destined to the terminal includes means to examine a sub-user identifier.

30. The terminal according to claim 29, wherein the means to retrieve the packet includes means to retrieve the packet associated to the sub-user identifier.