Communicating traffic over a wireless channel in a mobile communications system

• US 7,068,623 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Barany, Peter A., Bontu, Chandra S., Rahman, Shamim Akbar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US09/716,136
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370331-332, 370/336, 370/341, 370/345, 370347-348, 370/437, 370442-443, 370/450, 370458-459, 370/468, 370/477, 455/452.1, 455/453
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]

Abstract

A mobile communications system includes a radio access network, such as an Enhanced General Packet Radio Service (EGPRS) network, in which mobile stations are able to enter into a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode. During DTX mode of a first mobile station that is allocated a channel portion (e.g., a time slot of a frame), the radio access network is able to multiplex traffic from another mobile station onto the same channel portion. A mechanism is provided to enable the first mobile station to send a request for re-allocation of the channel portion. The request includes a Real-Time FastAssociated Control Channel (RTFACCH) resource request message (RTRRM). In response to the RTRRM, the radio access network sends an RTFACCH resource assignment message (RTUAM).

Claims

1. A method of communicating in a mobile communications system, comprising:

detecting that a first mobile station has stopped transmitting traffic containing real-time, interactive data on a first channel portion;

multiplexing traffic from a second mobile station on the first channel portion during a period in which the first mobile station is not transmitting traffic;

receiving a request from the first mobile station for the channel portion, the request indicating that the first mobile station is about to start transmitting traffic,

wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request during a period in which the second mobile station is transmitting traffic in the first channel portion; and

extracting the request from a combined signal including the request and the traffic from the second mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating the first channel portion back to the first mobile station in response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the first mobile station has stopped transmitting traffic comprises detecting that the first mobile station has entered a discontinuous transmission mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the first mobile station has entered discontinuous transmission mode comprises receiving a predetermined message indicating that the mobile station is entering the discontinuous transmission mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiplexing the second mobile station traffic comprises receiving the second mobile station traffic on a predetermined time slot of a frame, the first channel portion comprising the predetermined time slot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a request that is one burst in length.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a request that is based on an identifier associated with the first mobile station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier comprises a temporary flow identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an assignment message to the first mobile station in response to the request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the assignment message comprises sending a one-burst assignment message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the first mobile station has stopped transmitting traffic comprises receiving a General Packet Radio Service SID_FIRST indication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a Real-Time Fast Associated Control Channel resource request message from the first mobile station for re-assignment of the first channel portion.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a Real-Time Fast Associated Control Channel assignment message to the first mobile station to assign the first channel portion back to the first mobile station.

14. A system for use in a mobile communications system, comprising:

a wireless interface adapted to communicate over a wireless channel portion with a first mobile station; and

a controller adapted to detect if the first mobile station has entered into a discontinuous transmission mode and to allocate the wireless channel portion to another mobile station when the first mobile station is in the discontinuous transmission mode,

wherein the controller is adapted to detect a request from the first mobile station for reallocation of the channel portion back to the first mobile station,

wherein the controller is adapted to receive the request during the same time the controller is receiving traffic from the other mobile station,

wherein the controller comprises a joint detector to extract the request from a combined message including the request and the traffic from the other mobile station.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless channel portion includes a time slot of a frame having plural time slots.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a multiplexer to receive traffic from the first mobile station when the first mobile station is in an active mode and to receive traffic from the other mobile station when the first mobile station is in the discontinuous transmission mode.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the request comprises a request carried in a General Packet Radio Service Real-Time Fast Associated Control Channel.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the request comprises a Real-Time Fast Associated Control Channel resource request message.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is adapted to further send an assignment message to the first mobile station in response to the request.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the request has a length of one time slot of a frame.

21. Previously Presented) The system of claim 14, wherein the request is based on an identifier associated with the first mobile station.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the request contains a coded version of the identifier associated with the first mobile station.

23. A system for use in a mobile communications system, comprising:

a wireless interface adapted to communicate over a wireless channel portion with one of a first mobile station and a second mobile station; and

a controller adapted to allocate the channel portion to the second mobile station when the first mobile station is silent and to receive a request from the first mobile station for allocation of the channel portion while concurrently receiving traffic from the second mobile station, wherein the received request overlaps the traffic from the second mobile station,

wherein the controller comprises a detector to extract the request from a combined signal including the request and the traffic from the second mobile station.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the channel portion comprises a time slot of a frame having plural time slots.

25. Previously Presented) The system of claim 23, wherein the request comprises a General Packet Radio Service Real-Time Fast Associated Control Channel message.

26. An article comprising at least one storage medium containing instructions for communicating in a mobile communications network, the instructions when executed causing a system to:

detect a first mobile station entering discontinuous transmission mode, the first mobile station assigned a channel portion to communicate traffic;

multiplex traffic from a second mobile station onto the channel portion during a time period in which the first mobile station is in discontinuous transmission mode;

receive a request from the first mobile station for a re-allocation of the channel portion;

receive the request from the first mobile station that overlaps traffic from the second mobile station; and

extract the request from a combined signal including the request and the traffic from the second mobile station.

27. The article of claim 26, wherein the channel portion comprises a time slot of a frame having plural time slots.