Radio telecommunications system and method of operating the same with reduced delays for data transmission over a radio interface

• US 7,551,580 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Cayla, Stéphane, du Crest, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rose; Kerri M
• Application Number:
  US10/257,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20040047292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,987 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/398, 370/399, 370/229, 370/235, 370/310, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/321, 370/322, 370/230, 370/340, 370/341, 370/357, 370/360, 370/366, 370/368, 370/329, 370/431, 370/462, 370/463, 370331-334, 455/450, 455436-444
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

A radio telecommunications system and method of operating the same is described which provides a reduce delay for transfer of packet data. Before a data transmission is released in one direction (uplink or downlink) a channel is reserved in the other direction. The channel reservation may be held for a certain period of time, e.g. 5 seconds after which the channel is released. The present invention is particularly useful when there is a large asymmetry in data transfer between uplink and downlink.

Claims

1. A mobile radio telecommunications (RT) network for switching data between user terminals and a data network, the RT network comprising:

a base station system including at least one radio transceiver; and

at least two data radio traffic channels, which are capable of communicating data between the RT network and at least one of said user terminals;

wherein when a first data radio traffic channel is assigned to said at least one of said user terminals, which is capable of communicating data in a first direction between said RT network and said at least one of said user terminals, and in conjunction therewith, said RT network is adapted to reserve a second data radio traffic channel, in anticipation of communicating data in a second direction, different from the first direction, between said RT network and said at least one of said user terminals, before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

2. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said user terminals is adapted to request reservation of said second data radio traffic channel before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

3. The RT network according to claim 2, wherein said at least one of said user terminals is adapted to request reservation of said second data radio channel by in-band signaling.

4. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least two data radio traffic channels is capable of accommodating multiple data calls from at least two of said user terminals.

5. The RT network according to claim 4, wherein accommodating multiple data calls from at least two of said user terminals includes sharing of a timeslot in a TDMA system or sharing of a code in a CDMA system.

6. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein a data radio channel request is used to request data transmission in said first or said second direction.

7. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein said second data radio traffic channel survives the release of said first data radio traffic channel.

8. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein said RT network is adapted to reserve the second data radio traffic channel conditional on a request.

9. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein said RT network is adapted to reserve automatically the second data radio traffic channel.

10. The RT network according to claim 9, wherein said RT network is adapted to automatically reserve the second data radio traffic channel based on a user terminal profile.

11. The RT network according to claim 1, wherein said RT network is adapted to reserve the second data radio traffic channel when the probability of an answering message is high.

12. A method of operating a mobile radio telecommunications (RT) network for switching data between user terminals and a data network, the RT network comprising a base station system including at least one radio transceiver, and at least two data radio traffic channels, which are capable of communicating data between the RT network and at least one of said user terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first data radio traffic channel to said at least one of said user terminals, which is capable of communicating data in a first direction between said RT network and said at least one of said user terminals; and

, and in conjunction therewith,

reserving a second data radio traffic channel, in anticipation of communicating data in a second direction, different from the first direction, between said RT network and said at least one of said user terminals, before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of requesting reservation of said second data radio traffic channel before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said reserving step includes the step of automatically reserving said second data radio traffic channel before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of accommodating at least two data calls from at least two of said user terminals on at least one of said at least two data radio traffic channels.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said accommodating step includes the step of sharing of a times lot in a TDMA system or sharing of a code in a CDMA system.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of transmitting data along said first or said second data radio traffic channel, said step of transmitting including the step of requesting a data radio traffic channel.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein said reserving step includes the step of in-band signaling.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein said second data radio traffic channel survives the release of said first data radio traffic channel.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the reserving of the second data radio traffic channel is conditional on a request.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the reserving of the second data radio traffic channel is automatic.

22. The method to claim 21, wherein the automatic reserving of the second data radio traffic channel is reserved when the probability of an answering message is high.

23. A network element for use in a mobile radio telecommunications (RT) network for switching data between user terminals and a data network, the RT network comprising

a base station system including at least one radio transceiver and

at least two data radio traffic channels, which are capable of communicating data between said PT network and at least one of said user terminals,

wherein when a first data radio traffic channel is assigned to said at least one of said user terminals, which is capable of communicating data in a first direction between said RT network and said at least one of said user terminals,

and in conjunction therewith, said network element is adapted to initiate reservation of a second data radio traffic channel, in anticipation of communicating data in a second direction, different from the first direction, between said RT network and said at least one of said user terminals, before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

24. The network element according to claim 23, wherein said network element is a packet control unit.

25. The network element according to claim 24, wherein said packet control unit is operatively connected to the base station system.

26. The network element according to claim 23, adapted to initiate the reservation of the second data radio traffic channel conditional on a request.

27. The network element according to claim 23, adapted to initiate the reservation of the second data radio traffic channel automatically.

28. The network element according to claim 27, wherein said network element is adapted to automatically reserve the second data radio traffic channel based on a user terminal profile.

29. The network element according to claim 23, adapted to reserve the second data radio traffic channel when the probability of an answering message is high.

30. A user terminal for use in a mobile radio telecommunications (RT) network for switching data between said user terminal and a data network, the RT network comprising

a base station system including at least one radio transceiver and

at least two data radio traffic channels, which are capable of communicating data between the RT network and said user terminal,

wherein when a first data radio traffic channel is assigned to said user terminal, which is capable of communicating data in a first direction between said RT network and said user terminal,

and in conjunction therewith, said user terminal is adapted to request reservation of a second data radio traffic channel, in anticipation of communicating data in a second direction, different from the first direction, between said RT network and said user terminal, before release of said first data radio traffic channel.

31. The user terminal according to claim 30, wherein the user terminal is a mobile terminal.

32. The user terminal according to claim 30, wherein the user terminal is adapted to request reservation of said second data radio traffic channel by in-band signaling.

33. The user terminal according to claim 30, adapted to initiate the reservation of the second data radio traffic channel automatically.

34. The user terminal according to claim 33, wherein said network element is adapted to automatically reserve the second data radio traffic channel based on a user terminal profile.

35. The user terminal according to claim 30, adapted to reserve the second data radio traffic channel when the probability of an answering message is high.