Power and timing control methods and apparatus

• US 7,778,643 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Uppala, Sathyadev Venkata, Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desir; Pierre-Louis
• Application Number:
  US10/636,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,567 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/311, 455/522
• US Class Current: 455/448
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/281 taking into account user or data type priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/286 during data packet transmission, e.g. high speed packet access [HSPA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/287 when the channel is in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/60 using different transmission rates for TPC commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The use of multiple states of mobile communication device operation to allow a single base station to support a relatively large number of mobile nodes is described. The various states require different amounts of communications resources, e.g., bandwidth. Four supported states of operation are an on-state, a hold-state, a sleep-state, and an access-state. Each mobile node in the on-state is allocated communication resources to perform transmission power control signaling, transmission timing control signaling and to transmit data as part of a data uplink communications operation. Each mobile node in the hold-state is allocated communication resources to perform transmission timing control signaling and is provided a dedicated uplink for requesting a state transition and a shared resource for transmitting acknowledgements. In the sleep state a mobile node is allocated minimal resources and does not conduct power control signaling or timing control signaling. Data may be received in the on and hold states.

Claims

1. A method operating on at least a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

controlling said wireless terminal to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state,

wherein operating said wireless terminal in the first state includes communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at a first rate;

wherein operating said wireless terminal in the second state includes communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and the base station at a second rate, the second rate being higher than zero and lower than the first rate;

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said wireless terminal is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate; and

wherein operating said wireless terminal in at least one of said second and said third states includes operating said wireless terminal for at least a period of 10 ms during which said wireless terminal does not transmit any signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transitioning from one of said three states to another one of said three states in response to a change in user activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first state is an on state, the second state is a hold state and the third state is a sleep state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said change in user activity is entry of user input through a wireless terminal input device.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein operating said wireless terminal in said third state includes using a first set of communications resources;

wherein operating said wireless terminal in said second state includes using the first set of communications resources used in said in third state and a second set of communications resources; and

wherein operating said wireless terminal in said first state includes using a third set of communications resources in addition to said first and second sets of communications resources.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first, second and third communications resources each include communications channel segments used by said wireless terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of power control signaling between said base station and the wireless terminal is zero during operation of said wireless terminal in the third state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of power control signaling performed in said first state is at least twice the rate of power control signal performed in said second state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein power control signaling is performed in said second state at intervals at least 10 ms apart.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein operating said wireless terminal in said first state and in said second state includes:

communicating timing control signals between said base station and said wireless terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein timing control signals are communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal during said first state at a rate that is at least as fast as the rate at which timing control signals are communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal during said second state.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the rate of communicating timing control signals in said first state does not exceed the rate of communicating power control signals in said first state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the rate of communicating timing control signals in said second state does not exceed the rate of communicating power control signals in said second state.

14. The method of claim 10,

wherein said timing control signals are messages;

and

wherein communicating timing control signals includes transmitting said messages at previously undetermined times.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said timing control signals are transmitted using a dedicated communications resource assigned to said wireless terminal.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes operating a base station, included in the same cell as said wireless terminal, to control transitions of said wireless terminal between at least two of said three states as a function of quality of service profile information associated with said wireless terminal.

17. A wireless terminal, comprising:

means for controlling said wireless terminal to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state;

means for communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at a first rate while operating the wireless terminal in the first state;

means for communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and the base station at a second rate while operating the wireless terminal in the second state, the second rate being greater than zero and lower than the first rate;

wherein, while operating said wireless terminal in said second state, a dedicated uplink communications resource is utilized to transmit information to said base station, said dedicated uplinik communications resource being in addition to any power signaling communication resource utilized by said base station during said second state;

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said wireless terminal is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate; and

wherein operating the wireless terminal in at least one of said second and said third states includes operating said wireless terminal for at least a period of 10 ms during which said wireless terminal does not transmit any signals.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

a user input device; and

means for transitioning from one of said three states to another one of said three states in response to input from a user received entered via said user input device.

19. The wireless terminal of claim 18, wherein said first state is an on state, the second state is a hold state and the third state is a sleep state.

20. A method operating on at least a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

controlling said wireless terminal to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including an first state, a second state and a third state;

wherein operating the wireless terminal in the first state includes communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at a first rate;

wherein operating said wireless terminal in said second state, includes using a dedicated uplinik communications resource to transmit information to said base station, said dedicated uplinik communications resource being in addition to any power control signaling and timing control signaling communication resource used by said base station during said second state;

wherein power control is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is non-zero and is lower than said first rate; and

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said wireless terminal is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transitioning from one of said three states to another one of said three states in response to a change in user activity.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein operating said wireless terminal in said second state includes limiting signaling using any available uplinik resource dedicated to said device, for purposes other than power control signaling and timing control signaling, to transmitting state transition requests to said base station.

23. The method of claim 20,

wherein said dedicated uplink communications resource includes transmission segments;

and

wherein operating said wireless terminal in said second state includes allowing at least some transmission segments dedicated to said wireless terminal to go unused.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said information transmitted using said dedicated uplinik communications resource during said second state includes state transition requests which are contention free due to the use of uplinik communications resource segments dedicated to said wireless terminal for transmission of said state transition requests.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein operating said wireless terminal during said second state includes:

receiving downlink signaling, other than timing control and power control signaling, using a communications channel which is monitored by multiple wireless terminals for data.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said shared communication resource is a communications channel, wherein said downlink signal includes text information transmitted to multiple wireless terminals;

and wherein said wireless terminal monitors said downlink for signals which are addressed to a group to which the wireless terminal belongs.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein during said second state, the base station may select to reduce downlink signaling to said wireless terminal and does not transmit a downlink channel segment assignment signal to any wireless terminal during a downlink assignment signal transmission period.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein during said second state, said wireless terminal does not receive any downlink resources dedicated exclusively to said wireless terminal other than downlink resources used for power control or timing control signaling.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein zero downlink resources are dedicated exclusively to said wireless terminal during said third state mode of operation.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein operating said wireless terminal in said third state includes using a common uplinik signaling resource to transmit a state change request signal to said base station.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein using said common uplinik signaling resource to transmit a state change request signal includes performing contention based signaling as part of a process of transitioning from the third state to one of the first state and the second state.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein said method further includes operating a base station included in the same cell as said wireless terminal, operating said base station including:

controlling the base station to allocate, over at least one one-second time period, more downlink communications resources used to communicate user data from the base station to wireless terminals in said cell which are in the first state, than which are in said second state.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein user data does not include power control and timing control signals.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein at least 75 percent of the downlink communications resources are allocated by said base station during said at least one one-second time period, to wireless terminals in said first state.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein at least 90 percent of the downlink communications resources are allocated during said one one-second time period by said base station to wireless terminals in said first state.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the base station allocates at least some downlink communications resources, used to communicate data from said base station to wireless terminals in said second state, said downlink communications resources used to communicate data being different from control communications resources used to control wireless terminal signaling activity.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein said method further includes operating a base station, included in the same cell as said wireless terminal, to allocate zero dedicated uplink data communications resources to wireless terminals in said second state, said uplink data communications resources being different from timing control and power control communications resources.

38. The method of claim 20, wherein said method further includes operating a base station, included in the same cell as said wireless terminal, to control transitions of said wireless terminal between at least two of said three states as a function of quality of service profile information associated with said wireless terminal.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein transitions of said wireless terminal between at least two of said three states is controlled as a function of quality of service profile information associated with multiple wireless terminals.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said base station further controls transitions of said wireless terminal between at least two of said three states as a function of traffic quality of service profile information associated with said wireless terminal.

41. The method of claim 20, wherein operating said wireless terminal further includes:

controlling transitions of said wireless terminal between at least two of said three states as a function of quality of service profile information associated with said wireless terminal.

42. A wireless terminal comprising:

means for controlling said wireless terminal to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including an first state, a second state and a third state;

means for communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at a first rate while operating the wireless terminal in the first state;

means for using a dedicated uplinik communications resource to transmit information to said base station, while operating said wireless terminal in said second state, said dedicated uplinik communications resource being in addition to any power control signaling and timing control signaling communication resource used by said base station during said second state;

wherein power control information is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is greater than zero and lower than said first rate; and

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said wireless terminal is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate.

43. The wireless terminal of claim 42, further comprising:

a user input device; and

means for controlling transitions from one of said three states to another one of said three states in response to user input received from said user input device.

44. The wireless terminal of claim 43, further comprising:

means for operating said wireless terminal in said second state includes limiting signaling using any available uplinik resource dedicated to said wireless terminal, for purposes other than power control signaling and timing control signaling, to transmitting state transition requests to said base station.

45. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state;

wherein operating said processor, associated with a wireless terminal in the first state includes communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at the a first rate;

wherein operating said processor in said second state, includes using a dedicated uplinik communications resource to transmit information to said base station, said dedicated uplinik communications resource being in addition to any power control signaling and timing control signaling communication resource used by said base station during said second state;

wherein while said processor is operating in the second state, power control information is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a second rate which is non-zero and which is lower than said first rate; and

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said processor is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate.

46. A method operating on at least a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

controlling the wireless terminal to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state;

wherein operating the wireless terminal in the first state includes communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at a first rate;

wherein operating said wireless terminal in said second state, including using a dedicated uplinik communications resource to transmit information to said base station, said dedicated uplinik communications resource being in addition to any power signaling communication resource used by said base station during said second state;

wherein while said wireless terminal is operating in the second state, power control information is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is non-zero and which is lower than said first rate; and

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said wireless terminal is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate.

47. A wireless terminal comprising:

a control module for controlling said wireless terminal to operate, at different times, in each one of at least three different operational states, the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state;

a power control communications module for communicating power control information between said wireless terminal and a base station at a first rate while operating the wireless terminal in the first state;

an uplinik communications module for using a dedicated uplinik communications resource to transmit information to said base station, while operating said wireless terminal in said second state, said dedicated uplinik communications resources being in addition to any power control signaling and timing control signaling communication resource used by said base station during said second state;

wherein while said wireless terminal is operating in the second state power control information is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a second rate which is non-zero and which is lower than said first rate; and

wherein power control information is not communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal while said wireless terminal is operating in the third state or is communicated between said base station and said wireless terminal at a rate which is lower than said second rate.