Controlling method, controlling apparatus, communication device, computer program, computer program distribution medium and data processing method

• US 7,787,844 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pärssinen, Aarno, Piipponen, Antti
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/517,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 455/181.1, 455/502, 455/171.1, 455/13.2, 455/208, 455/265, 455/231, 370/324, 370/350, 370/503, 375/355, 375/359
• US Class Current: 455/181.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention relates to a controlling apparatus configured to:

• • search for at least one predetermined conversion function, check a system time of at least one radio protocol, define a common multiradio reference time, convert the system time of at least one radio protocol to the common multiradio reference time with the at least one conversion function and process control commands in the common multiradio reference time, and/or convert the common multiradio reference time to the system time of at least one radio protocol with the at least one conversion function and process control commands in the system time.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

means for searching for at least one predetermined conversion function, the at least one predetermined conversion function comprising a value of a counter scaled by a ratio of clock frequencies increased by a static offset for ordering timing occurrences in a time domain;

means for checking a system time of at least one radio protocol;

means for defining a common multiradio reference time; and

the controlling apparatus comprising at least one of

means for converting the system time of the at least one radio protocol to the common multiradio time with the at least one predetermined conversion function, and means for processing control commands in the common multiradio reference time, and

means for converting the common multiradio reference time to the system time of the at least one radio protocol with the at least one predetermined conversion function and means for processing the control commands in the system time.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including computer program code,

the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to

search for at least one predetermined conversion function, the at least one predetermined conversion function comprising a value of a counter scaled by a ratio of clock frequencies increased by a static offset for ordering timing occurrences in a time domain,

check a system time of at least one radio protocol,

define a common multiradio reference time, and

perform at least one of

convert the system time of the at least one radio protocol to the common multiradio reference time with the at least one predetermined conversion function and process control commands in the common multiradio reference time, and convert the common multiradio reference time to the system time of the at least one radio protocol with the at least one predetermined conversion function and process the control commands in the system time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the memory and the computer program code further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

schedule resources according to the control commands in the common multiradio reference time and activate the resources in the system time, the system time being original system time or a time obtained from a time conversion from the common multiradio reference time to the system time, or schedule and activate the resources according to the control commands in the common multiradio reference time.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, the memory and the computer program code further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to round non-integer clock cycles to an integer number of clock cycles.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the common multiradio reference time is switched from one system time to another.

6. A method, comprising:

searching, by a processor, for at least one predetermined conversion function, the at least one predetermined conversion function comprising a value of a counter scaled by a ratio of clock frequencies increased by a static offset for ordering timing occurrences in a time domain;

checking, by the processor, a system time of at least one radio protocol;

defining, by the processor, a common multiradio reference time; and

performing, by the processor, at least one of

converting, by the processor, the system time of the at least one radio protocol to the common multiradio reference time with the at least one predetermined conversion function and processing control commands in the common multiradio reference time, and

converting, by the processor, the common multiradio reference time to the system time of the at least one radio protocol with the at least one predetermined conversion function and processing the control commands in the system time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing of the control commands comprises:

scheduling resources according to the radio protocol commands in the common multiradio reference time and activating the resources in the system time, the system time being an original system time or a time obtained from the time conversion from the common multiradio reference time to the system time, or

scheduling and activating the resources according to the radio protocol commands in the common multiradio reference time.

8. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

rounding non-integer clock cycles to an integer number of clock cycles.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

switching the common multiradio reference time from one system time to another.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including computer program code,

the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the communication device at least to

search for at least one predetermined conversion function or receive the at least one predetermined conversion function, the at least one predetermined conversion function comprising a value of a counter scaled by a ratio of clock frequencies increased by a static offset for ordering timing occurrences in a time domain,

check a system time of at least one radio protocol,

define a common multiradio reference time, and

perform at least one of

convert the system time of the at least one radio protocol to the common multiradio reference time with the at least one predetermined conversion function and process control commands in the common multiradio reference time, and/or

convert the common multiradio reference time to the system time of the at least one radio protocol with the at least one predetermined conversion function and process the control commands in the system time.

11. The communication device of claim 10, the memory and the computer program code further configured to, with the processor, cause the communication device at least to:

schedule resources according to the control commands in the common multiradio reference time and activate the resources in the system time, the system time being original system time or a time obtained from a time conversion from the common multiradio reference time to the system time, or

schedule and activate the resources according to the control commands in the common multiradio reference time.

12. The communication device of claim 10, the memory and the computer program code further configured to, with the processor, cause the communication device at least to round non-integer clock cycles to an integer number of clock cycles.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the common multiradio reference time is switched from one system time to another.

14. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program comprising program code for controlling a process to execute a process, the process comprising:

searching for at least one predetermined conversion function, the at least one predetermined conversion function comprising a value of a counter scaled by a ratio of clock frequencies increased by a static offset for ordering timing occurrences in a time domain;

checking a system time of at least one radio protocol;

defining a common multiradio reference time;

converting the system time of the at least one radio protocol to the common multiradio reference time with the at least one predetermined conversion function and processing control commands in the common multiradio reference time; and

/or

converting the common multiradio reference time to the system time of the at least one radio protocol with the at least one predetermined conversion function and processing the control commands in the system time.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises at least one of the following media:

a computer readable medium, a program storage medium, a record medium, and a computer readable memory.

16. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the process further comprises rounding non-integer clock cycles to an integer number of clock cycles.

17. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the process further comprises switching the common multiradio reference time from one system time to another.