Communication unit, system and method for saving power therein

• US 8,072,930 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Speight, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika
• Application Number:
  US11/796,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20080267148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication unit comprises a receiver for receiving a message sent on an allocation channel, packet identifying logic, capable of identifying a data type of the received message, operably coupled to buffer logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit. In an active mode of operation, the receiver of the communication unit is capable of intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel and transition to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to either: the buffer logic identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; or the packet identifying logic receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.

Claims

1. A communication unit comprising:

a receiver configured to receive messages sent on an allocation channel; and

packet identifying logic arranged to identify a data type of a subsequent received message,

wherein, in an active mode of operation, the receiver is configured to intermittently receive a communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and transition to continuously receive subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the communication resource allocation message.

2. The communication unit of claim 1 wherein the communication unit is operable in a third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

3. A method of saving power in a cellular communication unit comprising:

receiving messages sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

intermittently receiving a communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel;

identifying a data type of a subsequent received message; and

transitioning to continuously receive subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the communication resource allocation message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the communication system is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying a data type comprises identifying packet data control protocol (PDCP) data.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying a data type comprises:

identifying whether a keep alive message is contained in the communication resource allocation message, and upon determining the subsequent message as being other than a keep alive message, transitioning to continuously receive the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying whether a keep alive message is contained in the communication resource allocation message comprises identifying whether the keep alive message is a link control protocol (LCP) echo/response message in an inactive state.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising transitioning between intermittently receiving the communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and continuously receiving the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the identified data type.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising buffering data packets to be sent to a second communication unit.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit and the second communication unit is a network-based communication unit.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising identifying buffer occupancy in at least one uplink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the communication unit is a network-based communication unit and the second communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying buffer occupancy in at least of:

at least one uplink radio link control (RLC), buffer(s); and

at least one downlink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

14. A communication unit comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

program code executable on the processor, the program code operable for;

receiving messages sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

intermittently receiving a communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel;

identifying a data type of a subsequent received message; and

transitioning to continuously receive subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the communication resource allocation message.

15. The communication unit of claim 14 wherein the communication unit transitions between intermittently receiving the communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and continuously receiving the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the identified data type.

16. The communication unit of claim 14 further comprising buffer logic operably coupled to the packet identifying logic for buffering data packets to be sent to a second communication unit.

17. A tangible computer program product having executable program code stored therein for saving power, the program code operable for, when executed at a communication unit:

receiving messages sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

intermittently receiving a communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel;

identifying a data type of a subsequent received message; and

transitioning to continuously receive subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the communication resource allocation message.

18. The tangible computer program product of claim 17 wherein the program code is further operable for transitioning between intermittently receiving the communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and continuously receiving the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the identified data type.

19. The tangible computer program product of claim 17 wherein the program code is further operable for buffering data packets to be sent to a second communication unit.

20. A communication unit comprising:

logic for receiving messages sent on an allocation channel of a cellular communication system;

logic for intermittently receiving a communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel;

logic for identifying a data type of a subsequent received message; and

logic for transitioning to continuously receive subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the communication resource allocation message.

21. The communication unit of claim 20 wherein the logic for transitioning is further arranged to transition between intermittently receiving the communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and continuously receiving the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the identified data type.

22. The communication unit of claim 20 further comprising logic for buffering data packets to be sent to a second communication unit.

23. The communication unit of claim 20 wherein the logic for transitioning is further arranged to transition between intermittently receiving the communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and continuously receiving the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the identified data type.

24. A cellular communication system supporting communication between a communication unit and a second communication unit, wherein the communication unit comprises:

a receiver operable to receive messages sent on an allocation channel of the cellular communication system; and

packet identifying logic arranged to identify a data type of a subsequent received message,

wherein in an active mode of operation, the receiver of the communication unit is operable for intermittently receiving a communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and the communication unit is operable for transitioning to continuously receive subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the communication resource allocation message.

25. The communication unit of claim 24 wherein the packet identifying logic is operable to identify packet data control protocol (PDCP) data.

26. The communication unit of claim 24 wherein the packet identifying logic is operable to identify whether a keep alive message is contained in the communication resource allocation message, and upon determining a subsequent message as being other than a keep alive message, the communication unit is operable to transition to continuously receive the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel.

27. The communication unit of claim 24 wherein the keep alive message is a link control protocol (LCP) echo/response message in the inactive state.

28. The communication unit of claim 24 wherein the communication unit transitions between intermittently receiving the communication resource allocation message sent on the allocation channel and continuously receiving the subsequent messages sent on the allocation channel in response to the identified data type.

29. The communication unit of claim 24 further comprising buffer logic operably coupled to the packet identifying logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit.

30. The communication unit of claim 29 wherein the communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit and the second communication unit is a network-based communication unit.

31. The communication unit of claim 29 wherein the communication unit comprises buffer determining logic operably coupled to the buffer logic and for identifying buffer occupancy in at least one uplink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

32. The communication unit of claim 29 wherein the communication unit is a network-based communication unit and the second communication unit is a wireless subscriber communication unit.

33. The communication unit of claim 32 wherein the network-based communication unit comprises buffer determining logic operably coupled to the buffer logic operable for identifying buffer occupancy in at least one of:

at least one uplink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s); and

at least one downlink radio link control (RLC) buffer(s).

34. The communication system of claim 24 further comprising buffer logic operably coupled to the packet identifying logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit.