Optimizing long term evolution (LTE) capacity using an adaptive dormancy timer

• US 8,306,519 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Yee Sin, Yang, Jin, Kotecha, Lalit R., Nelson, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/950,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device classifies access or control channel signals into a first class or a second class, initializes a dormancy timer associated with the device, and sets the dormancy timer to a default value. The device also sets a signal target utilization threshold, receives actual signals via the access or control channel, and identifies, when a number of the actual signals exceeds the signal target utilization threshold, a particular signal, from the actual signals, as belonging to the first class or the second class. The device further increases the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the first class, and decreases the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the second class.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a device, the method comprising:

classifying, by the device, access or control channel signals into a first class or a second class;

initializing, by the device, a dormancy timer associated with the device;

setting, by the device, a signal target utilization threshold;

receiving, by the device, actual signals via the access or control channel;

identifying, by the device and when a number of the actual signals exceeds the signal target utilization threshold, a particular signal, from the actual signals, as belonging to the first class or the second class;

increasing, by the device, a default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the first class; and

decreasing, by the device, the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the second class.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the dormancy timer to the default value after initializing the dormancy timer.

3. The method of claim 1, where classifying access or control channel signals includes:

classifying the access or control channel signals into the first class when the access or control channel signals are used for setup or release of new Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, and

classifying the access or control channel signals into the second class when the access or control channel signals are used to maintain RRC connection states.

4. The method of claim 1, where initializing a dormancy timer includes one of:

initializing the dormancy timer to the default value,

initializing the dormancy timer to a value smaller than the default value, or

initializing the dormancy timer to a value larger than the default value.

5. The method of claim 1, where the device comprises a base station provided in a Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based network.

6. The method of claim 1, where the access or control channel signals include one or more of:

a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request message,

a RRC connection setup message,

a RRC connection setup complete message, or

a transfer request.

7. The method of claim 1, where:

increasing the default value of the dormancy timer reduces a number of setups or releases of Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, and

decreasing the default value of the dormancy timer reduces a number of RRC connections.

8. The method of claim 1, where the signal target utilization threshold includes a configurable threshold for a number of the actual signals.

9. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

classify access or control channel signals into a first class or a second class,

initialize a dormancy timer associated with the device,

set the dormancy timer to a default value,

set a signal target utilization threshold,

receive actual signals via the access or control channel,

identify, when a number of the actual signals exceeds the signal target utilization threshold, a particular signal, from the actual signals, as belonging to the first class or the second class,

increase the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the first class, and

decrease the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the second class.

10. The device of claim 9, where, when classifying access or control channel signals, the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

classify the access or control channel signals into the first class when the access or control channel signals are used for setup or release of new Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, and

classify the access or control channel signals into the second class when the access or control channel signals are used to maintain RRC connection states.

11. The device of claim 9, where, when initializing a dormancy timer, the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to one of:

initialize the dormancy timer to a value smaller than the default value, or

initialize the dormancy timer to a value larger than the default value.

12. The device of claim 9, where the device comprises a user device or a base station provided in a Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based network.

13. The device of claim 9, where the access or control channel signals include one or more of:

a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request message,

a RRC connection setup message,

a RRC connection setup complete message, or

a transfer request.

14. The device of claim 9, where:

increasing the default value of the dormancy timer reduces a number of setups or releases of Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, and

decreasing the default value of the dormancy timer reduces a number of RRC connections.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors provided in a device of a Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based network, the media storing one or more instructions for:

classifying access or control channel signals into a first class or a second class;

initializing a dormancy timer associated with the device;

setting the dormancy timer to a default value;

setting a signal target utilization threshold;

receiving actual signals via the access or control channel;

identifying, when a number of the actual signals exceeds the signal target utilization threshold, a particular signal, from the actual signals, as belonging to the first class or the second class;

increasing the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the first class; and

decreasing the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the second class.

16. The media of claim 15, where the one or more instructions for classifying access or control channel signals further include one or more instructions for:

classifying the access or control channel signals into the first class when the access or control channel signals are used for setup or release of new Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, and

classifying the access or control channel signals into the second class when the access or control channel signals are used to maintain RRC connection states.

17. The media of claim 15, where the one or more instructions for initializing a dormancy timer further include one or more instructions for one of:

initializing the dormancy timer to a value smaller than the default value, or

initializing the dormancy timer to a value larger than the default value.

18. The media of claim 15, where the device comprises a user device or a base station.

19. The media of claim 15, where the access or control channel signals include one or more of:

a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request message,

a RRC connection setup message,

a RRC connection setup complete message, or

a transfer request.

20. The media of claim 15, where:

increasing the default value of the dormancy timer reduces a number of setups or releases of Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections, and

decreasing the default value of the dormancy timer reduces a number of RRC connections.