Methods and systems for decoding broadcast paging messages in WiMAX networks

• US 8,315,235 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chin, Tom, Lee, Kuo-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Albert T
• Application Number:
  US12/367,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20100202424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/312, 370/332, 370/338, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure propose a method for addressing MAC protocol data units which include MOB_PAG-ADV messages in an attempt to improve the success rate of decoding BS broadcast paging messages. For example, certain embodiments propose parsing and continuing to decode MPDUs with MOB_PAG-ADV messages although the corresponding CRC failed.

Claims

1. A method operable by a mobile station (MS) for processing a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), comprising:

receiving the MPDU from a base station (BS) via a receiver of the MS;

determining whether the MPDU has at least one bit error;

in response to the MPDU having the at least one bit error, determining whether the MPDU contains a BS broadcast paging (MOB_PAG-ADV) message; and

parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message in response to the MPDU containing a MOB_PAG-ADV message, wherein the parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises determining an action code upon determining that a number of bit errors between a portion of the MOB_PAG-ADV message and a MAC address hash associated with the MS is less than an allowable error parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the MPDU contains a MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

evaluating whether or not a header of the MPDU has a connection ID (CID) field value corresponding to a multicast or a broadcast connection; and

evaluating whether or not a payload of the MPDU has a message type field value equal to 61.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

initializing a byte index offset i;

reading bytes i, i+1, i+2 and comparing said bytes to the MAC address hash;

comparing a number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash to the allowable error parameter value;

reading a first and second bit of byte i+3 if the number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash is less than the allowable error parameter value; and

performing an action based at least on the action code indicated by the first and second bit of byte i+3.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

performing a location update regardless of a value of the action code.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the allowable error parameter value is less than or equal to 2.

6. A mobile station (MS) for processing a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), comprising:

means for receiving the MPDU broadcasted from a base station (BS);

means for determining whether the MPDU has at least one bit error;

means for determining whether the MPDU contains a BS broadcast paging (MOB_PAG-ADV) message, in response to the MPDU having the at least one bit error; and

means for parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message in response to the MPDU containing a MOB_PAG-ADV message, wherein the parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises determining an action code upon determining that a number of bit errors between a portion of the MOB_PAG-ADV message and a MAC address hash associated with the MS is less than an allowable error parameter value.

7. The MS of claim 6, wherein the means for determining whether the MPDU contains a MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

means for evaluating whether a header of the MPDU has a connection ID (CID) field value corresponding to a multicast or a broadcast connection; and

means for evaluating whether a payload of the MPDU has a message type field value equal to 61.

8. The MS of claim 6, wherein the means for parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

means for initializing a byte index offset i;

means for reading bytes i, i+1, i+2 and comparing said bytes to the MAC address hash;

means for comparing a number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash to the allowable error parameter value;

means for reading a first and second bit of byte i+3 if the number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash is less than the allowable error parameter value; and

means for performing an action based at least on the action code indicated by the first and second bit of byte i+3.

9. The MS of claim 8, further comprising:

means for performing a location update regardless of a value of the action code.

10. The MS of claim 8, wherein the allowable error parameter value is less than or equal to 2.

11. A mobile station (MS) for processing a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), comprising:

at least one processor;

a receiver coupled to the at least one processor and configured to receive the MPDU broadcasted from a base station (BS);

a memory coupled to the processor and comprising;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to determine whether the MPDU has at least one bit error;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to determine whether the MPDU contains a BS broadcast paging (MOB_PAG-ADV) message, in response to the MPDU having the at least one bit error; and

instructions executable by the at least one processor to parse the MOB_PAG-ADV message in response to the MPDU containing a MOB_PAG-ADV message, wherein the parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises determining an action code upon determining that a number of bit errors between a portion of the MOB_PAG-ADV message and a MAC address hash associated with the MS is less than an allowable error parameter value.

12. The MS of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the at least one processor to determine whether the MPDU contains a MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

instructions executable by the at least one processor to evaluate whether a header of the MPDU has a connection ID (CID) field value corresponding to a multicast or a broadcast connection; and

instructions executable by the at least one processor to evaluate whether a payload of the MPDU has a message type field value equal to 61.

13. The MS of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the at least one processor to parse the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

instructions executable by the at least one processor to initialize a byte index offset i;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to read bytes i, i+1, i+2 and comparing said bytes to the MAC address hash;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to compare a number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash to the allowable error parameter value;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to read a first and second bit of byte i+3 if the number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash is less than the allowable error parameter value; and

instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform an action based at least on the action code indicated by the first and second bit of byte i+3.

14. The MS of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform a location update regardless of a value of the action code.

15. The MS of claim 13, wherein the allowable error parameter value is less than or equal to 2.

16. A computer-program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having code for causing a computer of a mobile station (MS) to:

instruct a receiver of the computer to receive a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) broadcasted from a base station (BS);

determine whether the MPDU has at least one bit error;

determine whether the MPDU contains a BS broadcast paging (MOB_PAG-ADV) message, in response to the MPDU having the at least one bit error; and

parse the MOB_PAG-ADV message in response to the MPDU containing a MOB_PAG-ADV message, wherein the parsing the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises determining an action code upon determining that a number of bit errors between a portion of the MOB_PAG-ADV message and a MAC address hash associated with the MS is less than an allowable error parameter value.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the code for causing the computer to determine whether the MPDU contains a MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

code for causing the computer to evaluate whether a header of the MPDU has a connection ID (CID) field value corresponding to a multicast or a broadcast connection; and

code for causing the computer to evaluate whether a payload of the MPDU has a message type field value equal to 61.

18. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the code for causing the computer to parse the MOB_PAG-ADV message comprises:

code for causing the computer to initialize a byte index offset i;

code for causing the computer to read bytes i, i+1, i+2 and comparing said bytes to the MAC address hash;

code for causing the computer to compare a number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash to the allowable error parameter value;

code for causing the computer to read a first and second bit of byte i+3 if the number of bit errors between the three bytes and the MAC address hash is less than the allowable error parameter value; and

code for causing the computer to perform an action based at least on the action code indicated by the first and second bit of byte i+3.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, further comprising wherein the non-statutory computer readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to:

perform a location update regardless of a value of the action code.

20. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein the allowable error parameter value is less than or equal to 2.