Trunking and push-to-talk mechanisms for WCDMA wireless communications

• US 8,335,533 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Chion, Mary, Fang, Yonggang
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAN, RAYMOND S
• Application Number:
  US11/110,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,800 Days
• Field of Search: 455516-521, 370/327, 370/340
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/54 Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for implementing trunking techniques in WCDMA systems for handling group calls and push-to-talk services.

Claims

1. A method for providing group calls and sharing communication channels in the group calls in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) wireless communication system based on Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), comprising:

providing in the WCDMA system a group call mechanism that includes a group identification number for identifying a group of members for a group call from one member to other members of the group, group member identification numbers for identifying respective members of the group, and member location information on locations of respective members in the WCDMA system;

using the group identification number and group member identification numbers to (1) provide sharing of a channel resource members of a group during a group call and (2) screen out sharing of the channel resource by other users subscribed to the WCDMA system;

assigning one forward dedicated channel (DCH) per group member, located in a sector associated with a base station, in a group of members associated with a group call to carry signaling messages associated with the group call and power control information;

having all group members in the sector to share one forward dedicated shared channel (DSCH) to carry user data associated with the group call; and

controlling a plurality of mobile stations associated with the group call, upon release of the group call, to continuously monitor one or more forward channels without using discontinuous reception during a timer period to effect a reconnect to the group call if the plurality of mobile stations are paged during the timer period; and

controlling the plurality of mobile stations, upon an expiration of the timer period, to monitor a paging channel with discontinuous reception.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising using a Connection Setup message to ask all group members to listen to the DSCH continuously.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising assigning one reverse link dedicated channel per group member in a sector to carry signaling messages, power control information and user data.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising using a packet data network to support push-to-talk (PTT) calls in group calls.

5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising applying a header compression in a PTT call.

6. The method as in claim 5, further comprising setting a radio link control protocol (RLC) for a push-to-talk (PTT) call in a transparent mode.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising shortening a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle when a push-to-talk (PTT) mobile is powered on.

8. The method as in claim 7, further comprising setting up radio resource control signaling connection and entering Cell_PCH state in a connected mode when the PTT mobile is powered on.

9. The method as in claim 7, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile in a Cell_PCH state to monitor a paging channel with DRX.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising shortening a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle when a push-to-talk (PTT) call on a PTT mobile is released.

11. The method as in claim 10, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile to exit a Cell_DCH state and enter a Cell_FACH state when the PTT call is released.

12. The method as in claim 11, further comprising starting a Fast Reconnection Timer when the PTT call is released.

13. The method as in claim 12, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile to monitor a Forward Access Channel (FACH) and a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) in the Cell_FACH state without DRX.

14. The method as in claim 13, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile, after the Fast Reconnection Timer expires, to exit the Cell_FACH state and to enter a Cell_PCH state to monitor a paging channel with DRX.

15. The method as in claim 14, further comprising setting the Fast Reconnection Timer to be configurable.

16. The method as in claim 1, further comprising using a dispatcher server or a push-to-talk (PTT) mobile to generate PTT related signaling messages.

17. A method for providing group calls and sharing communication channels in the group calls in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) wireless communication system based on Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), comprising:

providing in the WCDMA system a group call mechanism that includes a group identification number for identifying a group of members for a group call from one member to other members of the group , group member identification numbers for identifying respective members of the group, and member location information on locations of respective members in the WCDMA system;

using the group identification number and group member identification numbers to (1) provide sharing of a channel resource members of a group during a group call and (2) screen out sharing of the channel resource by other users subscribed to the WCDMA system;

assigning one forward broadcast channel to be shared by all group members, located in a sector associated with a base station, that are associated with a group call to carry signaling messages associated with the group call;

assigning one forward dedicated channel (DCH) to be shared by all group members in the sector that are associated with the group call to carry user data associated with the group call;

assigning at least one common power control channel to be shared by all group members in the sector that are associated with the group call to carry power control information; and

controlling a plurality of mobile stations associated with the group call, upon release of the group call, to continuously monitor one or more forward channels without using discontinuous reception during a timer period to effect a reconnect to the group call if the plurality of mobile stations are paged during the timer period; and

controlling the plurality of mobile stations, upon an expiration of the timer period, to monitor a paging channel with discontinuous reception.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the forward broadcast channel includes a message addressed to the mobile station, the message includes an identifier, which is assigned to the mobile station, in a medium access control (MAC) header.

19. The method as in claim 17, wherein the forward dedicated channel (DCH) is shared by all group member in a group per sector to carry user traffic.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein each group member has its own physical forward dedicated channel which is shared by assigning a common channelisation code to all forward dedicated channels in a group per sector.

21. The method as in claim 17, wherein the forward dedicated channel does not transmit one or more Transmit Power Control (TPC) bits.

22. The method as in claim 17, further comprising using the common power control channel to carry power control information for a reverse link, wherein the power control information comprises one or more Transmit Power Control bits (TPC bits).

23. The method as in claim 17, further comprising using a Secondary Common Control Physical Channel (CCPCH) as the common power control channel.

24. The method as in claim 17, further comprising assigning one reverse link dedicated channel per group member in a sector to carry signaling messages, power control information and user data.

25. The method as in claim 17, further comprising using a packet data network to support push-to-talk (PTT) calls in group calls.

26. The method as in claim 25, further comprising applying a header compression in a PTT call.

27. The method as in claim 26, further comprising setting a radio link control protocol for a PTT call in a transparent mode.

28. The method as in claim 17, further comprising shortening a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle when a push-to-talk (PTT) mobile is powered on.

29. The method as in claim 28, further comprising setting up radio resource control signaling connection and entering a Cell_PCH state in a connected mode when the PTT mobile is powered on.

30. The method as in claim 28, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile in a Cell_PCH state to monitor a paging channel with DRX.

31. The method as in claim 17, further comprising shortening a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle when a push-to-talk (PTT) call on a PTT mobile is released.

32. The method as in claim 31, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile to exit a Cell_DCH state and enter a Cell_FACH state when the PTT call is released.

33. The method as in claim 32, further comprising starting a Fast Reconnection Timer when the PTT call is released.

34. The method as in claim 33, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile to monitor the FACH and a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) in the Cell_FACH state without DRX.

35. The method as in claim 34, further comprising controlling the PTT mobile, after the Fast Reconnection Timer expires, to exit the Cell_FACH state and to enter a Cell_PCH state to monitor a paging channel with DRX.

36. The method as in claim 35, further comprising setting the Fast Reconnection Timer to be configurable.

37. The method as in claim 17, further comprising using a dispatcher server or a push-to-talk (PTT) mobile to generate PTT related signaling messages.

38. The method as in claim 17, further comprising using a Direct Transfer message to deliver signaling messages.

39. The method as in claim 17, wherein the forward broadcast channel includes a Forward Access Channel (FACH).

40. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a message in the forward broadcast channel addressed to a mobile station, wherein the message is addressed to the mobile station by including an assigned identifier in a medium access control (MAC) header.