Method and arrangement for activity detection in a telecommunication system

• US 8,570,924 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gerstenberger, Dirk, Parkvall, Stefan, Bergman, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, YEE F
• Application Number:
  US12/091,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/328, 455/422.1, 455/522, 455/343.4
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for efficient use of network resources, in particular for continuous connectivity services. The present invention introduces a set of established rules for uplink and/or downlink activity detection such that a Node B and/or a UE is enabled to detect active and inactive transmission periods on links for reception of packet data transmission and can independently arrange for inactivity/activity state transitions without any need of further signalling. Such a set of rules can be communicated to the Node B and the user equipment, e.g., from the radio network controller (RNC), or can consist of a predefined set of fixed rules that is readily implemented in said units.

Claims

1. A method in a communication system comprising a plurality of interconnected communication units, including one or more radio base stations and one or more user equipments, the method comprising:

introducing a set of rules commonly known to the radio base stations and user equipments in order to independently initiate or perform in one of said communication units a state transition to or from a reduced transmission activity mode when a predefined criterion has been fulfilled, wherein the predefined criterion relates to activity or inactivity of the one of said communication units; and

applying the set of rules by the one of said communication units, wherein applying comprises;

maintaining a plurality of timers for uplink and downlink transmission directions;

storing timer expiration values;

indicating that a timer has expired;

restarting the timer of the one of said communication units if transmission activity has been detected to or from the one of said communication units; and

detecting, by the one of said communication units, without signaling between the other of said communication units, that the predefined criterion has been fulfilled; and

independently initiating, by the one of said communication units, the state transition.

2. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies the set of rules including the steps of

determining that a timer for scheduling the user equipment on a High-Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH) has expired;

and

selecting in a predefined order a channel quality information (CQI) reporting pattern out of a predefined set of one or several CQI-reporting patterns with configurable reporting intervals.

3. The method according to claim 2, whereby the reporting intervals of the CQI-reporting pattern differ in an integer factor from each other.

4. The method according to claim 2, whereby the predefined order of the CQI-reporting patterns is such that a gradual increase of the reporting intervals is achieved.

5. The method according to claim 2, whereby the CQI-reporting pattern is defined with infinite reporting interval.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of restarting the timer each time the user equipment has been scheduled for the HS-DSCH.

7. The method according to claim 1, whereby a base station applies the set of rules including the steps of

maintaining for each user equipment a separate timer;

adapting to a channel quality information (CQI) reporting pattern that is applied by a user equipment in accordance with said rule each time the timer expires; and

restarting the timer for the user equipment each time that user equipment has been scheduled on a High-Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH).

8. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies the set of rules including the steps of

determining that a timer for scheduling the user equipment on a High-Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH) has expired;

and

switching to a discontinuous reception of downlink physical channels applying a downlink cycle time.

9. The method according to claim 1, whereby a base station applies the set of rules including the steps of:

maintaining for each user equipment a separate timer to determine a downlink cycle time for a discontinuous reception of downlink physical channels that is applied by the user equipment; and

adapting a High-Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH) scheduling of the user equipment in accordance with said downlink cycle time.

10. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies the set of rules including the steps of

determining that a first timer for transmitting data to a base station on an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) has expired;

switching to a gated transmission on an uplink Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) applying a first uplink cycle time.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining that a second timer for transmitting data to the base station on the E-DCH has expired;

switching to a second uplink cycle time, longer than said first uplink cycle time, for the gated transmission on the uplink DPCCH.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of restarting the first timer each time the user equipment transmits data on the E-DCH to the base station.

13. The method according to claim 1, whereby a base station applies the set of rules including the steps of:

maintaining for each user equipment a separate timer to determine an uplink cycle time for a gated transmission on an uplink Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) that is applied by the user equipment; and

performing one or more of the steps of adapting the listening to the user equipment in accordance with said uplink cycle time, reducing the sending of TPC-Transmit Power Control (TPC) commands to the user equipment in accordance with said uplink cycle time.

14. The method according to claim 1, whereby a base station applies the set of rules including the steps of

reducing a signal-to-interference ratio target SIR_target for an uplink enhanced dedicated channel of the user equipment by a predefined offset if a certain period of inactivity has been detected;

and

restoring the SIR_target for said uplink if scheduling information has been received from said user equipment.

15. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies the set of rules including the steps of

adapting a negative uplink power offset after a certain period of inactivity;

and

adapting a positive uplink power offset if data is to be scheduled.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said set of rules as a fixed implementation in a base station and a user equipment.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving said set of rules at call setup from a network controller unit.

18. A radio base station in a communication system comprising a plurality of interconnected network nodes, said radio base station communicating with one or more user equipments, the radio base station comprising:

a memory; and

a processor being configured, when executing program instructions stored in the memory, for;

storing a set of rules to independently initiate or perform a state transition to or from a reduced transmission activity mode when a predefined criterion has been fulfilled;

detecting transmission activity on an uplink and a downlink;

maintaining a plurality of timers, one for each user equipment and uplink and downlink transmission directions;

storing of timer expiration values,

indicating that a timer has expired, and

restarting the timer of the user equipment if transmission activity has been detected to or from said user equipment;

performing said state transition in accordance with one of said stored set of rules for a user equipment with an expired timer.

19. The radio base station according to claim 18, wherein said set of rules is fixed implemented in said memory for storing the set of rules.

20. The radio base station according to claim 18, wherein said set of rules is provided by a network controller node.

21. A user equipment in a communication system comprising a plurality of interconnected network nodes, said user equipment connected to one or more base stations, the user equipment comprising:

a memory; and

a processor being configured, when executing program instructions stored in the memory, for;

storing a set of rules to independently initiate or perform a state transition to or from a reduced transmission activity mode when a predefined criterion has been fulfilled;

detecting transmission activity on an uplink and a downlink;

maintaining timers for each uplink and downlink transmission direction;

storing of timer expiration values,

indicating that a timer has expired, and

restarting the timer if transmission activity has been detected to or from said user equipment;

performing said state transition in accordance with one of said stored rules for the user equipment with an expired timer.

22. The user equipment according to claim 21, wherein said set of rules is fixed implemented in said memory for storing the set of rules.

23. The user equipment according to claim 21, wherein said set of rules is provided by a network controller node.