Methods and apparatus to poll in wireless communications

• US 8,745,231 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hole, David Philip, Snow, Christopher Harris, Abdel-Samad, Ayman Ahmed, Arora, Dinesh Kumar, Almalki, Nazih
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US12/841,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 709/212, 709/217, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/346, 370/321, 370/347, 370/474, 455/434, 455/450
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to poll in wireless communications are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving a poll from a network during a first radio block period and identifying a resource for use in sending requested information to the network in response to the poll. The resource occurs during a subsequent radio block period, and the identifying of the resource is based on receipt of an uplink allocation indicator. The example method also involves transmitting a response to the poll.

Claims

1. A method to identify resources for use in sending requested information to a network, comprising:

receiving a poll for control information from a network during a first radio block period, the poll received separate from a previous uplink assignment of a resource for data transmission;

identifying the resource for use in sending requested information to the network in response to the poll, the resource occurring during a subsequent radio block period, and the identifying of the resource being based on the first radio block period in which the poll was received and the previous uplink assignment of the resource; and

transmitting a response to the poll.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifying of the resource is based on a decoding of a code value in the poll, and wherein the code value is indicative of the resource occurring during the subsequent radio block period.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifying of the resource comprises identifying the resource based on a partial resource assignment in the previous uplink assignment.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the poll is received from the network in a Combined EGPRS Supplementary/Polling (CES/P) field.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising, prior to receiving the poll from the network, sending capabilities to the network indicative of resource assignment types compatible with the mobile station.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifying of the resource is further based on an uplink allocation indicator.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the poll indicates a second radio block period in which the response is to be transmitted.

8. An apparatus to identify resources for use in sending requested information to a network, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a poll for control information from a network during a first radio block period, the poll to be received separate from a previous uplink assignment of a resource for data transmission;

identify the resource for use in sending requested information to the network in response to the poll, the resource occurring during a subsequent radio block period, and the identifying of the resource being based on the first radio block period in which the poll is received and the previous uplink assignment of the resource; and

transmit a response to the poll.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to identify the resource based on a decoding of a code value in the poll, the code value being indicative of the resource occurring during the subsequent radio block period.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to identify the resource based on a partial resource assignment in the previous uplink assignment.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to receive the poll from the network in a Combined EGPRS Supplementary/Polling (CES/P) field.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, the network being at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network or an Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS) network.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to, prior to receiving the poll from the network, send capabilities to the network indicative of resource assignment types compatible with the mobile station.

14. A network device to allocate resources for use in receiving requested information from a mobile station, comprising:

a processor configured to;

allocate a resource for use in receiving requested information from the mobile station in response to a poll for control information;

send the poll to the mobile station during a first radio block period, the poll sent separate from a previous uplink assignment of the resource for data transmission, the resource occurring during a subsequent radio block period, and the resource allocation being based on the first radio block period in which the poll is located and the previous uplink assignment of the resource; and

receive a response to the poll from the mobile station.

15. A network device as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to send a code value in the poll, the code value indicative of the resource occurring during the subsequent radio block period.

16. A network device as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to allocate the resource based on a partial resource assignment in the previous uplink assignment.

17. A network device as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to send the poll to the mobile station in a Combined EGPRS Supplementary/Polling (CES/P) field.

18. A network device as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor operates in at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network or an Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS) network.

19. A network device as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to, prior to sending the poll to the mobile station, receive capabilities indicative of resource assignment types compatible with the mobile station.