Method and apparatus for supporting machine-type communications with a mobile-originated-only mode

• US 8,755,825 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pinheiro, Ana Lucia, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, DiGirolamo, Rocco, Murray, Joseph, Cave, Christopher R., Pani, Diana, Aghili, Behrouz, Watfa, Mahmoud
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US13/025,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supporting machine-type communications (MTC) are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may configure itself to operate in a mobile-originated-only mode. The WTRU may perform no, or a subset of, radio resource control (RRC) idle and/or non-access stratum (NAS) idle/standby state procedures in the mobile-originated-only mode. For example, the WTRU may perform cell reselection but not paging monitoring in the mobile-originated-only mode. Alternatively, the WTRU may perform paging monitoring but not cell reselection and location update. The operation in the mobile-originated-only mode may be triggered explicitly or implicitly. For example, the WTRU may operate in the mobile-originated-only mode if an inactivity timer expires. The WTRU may switch the mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule. After transition of the operation mode, the WTRU may send a message to the network indicating such mode switch.

Claims

1. A method of supporting machine-type communications, the method comprising:

a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) transitioning between a mobile-originated-and-terminated mode and a mobile-originated-only mode on a condition that a predetermined trigger occurs, wherein the WTRU performs no measurements for cell reselection, no location update procedures, no system information monitoring, or no paging monitoring in the mobile-originated-only mode, and wherein the WTRU transitions from the mobile-originated-and-terminated-mode to the mobile-originated-only mode on a condition that a timer reaches a predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the WTRU sending a message to a network indicating that the WTRU operates, or stops operating, in the mobile-originated-only mode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by one of a separate radio resource control (RRC) idle state, an RRC idle mode with a profile configuration configured for the mobile-originated-only mode, or a mobile-originated-only state in an RRC idle mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by a separate non-access stratum (NAS) state or a mobile-originated-only configuration supported in a NAS state.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the WTRU sending a message to a network indicating that the WTRU supports the mobile-originated-only mode and/or functionalities supported by the WTRU in the mobile-originated-only mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU configures itself to operate, or stop operating, in the mobile-originated-only mode in accordance with a message from a network, wherein the message is at least one of a paging message, a broadcast message, a radio resource control (RRC) message, a cell broadcast service (CBS) message, a non-access stratum (NAS) message, a short message service (SMS) message, or a message in accordance with open mobile alliance (OMA) device management (DM) or over-the-air (OTA) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU operates in the mobile-originated-only mode based on a network/operator policy or a device operation mode, the device operation mode being either automatic or manual closed subscriber group (CSG) or public land mobile network (PLMN) selection.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU transitions out of the mobile-originated-only mode and stops operating in the mobile-originated-only mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule.

9. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) supporting machine-type communications, the WTRU comprising:

a processor configured to transition between a mobile-originated-and-terminated mode and a mobile-originated-only mode on a condition that a predetermined trigger occurs, wherein the processor is configured to perform no measurements for cell reselection, no location update procedures, no system information monitoring, or no paging monitoring in the mobile-originated-only mode, and wherein the WTRU transitions from the mobile-originated-and-terminated-mode to the mobile-originated-only mode on a condition that a timer reaches a predetermined value.

10. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to send a message to a network indicating that the WTRU operates or stops operating in the mobile-originated-only mode.

11. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by one of a separate radio resource control (RRC) idle state, an RRC idle mode with a profile configuration configured for the mobile-originated-only mode, or a mobile-originated-only state in an RRC idle mode.

12. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein operations in the mobile-originated-only mode are supported by a separate non-access stratum (NAS) state or a mobile-originated-only configuration supported in a NAS state.

13. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to send a message to a network indicating that the WTRU supports the mobile-originated-only mode and/or functionalities supported by the WTRU in the mobile-originated-only mode.

14. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to operate or stop operating in the mobile-originated-only mode in accordance with a message from a network, wherein the message is at least one of a paging message, a broadcast message, a radio resource control (RRC) message, a cell broadcast service (CBS) message, a non-access stratum (NAS) message, a short message service (SMS) message, or a message in accordance with open mobile alliance (OMA) device management (DM) or over-the-air (OTA) protocol.

15. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to operate in the mobile-originated-only mode based on a network/operator policy or a device operation mode, the device operation mode being either automatic or manual closed subscriber group (CSG) or public land mobile network (PLMN) selection.

16. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to transition out of the mobile-originated-only mode and stop operating in the mobile-originated-only mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule.