Methods and apparatus to signal use-specific capabilities of mobile stations to establish data transfer sessions

• US 8,767,571 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hole, David Philip, Kreuzer, Werner Karl, Faurie, Ren
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): DECKER, CASSANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US13/038,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• 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

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to signal use-specific capabilities of mobile stations to establish data transfer sessions are disclosed. In accordance with a disclosed example method, a message is generated to initiate a data transfer session between a mobile station and a network. The message adaptable to indicate different radio access capabilities information of the mobile station. A subset of the different radio access capabilities information of the mobile station is indicated in the message. The indicated subset pertaining to a specific type of use by the mobile station for the data transfer session. The message is sent from the mobile station to the network.

Claims

1. A method to communicate capabilities of a device, comprising:

generating a message to initiate a data transfer session between a mobile station and a network, the message adaptable to indicate different subsets of radio access capabilities information of the mobile station;

indicating in the message a subset of a plurality of subsets, while excluding at least another subset of the plurality of subsets, each subset comprising respectively different radio access capabilities information of the mobile station, the indicated subset pertaining to a specific type of use by the mobile station for the data transfer session, and the at least another subset comprising radio access capabilities irrelevant to the specific type of use,

the specific type of use being selectable at the mobile station from a group comprising (a) a first use type to transfer an amount of data less than a pre-determined threshold, (b) a second use type to transfer information generated by the mobile station, and (c) a third use type for an uplink-only transfer of user-generated information, wherein each use type is associated with a respectively different subset of radio access capabilities; and

sending the message from the mobile station to the network.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising selecting the subset of the plurality of subsets based on radio access capabilities supported by the network.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein indicating in the message the subset of the plurality of subsets comprises inserting one of a plurality of code values in the message, each of the plurality of code values pre-defined to indicate a corresponding one of the different subsets of the radio access capabilities.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request message from the mobile station to the network for an assignment of resources from the network;

receiving an assignment message at the mobile station from the network; and

sending the message from the mobile station to the network via an associated control channel in response to the assignment message.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the assignment message allocates a quantity of blocks for use by the mobile station to send radio access capabilities information.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the request message for the assignment of resources indicates a quantity of blocks requested by the mobile station to send radio access capabilities information to the network.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

sending a channel request from the mobile station to the network; and

receiving an assignment message at the mobile station from the network, wherein the channel request is sent in the message from the mobile station to the network, and wherein the assignment message allocates a data channel for use by the mobile station to perform a data transfer of the data transfer session between the mobile station and the network.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the message from the mobile station to the network comprises sending the message during a data transfer session setup process.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, when the message indicates that a second message is to be sent by the mobile station to indicate additional radio access capabilities information associated with the mobile station, sending the second message from the mobile station to the network including the additional radio access capabilities information.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data transfer session is implemented using a temporary block flow communication session.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein indicating the subset of the plurality of subsets is in response to determining that the network supports the radio access capabilities associated with the subset of the plurality of subsets.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the message from the mobile station to the network occurs after the mobile station registers with a core network of the network during a registration process, and wherein during the registration process, the mobile station sends one of an exhaustive listing of radio access capabilities or a listing of radio access capabilities relevant only to downlink communications to the core network.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to implement a method according to claim 1.

13. An apparatus to communicate capabilities of a device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a message to initiate a data transfer session between a mobile station and a network, the message adaptable to indicate different subsets of radio access capabilities information of the mobile station;

indicate in the message a subset of a plurality of subsets, while excluding at least another subset of the plurality of subsets, each subset comprising respectively different radio access capabilities information of the mobile station, the indicated subset pertaining to a specific type of use by the mobile station for the data transfer session, and the at least another subset comprising radio access capabilities irrelevant to the specific type of use,

the specific type of use being selectable at the mobile station from a group comprising (a) a first use type to transfer an amount of data less than a pre-determined threshold, (b) a second use type to transfer information generated by the mobile station, and (c) a third use type for an uplink-only transfer of user-generated information, wherein each use type is associated with a respectively different subset of radio access capabilities; and

send the message from the mobile station to the network.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to select the subset of the plurality of subsets based on radio access capabilities supported by the network.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to indicate in the message the subset of the plurality of subsets by inserting one of a plurality of code values in the message, each of the plurality of code values pre-defined to indicate a corresponding one of the different subsets of the radio access capabilities.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a request message from the mobile station to the network for an assignment of resources from the network;

receive an assignment message at the mobile station from the network; and

send the message from the mobile station to the network via an associated control channel in response to the assignment message.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the assignment message allocates a quantity of blocks for use by the mobile station to send radio access capabilities information.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the request message for the assignment of resources indicates a quantity of blocks requested by the mobile station to send radio access capabilities information to the network.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a channel request from the mobile station to the network; and

receive an assignment message at the mobile station from the network, wherein the channel request is sent in the message from the mobile station to the network, and wherein the assignment message allocates a data channel for use by the mobile station to perform a data transfer of the data transfer session between the mobile station and the network.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to send the message from the mobile station to the network during a data transfer session setup process.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the message indicates that a second message is to be sent by the mobile station to indicate additional radio access capabilities information associated with the mobile station, send the second message from the mobile station to the network including the additional radio access capabilities information.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the data transfer session is implemented using a temporary block flow communication session.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to indicate the subset of the plurality of subsets in response to determining that the network supports the radio access capabilities associated with the subset of the plurality of subsets.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to send the message from the mobile station to the network after the mobile station registers with a core network of the network during a registration process, and wherein during the registration process, the processor is configured to send one of an exhaustive listing of radio access capabilities or a listing of radio access capabilities relevant only to downlink communications to the core network.