Selective allocation of dedicated channel (DCH) resources within a wireless communications system

• US 8,780,744 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Song, Bongyong, Paladugu, Karthika, Lin, Yih-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US13/012,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 455/455
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

In an embodiment, a UE determines to transmit a message (e.g., an alert message, a call initiation message). Based on the type of the message to be transmitted, the UE selectively transmits supplemental data configured to prompt an access network to transition the UE to a dedicated channel state (DCS). In another embodiment, an application server configured to arbitrate communication sessions between UEs receives a message for transmission to a target UE. Based on the type of the message to be transmitted to the target UE, the application server selectively transmits, to a serving access network of the target UE, supplemental data configured to prompt the serving access network to transition the target UE to the DCS. In another embodiment, the access network selectively transitions a target UE to the DCS based on whether differently sized messages are received at the access network for transmission to the target UE.

Claims

1. A method of operating an application server within a wireless communications system operating in accordance with a given wireless communication protocol, comprising:

receiving a message of a given type at the application server for transmission to a target user equipment (UE);

determining whether to facilitate a transition of the target UE into a dedicated-channel state based on the given type of the message;

if the application server determines to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state,

configuring supplemental data to prompt an access network to transition the target UE to the dedicated-channel state, and

transmitting the configured supplemental data along with the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE; and

if the application server determines not to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state,

transmitting the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE without the configured supplemental data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configured supplemental data corresponds to dummy data with a size that is at least equal to a given size threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the given size threshold corresponds to an Event Traffic Volume Measurement (TVM) threshold that is used by the access network for making dedicated-channel state transition decisions for its UEs.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the configured supplemental data is contained within a header portion of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet containing the message, and

wherein the configured supplemental data functions to request the access network to transition the UE to the dedicated-channel state.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the configured supplemental data corresponds to a given bit setting of a diffserv code point (DSCP) value within the header portion of the IP packet.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the target UE corresponds to a target of a communication session with that was originated by another UE.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the given type of the message corresponds to an alert message that is not directly associated with a delay-sensitive and/or low data-rate communication session, and

wherein the given type of the message corresponding to the alert message prompts the application server not to facilitate the transition of the target UE to the dedicated-channel state.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the given type of the message corresponds to a session message that is directly associated with a delay-sensitive and/or low data-rate communication session, and

wherein the given type of the message corresponding to the session message prompts the application server facilitate the transition of the target UE to the dedicated-channel state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the session message corresponds to an announce message configured to announce the communication session to the target UE.

10. An application server within a wireless communications system operating in accordance with a given wireless communication protocol, comprising:

means for receiving a message of a given type for transmission to a target user equipment (UE);

means for determining whether to facilitate a transition of the target UE into a dedicated-channel state based on the given type of the message;

means for configuring supplemental data, if the application server determines to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state, to prompt an access network to transition the target UE to the dedicated-channel state, and means for transmitting the configured supplemental data along with the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE; and

means for transmitting, if the application server determines not to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state, the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE without the configured supplemental data.

11. An application server within a wireless communications system operating in accordance with a given wireless communication protocol, comprising:

equipment configured to receive a message of a given type for transmission to a target user equipment (UE);

equipment configured to determine whether to facilitate a transition of the target UE into a dedicated-channel state based on the given type of the message;

equipment configured to configure supplemental data, if the application server determines to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state, to prompt an access network to transition the target UE to the dedicated-channel state, and equipment configured to transmit the configured supplemental data along with the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE; and

equipment configured to transmit, if the application server determines not to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state, the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE without the configured supplemental data.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an application server within a wireless communications system operating in accordance with a given wireless communication protocol, cause the application server to perform actions, the instructions comprising:

program code to receive a message of a given type for transmission to a target user equipment (UE);

program code to determine whether to facilitate a transition of the target UE into a dedicated-channel state based on the given type of the message;

program code to configure supplemental data, if the application server determines to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state, to prompt an access network to transition the target UE to the dedicated-channel state, and program code to transmit the configured supplemental data along with the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE; and

program code to transmit, if the application server determines not to transition the target UE into the dedicated-channel state, the message to the access network for transmission to the target UE without the configured supplemental data.