Method and apparatus for discontinuous reception of connected terminal in a mobile communication system

• US 9,094,914 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Seong-Hun, Kwak, No-Jun, Van Lieshout, Gert-Jan, Vander Velde, Himke
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US13/909,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/329, 370/318, 370/332, 370/338, 370/236, 370/241, 370/315, 370/437, 455/522, 455/343.2, 455/418, 455/572, 455/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling an active time period during a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) operation in a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system. The method includes awaking, by the UE, at a start position of the active time period; receiving a control signal indicating that the active time period should be terminated; terminating the active time period in response to the control signal; and entering a sleep state.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an active time period during a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation in a user equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

awaking the UE at a start position of the active time period;

starting a first timer to monitor control data on a shared control channel, the control data being associated with user data to be transmitted;

starting a second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the first tinier is running;

receiving a control signal indicating that the active time period should be terminated;

terminating the active time period in response to the control signal; and

entering a sleep state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a downlink control channel during the active time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restarting, in the UE, the second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the second timer is running.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein terminating the active time period comprises stopping at least one of the first timer and the second tinier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is received from a Node B.

6. An apparatus for controlling an active time period during a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation in a user equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a DRX controller configured to awake the UE at a start position of the active time period, start a first timer to monitor control data on a shared control channel, the control data being associated with user data to be transmitted, start a second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the first timer is running, receive a control signal indicating that the active time period should be terminated, terminate the active time period in response to the control signal, and enter the UE into a sleep state.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the DRX controller monitors a downlink control channel during the active time period.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the DRX controller awakes the UE by:

restarting, in the UE, the second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the second timer is running.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the DRX controller terminates the active time period by stopping at least one of the first timer and the second timer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the control signal is received from a Node B.

11. A method for controlling an active time period in a user equipment (UE) by a Node B during a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting, in the Node B, information for deriving a starting position of the active time period to the UE; and

transmitting a control signal indicating the UE to terminate the active time period and enter a sleep state,

wherein the UE performs the following steps;

starting, in the UE, a first timer to monitor control data on a shared control channel, the control data being associated with user data to be transmitted; and

starting, in the UE, a second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the first timer is running.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting data packets to the UE during the active time period.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting configuration information about a DRX cycle length to the UE,

wherein the UE further performs the following steps:

restarting, in the UE, the second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the second timer is running,

wherein a duration for the first timer and a duration for the second timer is determined based on the configuration information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the control signal instructs the UE to terminate the active time period by stopping at least one of the first timer and the second timer.

15. An apparatus in a Node B for controlling an active time period in a user equipment (UE) during a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit information for deriving a starting position of the active time period to the UE, and to transmit a control signal indicating the UE to terminate the active time period and enter a sleep state,

wherein the UE performs the following steps;

starting, in the UE, a first timer to monitor control data on a shared control channel, the control data being associated with user data to be transmitted; and

starting, in the UE, a second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the first timer is running.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit data packets to the UE during the active time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit configuration information about a DRX cycle length to the UE,

wherein the UE further performs the following steps:

restarting, in the UE, the second timer, if the control data indicating a new transmission of associated user data is received on the shared control channel while the second timer is running, and

wherein a duration for the first timer and a duration for the second timer is determined based on the configuration information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control signal instructs the UE to terminate the active time period by stopping at least one of the first timer and the second timer.