Method and apparatus for optimizing power consumption of a terminal in a mobile communication system

• US 9,100,913 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Bum, Kim, Soeng Hun, Jeong, Kyeong In, Jung, Jung Soo, Cho, Joon Young, Van Lieshout, Gert Jan, Van Der Velde, Himke, Ng, Boon Loong
• Primary Examiner(s): CRUTCHFIELD, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US13/885,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for optimizing the power consumption of a terminal in a mobile communication system. The method for optimizing power consumption of a terminal in a mobile communication system comprises: a determination step of determining whether there is a need for changing a configuration for a discontinuous reception operation of the terminal; and a transmission step of transmitting, to a base station, a request message for a change in the discontinuous reception operation, if it is determined that the change is needed.

Claims

1. A method to provide power consumption information by a terminal in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a base station, radio resource control (RRC) configuration information configured to provide power saving information;

determining whether current power saving information is different from previous power saving information;

determining whether a timer associated with an RRC message is running; and

transmitting, if the current power saving information is different from the previous power saving information and the timer is not running, the RRC message to the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer starts or restarts if the RRC message is transmitted.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to transmit the RRC message if the terminal has no data to be transmitted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RRC message comprises current preferred power saving information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the power saving information includes at least one of a predetermined discontinuous reception inactivity timer value, a discontinuous reception cycle value, and an on-duration timer value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal is connected to the base station by a handover.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response message of the RRC message from the base station; and

changing power saving configuration of the terminal using power saving information included in the response message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the RRC message to the base station comprises transmitting the RRC message to the base station on a data channel.

9. A terminal configured to provide power consumption in a mobile communication system, the terminal comprising a controller configured to:

control a reception of radio resource control (RRC) configuration information from a base station, wherein the RRC configuration information is configured to provide power saving information,

determine whether current power saving information is different from previous power saving information,

determine whether a timer associated with an RRC message is running, and

control a transmission of the RRC message to the base station if the current power saving information is different from the previous power saving information and the timer is not running.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the timer starts or restarts if the RRC message is transmitted.

11. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the transmission of the RRC message if the terminal has no data to be transmitted.

12. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the RRC message comprises current preferred power saving information.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the power saving information comprises at least one of a predetermined discontinuous reception inactivity timer value, a discontinuous reception cycle value, and an on-duration timer value.

14. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the terminal is connected to the base station by a handover.

15. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to control a reception of a response message from the base station in response to the RRC message and change a power saving configuration of the terminal using power saving information included in the response message.

16. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the RRC message to the base station on a data channel.