Methods and apparatus for optimizing paging mechanisms using device context information

• US 9,198,160 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bienas, Maik, Choi, Hyung-Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US14/107,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/458, 370/255, 370/329, 701/16, 701/31.4, 714/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus enabling a wireless network to optimize paging channel operation, based on mobile device context information. In one embodiment, the wireless network is a cellular network (e.g., LTE-Advanced), and both base stations and cellular user devices dynamically exchange and maintain a paging agreement. The paging agreement limits the paging channel operation, thereby minimizing unnecessary scanning and usage of irrelevant radio resources. Such paging mechanisms are limited to the air interface between the base station and the mobile device, and are compatible with existing legacy devices and network entities. Networks with appropriately enabled user devices may improve their resource utilization. Base stations may advantageously reclaim freed-up cellular resources to support other services.

Claims

1. A base station apparatus, comprising:

a digital processor;

a radio interface in data communication with the processor; and

a storage device in data communication with the processor, the storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the digital processor;

responsive to receiving an update message from a mobile device via the radio interface;

negotiate a paging agreement with the mobile device; and

start a timing function;

responsive to receiving an indication via the radio interface, reset the timing function; and

responsive to the timing function expiring, delete or reviving the paging agreement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a broadband interface in data communication with the processor;

and wherein responsive to receiving a network page addressed to the mobile device via the broadband interface;

the apparatus further;

determines the existence of the paging agreement;

if the paging agreement does not exist, ignores the network page; and

if the paging agreement exists, transmits a paging channel message to the mobile device based on the paging agreement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a substantially periodic heartbeat message, and the timing function comprises a watchdog timer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base station apparatus and the mobile device are each LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced) compliant.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises an aperiodic refresh scheme having a dynamically updated refresh period, wherein the refresh period is shortened if there is high noise in the mobile network, and the refresh period is lengthened if there is low noise in the mobile network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the update message comprising context information for the mobile device, said context information comprises a description of at least one paging resource available to the mobile device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the paging agreement identifies at least one component carrier (CC).

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the base station comprises an LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced)-compliant eNodeB which is configured to support a 20-MHz maximum bandwidth for the at least one component carrier.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises an LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced)-compliant eNodeB which is backward-compatible with at least one legacy LTE (Long Term Evolution) paging resource.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication comprises a substantially periodic heartbeat message, and the timing function comprises a watchdog timer.

10. A method of paging a mobile device from a base station in a mobile network comprising:

receiving an updated message transmitted by the mobile device to the base station, the update message comprising context information for the mobile device, said context information comprises a description of at least one paging resource available to the mobile device;

negotiating a paging agreement between the base station and the mobile device;

starting a timing function to continuously confirm validity of the paging agreement;

receiving an indication that the paging agreement is no longer valid; and

resetting the timing function in response to said indication.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising deleting the paging agreement in response to said indication.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising reviving the paging agreement in response to said indication.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a paging channel message to the mobile device based on the paging agreement, wherein said transmitting step is after the negotiating step and before receiving said indication.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication comprises an aperiodic refresh scheme having a dynamically updated refresh period, wherein the refresh period is shortened if there is high noise in the mobile network, and the refresh period is lengthened if there is low noise in the mobile network.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the base station apparatus and the mobile device are each LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced) compliant.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the update message comprising context information for the mobile device, said context information comprises a description of at least one paging resource available to the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the paging agreement identifies at least one component carrier (CC).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the base station comprises an LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced)-compliant eNodeB which is configured to support a 20-MHz maximum bandwidth for the at least one component carrier.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the base station comprises an LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced)-compliant eNodeB which is backward-compatible with at least one legacy LTE (Long Term Evolution) paging resource.