Method and apparatus for a smart random access procedure in a telecommunication network

• US 9,271,310 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Arvindhan, D'Souza, Luna Sapna, Chakravarthy, Chetan Gopalakrishnan, Vasudevan, Guruvayurappan, Rao, Vaishakh
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cunningham, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/077,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide for a method and an apparatus for wireless communications using an intelligent Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure that may increase the probability of obtaining an available E-DCH resource quickly in a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System.

Claims

1. A method of operating an apparatus in a wireless communications network, comprising:

creating a database comprising a plurality of resource indexes and corresponding preamble signature sequences and probabilities of being usable, the resource indexes initially marked as usable and corresponding to a plurality of uplink transport channel resources;

selecting a first index of the resource indexes;

selecting a first preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the first index;

initiating a random access channel (RACH) procedure by transmitting a preamble utilizing the first preamble signature sequence;

marking the first index with a lower probability of being usable for a subsequent RACH procedure in connection with receiving a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

selecting a second index of the resource indexes having a probability higher than that of the first index;

if no acknowledgement is received from the wireless communications network for the preamble, marking the first index as unusable in the database;

selecting a second preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the second index; and

transmitting a preamble utilizing the second preamble signature sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink transport channel resources comprise a plurality of Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) resources.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the database comprises at least one index marked as usable among the resource indexes, selecting a third index of the at least one usable index;

selecting a third preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the third index; and

transmitting a preamble utilizing the third preamble signature sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the database comprises no index marked as usable among the resource indexes, marking all of the resource indexes as usable.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

and

performing a backoff procedure of the RACH procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the first index comprises randomly selecting an index marked as usable from among the resource indexes.

7. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for creating a database comprising a plurality of resource indexes and corresponding preamble signature sequences and probabilities of being usable, the resource indexes initially marked as usable and corresponding to a plurality of uplink transport channel resources;

means for selecting a first index of the resource indexes;

means for selecting a first preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the first index;

means for initiating a random access channel (RACH) procedure by transmitting a preamble utilizing the first preamble signature sequence;

means for marking the first index with a lower probability of being usable for a subsequent RACH procedure in connection with receiving a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

means for selecting a second index of the resource indexes having a probability higher than that of the first index;

means for if no acknowledgement is received for the preamble, marking the first index as unusable in the database;

means for selecting a second preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the second index; and

means for transmitting a preamble utilizing the second preamble signature sequence.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the uplink transport channel resources comprise a plurality of Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) resources.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

if the database comprises at least one index marked as usable among the resource indexes, means for selecting a third index of the at least one usable index;

means for selecting a third preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the third index; and

means for transmitting a preamble utilizing the third preamble signature sequence.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

if the database comprises no index marked as usable among the resource indexes, means for marking all of the resource indexes as usable.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

and

means for performing a backoff procedure of the RACH procedure.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the selecting the first index comprises means for randomly selecting an index marked as usable from among the resource indexes.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

code for causing a user equipment (UE) to;

create a database comprising a plurality of resource indexes and corresponding preamble signature sequences and probabilities of being usable, the resource indexes initially marked as usable and corresponding to a plurality of uplink transport channel resources;

select a first index of the resource indexes;

select a first preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the first index;

initiate a random access channel (RACH) procedure by transmitting a preamble utilizing the first preamble signature sequence;

mark the first index with a lower probability of being usable for a subsequent RACH procedure in connection with receiving a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

select a second index of the resource indexes having a probability higher than that of the first index;

if no acknowledgement is received for the preamble, mark the first index as unusable in the database;

select a second preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the second index; and

transmit a preamble utilizing the second preamble signature sequence.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the uplink transport channel resources comprise a plurality of Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) resources.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising code for causing the UE to:

if the database comprises at least one index marked as usable among the resource indexes, select a third index of the at least one usable index;

select a third preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the third index; and

transmit a preamble utilizing the third preamble signature sequence.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising code for causing the UE to:

if the database comprises no index marked as usable among the resource indexes, mark all of the resource indexes as usable.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising code for causing the UE to:

receive a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

and

perform a backoff procedure of the RACH procedure.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising code for causing the UE to:

randomly select an index marked as usable from among the resource indexes.

19. An apparatus for a wireless communications network, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication interface coupled to the at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

create a database comprising a plurality of resource indexes and corresponding preamble signature sequences and probabilities of being usable, the resource indexes initially marked as usable and corresponding to a plurality of uplink transport channel resources;

select a first index of the resource indexes;

select a first preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the first index;

initiate a random access channel (RACH) procedure by transmitting a preamble utilizing the first preamble signature sequence;

mark the first index with a lower probability of being usable for a subsequent RACH procedure in connection with receiving a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

select a second index of the resource indexes having a probability higher than that of the first index;

if no acknowledgement is received from the wireless communications network for the preamble, mark the first index as unusable in the database;

select a second preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the second index; and

transmit a preamble utilizing the second preamble signature sequence.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the uplink transport channel resources comprise a plurality of Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) resources.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

if the database comprises at least one index marked as usable among the resource indexes, select a third index of the at least one usable index;

select a third preamble signature sequence of the preamble signature sequences corresponding to the third index; and

transmit a preamble utilizing the third preamble signature sequence.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

if the database comprises no index marked as usable among the resource indexes, mark all of the resource indexes as usable.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a negative acknowledgement for the preamble;

and

perform a backoff procedure of the RACH procedure.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein for selecting the first index, the at least one processor is further configured to randomly select an index marked as usable from among the resource indexes.