Prioritization of energy over system throughput in a wireless communications system

• US 9,351,244 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nordberg, Mats, Folke, Mats, Landstrm, Sara, Pelletier, Ghyslain
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US13/576,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 370254-280, 370311-343, 370431-445, 370229-241, 455418-574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user equipment and a radio base station, and to related methods of enabling the radio base station to affect an energy saving in the system during a connection between the user equipment and the radio base station according to a priority level of the energy saving. The method comprises the step of detecting (210) a trigger received via a user interface of the user equipment, where the trigger is associated with the priority level of the energy saving in the system. It also comprises transmitting (220) an indicator of the priority level to the radio base station, allowing the radio base station to affect the energy saving in the system during the connection according to the priority level, by configuring different user or system related parameters.

Claims

1. A method, in a user equipment in a wireless communications system that comprises a radio access network and one or more user equipments, for enabling a radio base station to effect energy savings in the wireless communications system during a connection between the user equipment and the radio base station according to a priority level for energy savings, the method comprising:

transmitting, to the radio base station, an indicator of a priority level for energy savings, thus allowing the radio base station to configure a parameter related to the user equipment so as to effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection, according to the priority level; and

applying, during the connection, the parameter configured by the radio base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is transmitted during initial access of the connection, and the priority level is indicated in a random access preamble or a user equipment capability message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is transmitted after initial access of the connection, and the priority level is indicated in a medium access control (MAC) control element, a scheduling request, a buffer status report, or a quality of service parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a trigger associated with a further priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system, wherein the trigger is received via a user interface of the user equipment; and

transmitting an indicator of the further priority level to the radio base station, allowing the radio base station to further effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the further priority level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority level corresponds to one of at least two pre-determined priority levels.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information regarding the energy savings in the radio access network during the connection, from the radio base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority level indicates a priority of energy savings in relation to any of a throughput, a delay, a priority, and a packet loss rate associated with the connection.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said transmitting, detecting a trigger received via a user interface of the user equipment, wherein the trigger is associated with the priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system.

8. A method, in a radio base station in a wireless communications system that comprises a radio access network and one or more user equipments, for effecting energy savings in the wireless communications system during a connection between a user equipment and the radio base station according to a priority level for energy savings, the method comprising:

retrieving an indicator of the priority level for energy savings in the radio access network; and

configuring a parameter so as to effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the indicated priority level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the indicator is retrieved from the user equipment during initial access of the connection, and the priority level is indicated in a random access preamble or a user equipment capability message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the indicator is retrieved from the user equipment after initial access of the connection, and the priority level is indicated in a medium access control (MAC) control element, a scheduling request, a buffer status report, or a quality of service parameter.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the indicator is retrieved from a network node during initial access of the connection, and the priority level is indicated in a user equipment subscription parameter.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an additional indicator of a further priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system, from the user equipment; and

configuring the parameter according to the indicated further priority level.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the configured parameter is at least one of a user equipment related parameter and a radio access network related parameter.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the priority level corresponds to one of at least two pre-determined priority levels.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting information regarding the energy savings in the radio access network during the connection, to the user equipment.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the priority level indicates a priority of the energy saving in relation to any of a throughput, a delay, a priority, and a packet loss rate associated with the connection.

17. A user equipment configured to be used in a wireless communications system that comprises a radio access network and one or more user equipments, wherein said user equipment is further configured to enable a radio base station to effect energy savings in the wireless communication system during a connection between the user equipment and the radio base station according to a priority level for energy savings, the user equipment comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the radio base station, an indicator of the priority level for energy savings, allowing the radio base station to effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the priority level.

18. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the indicator during initial access of the connection, and wherein the priority level is indicated in a random access preamble or a user equipment capability message.

19. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the indicator after initial access of the connection, and wherein the priority level is indicated in a medium access control (MAC) control element, a scheduling request, a buffer status report, or a quality of service parameter.

20. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the detecting unit is further configured to detect a trigger of a further priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system, the additional trigger received via a user interface of the user equipment, and wherein the transmitting unit is further configured to transmit an indicator of the further priority level to the radio base station, allowing the radio base station to further effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the further priority level.

21. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the priority level corresponds to one of at least two pre-determined priority levels.

22. The user equipment of claim 17, further comprising a receiver configured to receive information regarding the energy savings in the radio access network during the connection, from the radio base station.

23. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the priority level indicates a priority of the energy savings in relation to any of a throughput, a delay, a priority, and a packet loss rate associated with the connection.

24. A radio base station configured to be used in a wireless communications system that comprises a radio access network and one or more user equipments, wherein said radio base station is further configured to effect energy savings in the wireless communications system during a connection between a user equipment and the radio base station according to a priority level for energy savings, the radio base station comprising:

a retrieving unit configured to retrieve an indicator of the priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system; and

a configuring unit configured to configure a parameter so as to effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the indicated priority level.

25. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the retrieving unit is configured to retrieve the indicator of the priority level from the user equipment during initial access of the connection, and wherein the priority level is indicated in a random access preamble or a user equipment capability message.

26. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the retrieving unit is configured to retrieve the indicator from the user equipment after initial access of the connection, and wherein the priority level is indicated in a medium access control (MAC) control element, a scheduling request, a buffer status report, or a quality of service parameter.

27. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the retrieving unit is configured to retrieve the indicator from a network node during initial access of the connection, and wherein the priority level is indicated in a user equipment subscription parameter.

28. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an additional indicator of a further priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system, from the user equipment, and the configuring unit is further adapted to configure the parameter according to the indicated further priority level.

29. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the parameter is at least one of a user equipment related parameter and a radio access network related parameter.

30. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the priority level corresponds to one of at least two pre-determined priority levels.

31. The radio base station of claim 24, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit information regarding energy savings in the radio access network during the connection, to the user equipment.

32. The radio base station of claim 24, wherein the priority level indicates a priority of the energy saving in relation to any of a throughput, a delay, a priority and a packet loss rate associated with the connection.

33. A method, in a user equipment in a wireless communications system that comprises a radio access network and one or more user equipments, for effecting energy savings in the radio access network during a connection between the user equipment and a radio base station according to a priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system, the method comprising:

configuring a user equipment related parameter so as to effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the priority level; and

applying, during the connection, the user equipment related parameter.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the user equipment related parameter is at least one of a parameter indicating a user equipment capability, and a parameter indicating supported radio access technologies.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the priority level indicates a priority for energy savings in the wireless communications system in relation to any of a throughput, a delay, a priority, and a packet loss rate associated with the connection.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising, prior to said configuring, detecting a trigger received via a user interface of the user equipment, wherein the trigger is associated with the priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system.

36. A user equipment configured to be used in a wireless communications system that comprises a radio access network and one or more user equipments, wherein said user equipment is further configured to effect energy savings in the radio access network during a connection between the user equipment and a radio base station according to a priority level for energy savings in the wireless communications system, the user equipment comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a trigger via a user interface of the user equipment, wherein the trigger is associated with the priority level; and

a configuring unit, configured to configure a user equipment related parameter so as to effect energy savings in the radio access network during the connection according to the priority level.

37. The user equipment of claim 36, wherein the user equipment related parameter is at least one of a parameter indicating a user equipment capability, and a parameter indicating supported radio access technologies.

38. The user equipment of claim 36, wherein the priority level indicates a priority of the energy saving in relation to any of a throughput, a delay, a priority, and a packet loss rate associated with the connection.