Method for implementing autonomous management of radio resources across dual networks

• US 9,386,488 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tabet, Tarik, Mujtaba, Syed A., Wang, Xiaowen, Flynn, Paul, Song, Kee-Bong, Majjigi, Vinay, Kim, Youngjae, Kim, Yuchul, Mucke, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roudani, Oussama
• Application Number:
  US14/954,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 218 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Managing radio resources across dual networks includes a wireless mobile device connecting to a first wireless network using a first radio access technology. The wireless device may notify the first network of a capability to be temporarily non-responsive to the first network while maintaining a signaling connection to the first network. The wireless device may communicate with a second network. The wireless device may return to communicating with the first network subsequent to communicating with the second network, and in response to communicating with the second network for less than a predetermined amount of time, the wireless device may send a scheduling request to the first network. In response to receiving a grant acknowledgement from the first network, the wireless device may send a buffer status report that includes a value such as zero to indicate that the wireless device has returned to and can communicate with the first network.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing element, wherein the processing element is configured to operate with a cellular radio having a single transmitter to;

communicate with a first cellular network according to a first radio access technology;

notify the first cellular network of a tune-away mode, wherein during a tune-away using the tune-away mode, the cellular radio is configured to tune-away to a second cellular network using a second radio access technology and to be temporarily non-responsive to the first cellular network while maintaining a signaling connection to the first cellular network;

subsequent to operation on the first cellular network and while maintaining a signaling connection to the first cellular network, tune away to the second cellular network according to the second radio access technology to communicate with the second cellular network;

set a timer to a predetermined amount of time upon tuning away to monitor an amount of time the cellular mobile device is tuned away; and

return to communicating on the first cellular network subsequent to the tuning away on the second cellular network, wherein in response to the cellular radio tuning away to the second cellular network for a time that is shorter than the predetermined amount of time, the processing element is configured to operate with the cellular radio to transmit a scheduling request to the first cellular network via the signaling connection even when the cellular radio does not have uplink data to send.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in response to the notifying, the first cellular network is configured to reduce resource scheduling performed in absence of the notifying during the tune-away.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to a maximum amount of time the cellular mobile device may tune away without using a random access channel (RACH) upon returning to operation on the first cellular network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in response to the cellular radio tuning away to the second cellular network for a time that is greater than the predetermined amount of time, the processing element is configured to operate with the cellular radio to transmit a scheduling request to the first cellular network via a random access channel (RACH).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving from the first cellular network, a grant acknowledgement that is responsive to the scheduling request, the processing element is configured to operate with the cellular radio to selectively send to the first cellular network, a buffer status report that includes a predetermined value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined value is zero.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in response to the notifying, the first cellular network is not configured to reduce future downlink allocations of the cellular mobile device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing element, wherein the processing element is configured to operate with a cellular radio having a single transmitter to;

communicate with a first cellular network according to a first radio access technology;

subsequent to communicating with the first cellular network and while maintaining a signaling connection to the first cellular network, tune away to a second cellular network according to a second radio access technology to communicate with the second cellular network;

set a timer to a predetermined amount of time upon tuning away to monitor an amount of time the cellular radio is tuned away;

return to communicating with the first cellular network subsequent to the tuning away on the second cellular network;

in response to the cellular radio tuning away to the second cellular network for a time that is shorter than the predetermined amount of time, send a scheduling request to the first cellular network via the signaling connection to notify the first cellular network that the tune-away operation is complete even if the cellular radio does not have uplink data to send.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to a maximum amount of time the cellular radio may tune away without using a random access channel (RACH) upon returning to operation on the first cellular network.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing element is further configured to operate with the cellular radio to send the scheduling request to notify the first cellular network that the tune-away operation is complete even if the cellular radio does not have uplink data to send.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein in response to the cellular radio tuning away to the second cellular network for a time that is greater than the predetermined amount of time, the processing element is further configured to operate with the cellular radio to send a scheduling request to the first cellular network via a random access channel (RACH).

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing element is further configured to operate with the cellular radio to notify the first cellular network of a tune-away mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, in response to the notifying, the first cellular network is configured to reduce resource scheduling performed in absence of the notifying during the tune-away.

14. A non-transitory, memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor to:

communicate with a first cellular network according to a first radio access technology using a cellular radio having a single transmitter;

subsequent to communicating with the first cellular network and while maintaining a signaling connection to the first cellular network, tune away to a second cellular network according to a second radio access technology to communicate with the second cellular network using the cellular radio;

set a timer to a predetermined amount of time upon tuning away to monitor an amount of time the cellular radio is tuned away;

return to communicating with the first cellular network using the cellular radio subsequent to the tuning away on the second cellular network;

in response to the cellular radio tuning away to the second cellular network for a time that is shorter than the predetermined amount of time, send a scheduling request to the first cellular network via the signaling connection to notify the first cellular network that the tune-away operation is complete even if the cellular radio does not have uplink data to send.

15. The non-transitory, memory medium of claim 14, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to a maximum amount of time the cellular radio may tune away without using a random access channel (RACH) upon returning to operation on the first cellular network.

16. The non-transitory, memory medium of claim 14, wherein the program instructions are further executable to send the scheduling request to notify the first cellular network that the tune-away operation is complete even if the cellular radio does not have uplink data to send.

17. The non-transitory, memory medium of claim 14, wherein in response to the cellular radio tuning away to the second cellular network for a time that is greater than the predetermined amount of time, the program instructions are further executable to send a scheduling request to the first cellular network via a random access channel (RACH).

18. The non-transitory, memory medium of claim 14, wherein the program instructions are further executable to notify the first cellular network of a tune-away mode.

19. The non-transitory, memory medium of claim 18, wherein, in response to the notifying, the first cellular network is configured to reduce resource scheduling performed in absence of the notifying during the tune-away.