Method and apparatus for state/mode transitioning

• US 9,456,436 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Young, Gordon Peter, Suzuki, Takashi, Arzelier, Claude Jean-Frederic, Islam, Muhammad Khaledul, Wirtanen, Jeffrey William
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/956,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20130336258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and network element for sending a transition indication to transition a user equipment to a different state or mode, the method receiving a configuration message from a network; and transmitting a transition indication from the user equipment, the transition indication only includes a cause if the configuration message contains an inhibit transition indication. Also, a method and user equipment for processing a transitioning indication from a user equipment indicating the user equipment desires a transition to a different state or mode, the method comprising: receiving the transition indication from the user equipment; if the transition indication contains a cause: releasing a signaling connection of the user equipment or transitioning the user equipment to a different state or mode; and if the transition indication does not contain the cause: releasing the signaling connection.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

sending to a network a first signaling connection release indication (SCRI) message having a cause set while in a first radio resource control (RRC) state;

receiving a message from the network to transition to a second RRC state; and

while the UE is in the second RRC state, an inhibit duration timer is not running, and a number of SCRI messages is greater than a maximum number, inhibiting, at the UE, the sending of a second SCM message having a cause set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message from the network is sent by the network responsive to the first SCM message sent by the UE.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the UE, if upper layers indicate that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period, sending the second SCRI message unless the UE is inhibiting the sending of the second SCM message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein inhibiting, at the UE, the sending of the second SCM message having the cause set comprises:

maintaining an indicator that indicates whether or not the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCRI message; and

if the upper layers indicated that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period of time, transmitting the second SCRI message unless the indicator indicates that the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCM message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein maintaining the indicator comprises:

setting the indicator to a first value when the second RRC state is the result of the first SCM message; and

otherwise setting the indicator to a second value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicator comprises one of a flag or a bit token.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second RRC state is CELL_PCH state or URA_PCH state.

8. A user equipment (UE) comprising at least one processor configured to:

send to a network a first signaling connection release indication (SCRI) message having a cause set while in a first radio resource control (RRC) state;

receive a message from the network to transition to a second RRC state; and

while the UE is in the second RRC state, an inhibit duration timer is not running, and a number of SCRI messages is greater than a maximum number, inhibit the sending of a second SCRI message having a cause set.

9. The UE of claim 8, wherein the message from the network is sent by the network responsive to the first SCM message sent by the UE.

10. The UE of claim 8, further configured to:

if upper layers in the user equipment indicate that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period, send the second SCM message unless the UE is inhibiting the sending of the second SCM message.

11. The UE of claim 8, wherein inhibiting the sending of the second SCM message having the cause set comprises:

maintaining an indicator that indicates whether or not the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCRI message; and

if the upper layers indicated that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period of time, transmitting the second SCRI message unless the indicator indicates that the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCM message.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein maintaining the indicator comprises:

setting the indicator to a first value when the second RRC state is the result of the first SCM message; and

otherwise setting the indicator to a second value.

13. The UE of claim 12, wherein the indicator comprises one of a flag or a bit token.

14. The UE of claim 8, wherein the second RRC state is CELL_PCH state or URA_PCH state.

15. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

sending to a network a first signaling connection release indication (SCRI) message having a cause set while in a first radio resource control (RRC) state;

receiving a message from the network to transition to a second RRC; and

while the UE is in the second RRC state, a number of SCM messages is less than a maximum number, and an inhibit duration timer is running, inhibiting, at the UE, the sending of a second SCRI message having a cause set.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message from the network is sent by the network responsive to the first SCM message sent by the UE.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in the UE, if upper layers indicate that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period, sending the second SCRI message unless the UE is inhibiting the sending of the second SCM message.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein inhibiting, at the UE, the sending of the second SCM message having the cause set comprises:

maintaining an indicator that indicates whether or not the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCRI message; and

if the upper layers indicated that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period of time, transmitting the second SCRI message unless the indicator indicates that the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCM message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein maintaining the indicator comprises:

setting the indicator to a first value when the second RRC state is the result of the first SCM message; and

otherwise setting the indicator to a second value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the indicator comprises one of a flag or a bit token.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the second RRC state is CELL_PCH state or URA_PCH state.

22. A user equipment (UE) comprising at least one processor configured to:

send to a network a first signaling connection release indication (SCRI) message having a cause set while in a first radio resource control (RRC) state;

receive a message from the network to transition to a second RRC; and

while the UE is in the second RRC state, a number of SCM messages is less than a maximum number, and an inhibit duration timer is running, inhibit, at the UE, the sending of a second SCM message having a cause set.

23. The UE of claim 22, wherein the message from the network is sent by the network responsive to the first SCM message sent by the UE.

24. The UE of claim 22, further configured to:

if upper layers in the user equipment indicate that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period, send the second SCM message unless the UE is inhibiting the sending of the second SCM message.

25. The UE of claim 22, wherein inhibiting the sending of the second SCM message having the cause set comprises:

maintaining an indicator that indicates whether or not the second RRC_state of the UE is a result of the first SCM message; and

if the upper layers indicated that there is no more PS data for a prolonged period of time, transmitting the second SCRI message unless the indicator indicates that the second RRC state of the UE is a result of the first SCM message.

26. The UE of claim 25, wherein maintaining the indicator comprises:

setting the indicator to a first value when the second RRC state is the result of the first SCM message; and

otherwise setting the indicator to a second value.

27. The UE of claim 26, wherein the indicator comprises one of a flag or a bit token.

28. The UE of claim 22, wherein the second RRC state is CELL_PCH state or URA_PCH state.