Cellular network capabilities exchange protocol

• US 9,807,673 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vangala, Sarma V., Tabet, Tarik, Balakrishnan, Swaminathan, Bhattacharjee, Deepankar, Sun, Xiantao
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US15/016,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

This disclosure relates to techniques for enabling a cellular network to more efficiently announce special network capabilities to UE'"'"'s in its coverage area. The special network capabilities may be specific to a first class of UE devices and/or may be outside of the relevant telecommunication standard used by the cellular network. The base station may transmit a dummy System Information Block-1 (SIB-1), wherein the dummy system information block is broadcast separately from regular system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

by a cellular base station (BS) in a cellular network;

broadcasting a dummy system information block comprising network capability notification information in a cell served by the cellular base station, wherein the network capability notification information indicates that the cellular network supports a first network capability useable only by a first class of user equipment (UE) devices, wherein the dummy system information block is broadcast separately from system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s); and

receiving communication from a first UE of the first class of UE devices, wherein the communication utilizes the first network capability of the cellular network, wherein the communication from the first UE is received in response to receipt by the first UE of the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the cellular base station in the cellular network;

broadcasting a plurality of system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s) in the cell, wherein the SIB-1'"'"'s do not contain the network capability notification information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the cellular base station in the cellular network;

prior to broadcasting the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block, transmitting a paging message to the first UE, wherein the paging message indicates a time of the dummy system information block in a communication channel;

wherein the time of the dummy system information block is useable by the first UE to locate the dummy system information block in the communication channel.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the time is specified by a sequence frame number.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein said broadcasting the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block is performed at a pre-determined time in a communication channel, wherein the pre-determined time is known by the base station and the first UE.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the base station is configured to communicate with a plurality of user equipment devices according to a first radio access technology (RAT) operating according to a first telecommunication standard;

wherein the network capability notification information indicates that the cellular network supports a first network capability that is outside of the first telecommunication standard.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein said broadcasting comprises scrambling the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block based on a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI);

wherein the scrambled network capability notification information is not readable by UE'"'"'s that are not of the first class of UE devices.

8. A cellular base station, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a radio coupled to the at least one antenna; and

a processing element communicatively coupled to the radio;

wherein the base station is configured to communicate with a plurality of user equipment devices according to a first radio access technology (RAT) operating according to a first telecommunication standard;

wherein the cellular base station is configured to;

broadcast, using the first telecommunication standard, a dummy system information block comprising network capability notification information in a cell served by the cellular base station, wherein the network capability notification information indicates that the cellular network supports a first network capability that is outside of the first telecommunication standard; and

receive communication from a first UE of the plurality of UE devices, wherein the communication utilizes the first network capability of the cellular network, wherein the communication from the first UE is received in response to receipt by the first UE of the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block.

9. The cellular base station of claim 8,

wherein the dummy system information block is broadcast separately from system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s).

10. The cellular base station of claim 8,

wherein the cellular base station is further configured to:

broadcast a plurality of system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s) in the cell, wherein none of the SIB-1'"'"'s contain the network capability notification information.

11. The cellular base station of claim 8,

wherein the cellular base station is configured to:

prior to broadcasting the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block, transmit a paging message to the first UE, wherein the paging message indicates a time of the dummy system information block in a communication channel;

wherein the time of the dummy system information block is useable by the first UE to locate the dummy system information block in the communication channel.

12. The cellular base station of claim 11,

wherein the time is specified by a sequence frame number.

13. The cellular base station of claim 8,

wherein said broadcasting the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block is performed at a pre-determined time in a communication channel, wherein the pre-determined time is known by the base station and the first UE.

14. The cellular base station of claim 8,

wherein the network capability notification information is useable only by a first class of user equipment (UE) devices.

15. The cellular base station of claim 8,

wherein the first class of user equipment (UE) devices comprises UE devices which are link budget limited.

16. A user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a radio coupled to the at least one antenna; and

a processing element communicatively coupled to the radio;

wherein the UE device is configured to communicate with a cellular network according to a first radio access technology (RAT) operating according to a first telecommunication standard;

wherein the UE device is configured to;

receive a dummy system information block comprising network capability notification information, wherein the dummy system information block is received from the cellular network, wherein the network capability notification information indicates that the cellular network supports a first network capability that is outside of the first telecommunication standard;

generate communication to the cellular network, wherein the communication utilizes the first network capability of the cellular network, wherein the communication from the first UE is generated in response to receipt by the first UE of the network capability notification information in the dummy system information block.

17. The UE device of claim 16,

wherein the dummy system information block is separate from system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s) received from the base station.

18. The UE device of claim 16,

wherein the UE device is further configured to:

receive a plurality of system information block 1'"'"'s (SIB-1'"'"'s) from the base station, wherein none of the SIB-1'"'"'s contain the network capability notification information.

19. The UE device of claim 16,

wherein the UE is of a first class of user equipment (UE) devices that are link budget limited.

20. The UE device of claim 16,

wherein the UE is a smart watch.