Timing advance enhancements for cellular communications

• US 9,807,715 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Venkob, Satish, Hole, David Philip, Faurie, Rene, Borsella, Remo, Kreuzer, Werner Karl, Hanov, Steven Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoerkhan, Faiyazkhan
• Application Number:
  US15/136,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20160242133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access

Abstract

A disclosed example method involves, when a device is operating in a stationary mode and before a need of the device to communicate data, determining whether a stored timing advance is valid. When the stored timing advance is not valid, a valid timing advance is determined before the need of the device to communicate the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device, an indication from a network indicating that the network permits devices to operate in a stationary mode;

in response to receiving the indication from the network, sending a capability indicator to the network indicating that the device is capable of operating in the stationary mode;

when the device is operating in the stationary mode, determining whether a stored timing advance is valid, wherein determining whether the stored timing advance is valid includes at least one of determining whether a pre-determined time interval has elapsed since a last successful data transfer using the stored timing advance, whether a pre-determined number of attempts to access the network have failed using the stored timing advance, or whether the device has a current location different from an original location where the stored timing advance was determined for a previous data transfer; and

in response to determining that the stored timing advance is valid, communicating data to the network using the stored timing advance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the stored timing advance is invalid, transmitting an access burst over a random access channel to determine a valid timing advance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the access burst over the random access channel to determine the valid timing advance includes transmitting the access burst using a zero or otherwise specified timing advance value.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after determining the valid timing advance, using the valid timing advance for a subsequent data transfer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating data to the network includes transmitting data using an access burst over a random access channel with the stored timing advance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein whether the device has moved is determined using one or more techniques selected from a group that includes:

detecting movement of the device relative to the network from measurements of signals transmitted by neighboring cells, detecting movement of the device relative to the network from accelerometer signals, and detecting movement of the device relative to the network using a global positioning system (GPS) unit.

7. A device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

receive an indication from a network indicating that the network permits devices to operate in a stationary mode;

in response to receiving the indication from the network, send a capability indicator to the network indicating that the device is capable of operating in the stationary mode;

when the device is operating in the stationary mode, determine whether a stored timing advance is valid, wherein determining whether the stored timing advance is valid includes at least one of determining whether a pre-determined time interval has elapsed since a last successful data transfer using the stored timing advance, whether a pre-determined number of attempts to access the network have failed using the stored timing advance, or whether the device has a current location different from an original location where the stored timing advance was determined for a previous data transfer; and

in response to determining that the stored timing advance is valid, communicate data to the network using the stored timing advance.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

in response to determining that the stored timing advance is invalid, transmit an access burst over a random access channel to determine a valid timing advance.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein transmitting the access burst over the random access channel to determine the valid timing advance includes transmitting the access burst using a zero or otherwise specified timing advance value.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

after determining the valid timing advance, using the valid timing advance for a subsequent data transfer.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein communicating data to the network includes transmitting data using an access burst over a random access channel with the stored timing advance.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein whether the device has moved is determined using one or more techniques selected from a group that includes:

detecting movement of the device relative to the network from measurements of signals transmitted by neighboring cells, detecting movement of the device relative to the network from accelerometer signals, and detecting movement of the device relative to the network using a global positioning system (GPS) unit to determine a location of the device when the timing advance is stored and before a network access is initiated.

13. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause a device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication from a network indicating that the network permits devices to operate in a stationary mode;

in response to receiving the indication from the network, sending a capability indicator to the network indicating that the device is capable of operating in the stationary mode;

when the device is operating in the stationary mode, determining whether a stored timing advance is valid, wherein determining whether the stored timing advance is valid includes at least one of determining whether a pre-determined time interval has elapsed since a last successful data transfer using the stored timing advance, whether a pre-determined number of attempts to access the network have failed using the stored timing advance, or whether the device has a current location different from an original location where the stored timing advance was determined for a previous data transfer; and

in response to determining that the stored timing advance is valid, communicating data to the network using the stored timing advance.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the stored timing advance is invalid, transmitting an access burst over a random access channel to determine a valid timing advance.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein transmitting the access burst over the random access channel to determine the valid timing advance includes transmitting the access burst using a zero or otherwise specified timing advance value.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

after determining the valid timing advance, using the valid timing advance for a subsequent data transfer.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein communicating data to the network includes transmitting data using an access burst over a random access channel with the stored timing advance.