Method and apparatus for controlling small data transmission on the uplink

• US 9,930,596 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Choi, Hyung-Nam, Heo, Youn Hyoung, Bangolae, Sangeetha L., Fong, Mo-Han, Pinheiro, Ana Lucia, Martinez Tarradell, Marta
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Van, Jenkey
• Application Number:
  US14/124,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0023 Interference mitigation or co-ordination direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0614 the synchronising signal being characterised by the amplitude, duration or polarity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0027 Scheduling of signalling, e.g. occurrence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/375 Access point names [APN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0046 Determination of how many bits are transmitted on different sub-channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3005 Mechanisms for avoiding name conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 : for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 : using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 : where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• 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 72/54 : based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 : of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0858 : collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• 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: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for control of uplink transmission by a user equipment (UE) using machine-type communications (MTC) applications are described herein. The UE may transmit first data on a logical uplink channel. The logical uplink channel may have been assigned for use by machine-type communications (MTC) applications. The UE may receive transmission time restriction information, responsive to the transmitting, that indicates time periods during which the UE is permitted to transmit additional data on the logical uplink channel. The UE may refrain from transmitting additional data in a time period on the logical uplink channel based on the transmission time restriction information.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising physical layer circuitry to:

transmit first data on a logical uplink channel, the logical uplink channel having been assigned for use by machine-type communications (MTC) applications for transmission of MTC application data;

receive transmission time restriction information, responsive to the transmitting, that indicates time periods during which the UE is permitted to transmit additional MTC data on the logical uplink channel; and

refrain from transmitting additional MTC data in a time period on the logical uplink channel based on the transmission time restriction information, wherein the transmission time restriction information is received in a radio resource control (RRC) signal from an evolved Node B (eNodeB) in accordance with a standard of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of standards, the RRC signal including an information element (IE) to identify a Data Radio Bearer (DRB) and the logical uplink channel for which the transmission time restriction applies, and the RRC signal further including a transmission time restriction IE;

wherein the transmission time restriction IE includes a subframe restriction bitmap for indicating subframes for which the UE is permitted to transmit on the logical uplink channel, and

wherein the UE includes a first application with a first priority level and a second application with a second priority level, lower than the first priority level, the refraining includes refraining from transmitting data of the second application, and the UE is further configured to, subsequent to receiving transmission time restriction IE, transmit data for the first application on another logical uplink channel separate from the logical uplink channel in a time period on which the UE refrains from transmitting data for the second application.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the transmission time restriction IE includes a plurality of subframe restriction bitmaps, and the UE is configured to receive an index value, in physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) downlink control information (DCI), indicating which of the plurality of subframe restriction bitmaps to use for the refraining.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein

the transmission time restriction IE includes a plurality of subframe restriction bitmaps, and

the UE is configured to receive an index value, in a medium access control (MAC) control element indicating which of the plurality of subframe restriction bitmaps to use for the refraining.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to:

receive and store application data to be transmitted on an uplink resource;

determine whether to transmit an uplink scheduling request (SR) to request resources for transmitting the buffered data, based on a value of a delay parameter; and

refrain from transmitting the uplink SR if the value of the delay parameter is below a threshold.

5. The UE of claim 4, wherein the UE is configured to:

apply the transmission time restriction data for determining whether to refrain from transmitting on a first uplink logical channel, and apply the delay parameter for determining whether to refrain from transmitting the uplink SR.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein threshold information for the delay parameter is based on an identity of the second uplink logical channel, on a type of an application for which the data is to be transmitted, or on an identity of the UE, and the threshold information is included in a logical channel configuration information element (IE) transmitted in accordance with a standard of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of standards.

7. An evolved NodeB (eNodeB) comprising:

a transceiver arranged to receive a transmission on an uplink connection from a user equipment (UE); and

a processor arranged to;

determine that the UE is a machine-type communications (MTC) UE and that the transmission is for a low-priority application wherein the determining is based on an amount of data in the transmission and on a logical channel on which the transmission was transmitted, wherein a low priority MTC communication is received on a first logical channel and a high priority MTC communication is received on a second logical channel different from the first logical channel; and

based on the determining, configure a radio resource control (RRC) configuration message for transmission to the UE, the RRC configuration message including an information element (IE) including information identifying a Data Radio Bearer (DRB) and the logical uplink channel for which the transmission time restriction applies, and the RRC message further including a transmission time restriction IE indicating uplink subframes for which the UE is restricted from transmitting;

wherein the transceiver is further arranged to receive additional MTC communications from the UE in a time period based on the transmission time restriction IE and wherein the high priority MTC communication is received on the second logical channel in a time period for which the UE refrains from transmitting low priority MTC communications on the first logical channel responsive to the transmission time restriction IE.

8. The eNodeB of claim 7, wherein the RRC configuration message includes a plurality of subframe restriction configurations, a first configuration of the plurality of configurations restricting UE uplink transmissions on a subframe that is not restricted by a second configuration of the plurality of configurations;

and

the one or more processors are arranged to configure a second message for indicating which configuration of the plurality of configurations is to be used by the UE.

9. The eNodeB of claim 8, wherein the second message includes physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) downlink control information (DCI) formatted in accordance with a standard of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of standards for long term evolution (LTE).

10. The eNodeB of claim 8, wherein the second message includes a medium access control (MAC) Control Element formatted in accordance with a standard of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of standards for long term evolution (LTE).

11. A method, performed by user equipment (UE), for small data transmission, the method comprising:

transmitting first data on a logical uplink channel, the logical uplink channel having been mapped for transmission of machine-type communications (MTC) application data;

receiving transmission time restriction information, in a radio resource control (RRC) signal from an evolved Node B (eNodeB) in accordance with a standard of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of standards, the transmission time restriction information including an information element (IE) to identify a Data Radio Bearer (DRB) and the logical uplink channel for which the transmission time restriction applies, and the transmission time restriction information further including a transmission time restriction IE including a pattern configuration field to identify time periods for which uplink transmission is permitted for the UE; and

refraining from transmitting in a subframe of an uplink channel based on the transmission time restriction information;

wherein the transmission time restriction IE includes a subframe restriction bitmap for indicating subframes for which the UE is permitted to transmit on the logical uplink channel; and

;

wherein the UE includes a first application with a first priority level and a second application with a second priority level lower than the first priority level, and the method further comprises;

transmitting, subsequent to receiving transmission time restriction information, data for the first application in a time period for which the UE refrains from transmitting data for the second application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission time restriction IE includes a plurality of subframe restriction bitmaps, and the method further comprises receiving an index value, in physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) downlink control information (DCI) or in a medium access control (MAC) control element, indicating which of the plurality of subframe restriction bitmaps to use for the refraining.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a logical channel configuration information element (IE) that includes threshold information for a delay parameter for a logical uplink channel, the threshold information being based on an identity of the second uplink logical channel, on a type of an application for which the data is to be transmitted, or on an identity of the UE;

determining whether to transmit an uplink scheduling request (SR) to request resources for transmitting application data, based on a value of a delay parameter and on the threshold information; and

refraining from transmitting the uplink SR if the value of the delay parameter is below the threshold.

14. A method, performed by an evolved Node B (eNodeB), for controlling small data transmissions on an uplink resource, the method comprising:

determining, based on a transmission received on an uplink connection from a user equipment (UE), whether the UE is a machine-type communications (MTC) UE and whether the transmission is for a low-priority application, wherein the determining is based on an amount of data in the transmission and on a logical channel on which the transmission was transmitted, wherein a low priority MTC communication is received on a first logical channel and a high priority MTC communication is received on a second logical channel different from the first logical channel;

based on the determining, configuring a radio resource control (RRC) configuration message for transmission to the UE, the RRC configuration message including an information element (IE) including information identifying a Data Radio Bearer (DRB), the logical uplink channel for which the transmission time restriction applies, and the RRC configuration message further including a transmission time restriction IE including subframe restriction data indicating uplink subframes for which the UE is restricted from transmitting;

wherein the method further includes receiving additional MTC communications from the UE in a time period based on the transmission time restriction IE and wherein the high priority MTC communication is received on the second logical channel in a time period for which the UE refrains from transmitting low priority MTC communications on the first logical channel responsive to the transmission time restriction IE.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the RRC configuration message includes a plurality of subframe restriction configurations, a first configuration of the plurality of configurations restricting UE uplink transmissions on a subframe that is not restricted by a second configuration of the plurality of configurations, and the method comprises:

transmitting an index value, in physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) downlink control information (DCI) or a medium access control (MAC) control element formatted in accordance with a standard of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of standards for long term evolution (LTE), to indicate which of the plurality of subframe restriction configurations is to be used by the UE for determining subframes for which uplink transmission is prohibited.