Channel access processing method and apparatus thereof

• US 10,143,011 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zheng, Xiaoxiao, Yang, Xudong, Feng, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Agureyev, Vladislav Y
• Application Number:
  US14/663,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for processing channel access and an apparatus thereof. The method includes: receiving a fallback to physical random access channel (PRACH) indication sent by a base station; and initiating access on a common enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH). In the present invention, a fallback to PRACH indication is not executed, so as to prevent a user terminal from being in a DRX off state when a base station sends downlink data to the UE, thereby preventing the base station from delaying sending the downlink data to the UE.

Claims

1. A method for processing channel access performed by user equipment, comprising:

receiving a fallback to physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration sent by a base station;

configuring, in response to the received fallback to PRACH configuration, the user equipment to allow a discontinuous reception (DRX) state or a short-DRX state of enhanced DRX and prohibit a long-DRX state of the enhanced DRX by triggering the user equipment to fall back to the short-DRX state from the long-DRX state if the user equipment is in the long-DRX state;

receiving a fallback to PRACH indication sent by the base station;

initiating access on PRACH in response to the received fallback to PRACH indication;

entering a continuous reception state in response to the received fallback to PRACH indication; and

if a timer that triggers entering the DRX state is running when the fallback to PRACH indication is received, stopping the timer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entering the continuous reception state comprises:

entering the continuous reception state when a positive acknowledgement frame that is fed back by the base station according to the preamble information is received on an acquisition indicator channel (AICH).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entering the continuous reception state comprises:

entering the continuous reception state when the fallback to PRACH indication is received.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entering the continuous reception state comprises:

entering the continuous reception state when preamble information is sent to the base station on the PRACH.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entering the continuous reception state comprises:

entering the continuous reception state after a common control channel (CCCH) message or a dedicated control channel (DCCH) message is sent to an RNC on the PRACH.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if a current state is the DRX state when the fallback to PRACH indication is received, exiting the DRX state and entering the continuous reception state.

3. User equipment, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a fallback to physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration sent by a base station and a fallback to PRACH indication sent by the base station; and

a processor configured to

configure, in response to the received fallback to PRACH configuration, the user equipment to allow a discontinuous reception (DRX) state or a short-DRX state of enhanced DRX and prohibit a long-DRX state of the enhanced DRX by triggering the user equipment to fall back to the short-DRX state from the long-DRX state if the user equipment is in the long-DRX state,

initiate access on PRACH in response to the received fallback to PRACH indication,

cause the user equipment to enter a continuous reception state in response to the received fallback to PRACH indication, and

if a timer that triggers the user equipment entering the DRX state is running when the fallback to PRACH indication is received, stop the timer.

4. The user equipment according to claim 3, wherein

the processor is further configured to enable the user equipment to enter the continuous reception state when a positive acknowledgement frame that is fed back by the base station according to the preamble information is received on an acquisition indicator channel (AICH) by the receiver.

9. The user equipment according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the user equipment to enter the continuous reception state when the fallback to PRACH indication is received.

10. The user equipment according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the user equipment to enter the continuous reception state when preamble information is sent to the base station on the PRACH.

11. The user equipment according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the user equipment to enter the continuous reception state after a common control channel (CCCH) message or a dedicated control channel (DCCH) message is sent to an RNC on the PRACH.

12. The user equipment according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to, if a current state is the DRX state when the fallback to PRACH indication is received, cause the user equipment to exit the DRX state and enter the continuous reception state.

13. An apparatus, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a fallback to physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration sent from a base station;

configure, in response to the received fallback to PRACH configuration, the apparatus to allow a discontinuous reception (DRX) state or a short-DRX state of enhanced DRX and prohibit a long-DRX state of the enhanced DRX by triggering the user equipment to fall back to the short-DRX state from the long-DRX state if the user equipment is in the long-DRX state;

receive a fallback to PRACH indication sent from the base station;

initiate access on PRACH in response to the received fallback to PRACH indication;

enter a continuous reception state in response to the received fallback to PRACH indication; and

if a timer that triggers entering the DRX state is running when the fallback to PRACH indication is received, stop the timer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to enter the continuous reception state when a positive acknowledgement frame that is fed back by the base station according to the preamble information is received on an acquisition indicator channel (AICH).

15. apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to, if a current state is the DRX state when the fallback to PRACH indication is received, exit the DRX state and enter the continuous reception state.