Method and Arrangement for Activity Detection in a Telecommunication System

• US 20080261530A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bergman, Johan, Parkvall, Stefan, Gerstenberger, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for efficient use of network resources, in particular for continuous connectivity services. The present invention introduces a set of established rules for uplink and/or downlink activity detection such that a Node B and/or a UE is enabled to detect active and inactive transmission periods on links for reception of packet data transmission and can independently arrange for inactivity/activity state transitions without any need of further signalling. Such a set of rules can be communicated to the Node B and the user equipment, e.g., from the radio network controller (RNC), or can consist of a predefined set of fixed rules that is readily implemented in said units.

Claims

1. A method in a communication system comprising a plurality of interconnected network nodes, including one or more radio base stations and one or more user equipments introducing a set of rules commonly known to the radio base stations and user equipments in order to independently initiate or perform in one of said units a state transition to or from a reduced transmission activity mode when a predefined criterion has been fulfilled.

2. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies a rule including the steps of determining that a timer for scheduling this user equipment on the HS-DSCH has expired;

and selecting in a predefined order a CQI-reporting pattern out of a predefined set of one or several CQI-reporting patterns with configurable reporting intervals.

3. The method according to claim 2, whereby the reporting intervals of the reporting patterns differ in an integer factor from each other.

4. The method according to claim 2, whereby the predefined order of the CQI-reporting patterns is such that a gradual increase of the reporting intervals is achieved.

5. The method according to claim 2, whereby one CQI-reporting pattern is defined with infinite reporting interval.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of restarting the timer each time the user equipment has been scheduled for the HS-DSCH.

7. The method according to claim 1, whereby a base station applies a rule including the steps of

maintaining for each user equipment a separate timer;

adapting to the CQI-reporting pattern that is applied by the user equipment in accordance with said rule each time the timer expires; and

restarting the timer for a user equipment each time that user equipment has been scheduled on the HS-DSCH.

8. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies a rule including the steps of determining that a timer for scheduling this user equipment on the HS-DSCH has expired;

and switching to a discontinuous reception of downlink physical channels applying a downlink cycle time.

9. The method according to claim 1, whereby the base station applies a rule including the steps of maintaining for each user equipment a separate timer to determine the downlink cycle time for a discontinuous reception of downlink physical channels that is applied by the user equipment;

and adapting the HS-DSCH scheduling of the user equipment in accordance with said downlink cycle time.

10. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies a rule including the steps of determining that a first timer for transmitting data to the base station on the E-DCH has expired;

switching to a gated transmission on the uplink DPCCH applying a first uplink cycle time.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining that a second timer for transmitting data to the base station on the E-DCH has expired,

switching to a second uplink cycle time, longer than said first uplink cycle time, for the gated transmission on the uplink DPCCH.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of restarting a timer each time the user equipment transmits data on the E-DCH to the base station.

13. The method according to claim 1, whereby the base station applies a rule including the steps of maintaining for each user equipment a separate timer to determine the uplink cycle time for a gated transmission on the uplink DPCCH that is applied by the user equipment;

and performing one or more of the steps of adapting the listening to the user equipment in accordance with said uplink cycle time, reducing the sending of TPC-commands to the user equipment in accordance with said uplink cycle time.

14. The method according to claim 1, whereby a base station applies a rule including the steps of reducing the SIR_target for the uplink enhanced dedicated channel of a user equipment by a predefined offset if a certain period of inactivity has been detected;

and restoring the SIR_target for said uplink if scheduling information has been received from said user equipment.

15. The method according to claim 1, whereby a user equipment applies a rule including the steps of adapting a negative uplink power offset after a certain period of inactivity;

and

adapting a positive uplink power offset if data is to be scheduled.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said set of rules as a fixed implementation in the base station and the user equipment.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving said set of rules at call setup from a network controller unit.

18. A radio base station in a communication system comprising a plurality of interconnected network nodes, said radio base station communicating with one or more user equipments comprising:

means for storing a set of rules to independently initiate or perform a state transition to or from a reduced transmission activity mode when a predefined criterion has been fulfilled;

means for transmission activity detection on the uplink and the downlink;

means for maintaining a plurality of timers, one for each user equipment and transmission direction;

including a means for storing of timer expiration values, a means for indicating that a timer has expired, and a means for restarting the timer of a user equipment if transmission activity has been detected to or from said user equipment;

means for performing said state transition in accordance with one of said stored rules for a user equipment with an expired timer.

19. The radio base station according to claim 18, wherein said set of rules is fixed implemented in said means for storing a set of rules.

20. The radio base station according to claim 18, wherein said set of rules is provided by a network controller node.

21. A user equipment in a communication system comprising a plurality of interconnected network nodes, said user equipment connected to one or more base stations comprising:

means for storing a set of rules to independently initiate or perform a state transition to or from a reduced transmission activity mode when a predefined criterion has been fulfilled;

means for transmission activity detection on the uplink and the downlink;

means for maintaining timers for each transmission direction;

including a means for storing of timer expiration values, a means for indicating that a timer has expired, and a means for restarting a timer if transmission activity has been detected to or from said user equipment;

means for performing said state transition in accordance with one of said stored rules for a user equipment with an expired timer.

22. The user equipment according to claim 21, wherein said set of rules is fixed implemented in said means for storing a set of rules.

23. The user equipment according to claim 21, wherein said set of rules is provided by a network controller node.