Buffer status reporting apparatus, system, and method

• US 20090125650A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sebire, Benoist
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/003 Adaptive formatting arrangements particular to signalling, e.g. variable amount of bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for increasing buffer status reporting efficiency and adapting buffer status reporting according to uplink capacity. User equipment is configured a monitor a usage of a plurality of buffers, detect one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions corresponding to at least one of the plurality of buffers, designate one of a plurality of buffer status reporting formats depending on the pre-selected condition detected, communicate a buffer status report to a network device in accordance with the buffer status reporting format designated. The buffer status reporting format is configured to minimize buffer status reporting overhead created by the communicating of the buffer status report.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring a usage of a plurality of buffers;

detecting one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions corresponding to the plurality of buffers;

designating one of a plurality of buffer status reporting formats depending on the pre-selected condition detected; and

communicating a buffer status report to a network device in accordance with the buffer status reporting format designated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer status reporting format minimizes buffer status reporting overhead created by the communicating of the buffer status report.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pre-selected conditions comprises a buffer associated with a radio bearer group storing data beyond a pre-selected threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of buffer status reporting formats comprises a long buffer status reporting format and a short buffer status reporting format.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the short buffer status reporting format corresponds to reporting a buffer status of a single radio bearer group and the long buffer status reporting format corresponds to reporting a buffer status of multiple radio bearer groups.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating unit is configured to only designate the long buffer status reporting format when there is sufficient uplink capacity to communicate using the long buffer status reporting format.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating unit is configured to only designate the long buffer status reporting format when multiple buffers for different radio bearer groups storing data beyond a pre-selected threshold.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating unit is configured to designate the short buffer status reporting format when there is insufficient uplink capacity.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the short buffer status reporting format comprises 1 byte of information and the long buffer status reporting format comprises 3 bytes of information.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the short buffer status reporting format comprises a 2-bit radio bearer group identifier and a 6-bit buffer size.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the long buffer status reporting format comprises four segments of 6-bits of information, each segment thereof corresponding to a distinct radio bearer group.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a buffer status of a radio bearer group of a highest priority.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the radio bearer group of the highest priority comprises a radio bearer group having a most amount of data in a radio bearer group buffer.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to monitor a usage of a plurality of buffers;

a detecting unit configured to detect one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions corresponding to the plurality of buffers;

a designating unit configured to designate one of a plurality of buffer status reporting formats depending on the pre-selected condition detected; and

a communicating unit configured to communicate a buffer status report to a network device in accordance with the buffer status reporting format designated.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the buffer status reporting format is configured to minimize buffer status reporting overhead created by the communicating of the buffer status report.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of pre-selected conditions comprises a buffer associated with a radio bearer group storing data beyond a pre-selected threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of buffer status reporting formats comprises a long buffer status reporting format and a short buffer status reporting format.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the short buffer status reporting format corresponds to reporting a buffer status of a single radio bearer group and the long buffer status reporting format corresponds to reporting a buffer status of multiple radio bearer groups.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the designating unit is configured to only designate the long buffer status reporting format when there is sufficient uplink capacity to communicate using the long buffer status reporting format.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the designating unit is configured to only designate the long buffer status reporting format when multiple buffers for different radio bearer groups storing data beyond a pre-selected threshold.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the designating unit is configured to designate the short buffer status reporting format when there is insufficient uplink capacity.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the short buffer status reporting format comprises 1 byte of information and the long buffer status reporting format comprises 3 bytes of information.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the short buffer status reporting format comprises a 2-bit radio bearer group identifier (ID) and a 6-bit buffer size.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the long buffer status reporting format comprises four segments of 6-bits of information, each segment thereof corresponding to a distinct radio bearer group.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the designating unit is configured to select a buffer status of a radio bearer group of a highest priority.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the radio bearer group of the highest priority comprises a radio bearer group having a most amount of data in a radio bearer group buffer.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring a usage of a plurality of buffers;

detecting means for detecting one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions corresponding to the plurality of buffers;

designating means for designating one of a plurality of buffer status reporting formats depending on the pre-selected condition detected; and

communicating means for communicating a buffer status report to a network device in accordance with the buffer status reporting format designated.

28. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program configured to control a processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a usage of a plurality of buffers;

detecting one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions corresponding to the plurality of buffers;

designating one of a plurality of buffer status reporting formats depending on the pre-selected condition detected; and

communicating a buffer status report to a network device in accordance with the buffer status reporting format designated.