BROADCAST AND PAGING CHANNELS FOR MACHINE TYPE COMMUNICATION

• US 20140198685A1
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Xu, Hao, Chen, Wanshi, Gaal, Peter, Ji, Tingfang, Griot, Miguel
• Granted Patent: US 9,730,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for facilitating Machine Type Communication in a wireless communications system. Link budget-limited MTC devices, may be supported. An MTC physical broadcast channel may be utilized for the Machine Type Communication. The MTC physical broadcast channel may be transmitted over one or more subframes different from a regular physical broadcast channel. The payload for the MTC physical broadcast channel may be reduced. The MTC physical broadcast channel may also be utilized to indicate the presence of paging and/or to indicate a change in system information. Some embodiments utilize one or more MTC-specific system information blocks. The MTC-specific system information blocks may combine and/or simplify multiple system information blocks. The location of the MTC system information blocks may be predetermined or information about their location may be transmitted over the MTC physical broadcast channel. An enhanced paging channel may be used to indicate system information updates.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating Machine Type Communication (MTC) in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a counter to indicate a system information configuration or a change in the system information configuration, wherein the counter comprises one or more bits to reflect the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration; and

determining the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration utilizing the received counter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the change in the system information configuration comprises determining the received counter is different from a previous wake up.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the received counter is different from the previous wake up comprises receiving an incremented counter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration comprises:

determining the system information configuration changed based on the counter; and

identifying updated system information based on the counter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the counter comprises four (4) bits mapping to sixteen (16) different system information configurations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the counter is received over a paging channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the counter is received over a physical broadcast channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the counter is received over an MTC physical broadcast channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the counter is received in a system information block (SIB).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the SIB comprises an MTC-specific SIB.

11. An apparatus for facilitating Machine Type Communication (MTC) in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a counter to indicate a system information configuration or a change in the system information configuration, wherein the counter comprises one or more bits to reflect the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration; and

means for determining the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration utilizing the received counter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the system information configuration or the change in the system information is configured to determine the received counter is different from a previous wake up.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for determining the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration is configured to determine the received counter is an incremented counter.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration is configured to:

determine the system information configuration changed based on the counter; and

identify updated system information based on the counter.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the counter comprises four (4) bits mapping to sixteen (16) different system information configurations.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving the counter is configured to receive the counter over a paging channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving the counter is configured to receive the counter over a physical broadcast channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving the counter is configured to receive the counter over an MTC physical broadcast channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving the counter is configured to receive the counter in a system information block (SIB).

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving the counter is configured to receive the counter in an MTC-specific SIB.

21. An apparatus for facilitating Machine Type Communication (MTC) in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

receive a counter to indicate a system information configuration or a change in the system information configuration, wherein the counter comprises one or more bits to reflect the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration; and

determine the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration utilizing the received counter.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine the received counter is different from a previous wake up.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, where the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine the received counter is an incremented counter.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine the system information configuration changed based on the counter; and

identify updated system information based on the counter.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive the counter over a paging channel.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive the counter over a physical broadcast channel.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive the counter over an MTC physical broadcast channel.

28. A computer program product for facilitating Machine Type Communication (MTC) in a wireless communications system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a counter to indicate a system information configuration or a change in the system information configuration, wherein the counter comprises one or more bits to reflect the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration; and

determine the system information configuration or the change in the system information configuration utilizing the received counter.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine the received counter is different from a previous wake up.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, where the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine the received counter is an incremented counter.