Resource allocation in packet-format communication

• US 7,227,839 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rajala, Jussi, Forssell, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngo; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US10/048,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/235, 370/277, 370/329, 370/341, 370/431, 370/433, 370/352, 455/242.2, 455/24, 455/91, 455/115.1, 455/73, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1635 Cumulative acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message applying to all previous messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections

Abstract

The invention relates to arranging the transmission of packets between a mobile communication device and a mobile communication network. At least one temporary block flow is set up, and data is transmitted in packets in packet data traffic channels in a first direction from the mobile communication device to the mobile communication network. At the end of the transmission, information about the end of the block flow is set in the last packet, wherein the receiver of the packets acknowledges packet reception. After the end of the transmission of packets in said first direction, a determined time is waited until an acknowledgement is transmitted. If, while waiting, the mobile communication network detects a need for transmission of packets in the second direction from the mobile communication network to the mobile communication device, at least one packet data traffic channel is set up for data transmission in said second direction.

Claims

1. A method for arranging the transmission of packets between a mobile communication device and a mobile communication network comprising:

setting up at least one temporary block flow for transmitting packets between the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network;

using said at least one temporary block flow on one or more packet data traffic channels to transmit data in packets in a first direction from the mobile communication device to the mobile communication network;

at the end of the transmission in said at least one temporary block flow in the first direction, setting information in the last packet to be transmitted about the end of the packet flow;

acknowledging the reception of the packets by the mobile communication network;

after the end of the transmission of packets in said first direction, the mobile communication network waiting a determined time before transmitting an acknowledgement; and

if, during the waiting time, the mobile communication network detects a need for transmission of packets in a second direction from the mobile communication network to the mobile communication device, the method further comprises

setting up at least one packet data traffic channel for data transmission in said second direction, and

including a final ack indicator in said acknowledgement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting up of temporary block flows is performed in one or several control channels by means of signalling data to be transmitted.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting up of at least one packet data traffic channel in said second direction is performed on a control channel corresponding to the temporary block flow set up in the first direction.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method takes place according to a protocol stack comprising at least a radio link control/media access control layer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said acknowledgement is transmitted substantially immediately after the setting up of said at least one packet data traffic channel.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said acknowledgement is transmitted substantially immediately after the waiting time has expired.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the first direction of data transmission, the information used for ending of the packet flow is a countdown value.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the method, the time taken in setting up of a temporary packet connection is controlled and determined a maximum time, wherein said waiting time is set shorter than said maximum time.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the method, the acknowledgement message with which all the data packets are acknowledged as received, is delayed.

10. The method according to claim 1 comprising setting the final ack indicator to a value ‘

1’

.

11. The method according to claim 1 comprising using a countdown value as said information about the end of the packet flow.

12. The method according to claim 11 comprising setting the countdown value to a value zero.

13. A communication system in which information is arranged to be transmitted in packet format between a mobile communication device and a mobile communication network and which communication system comprises:

a packet data network for packet transmission between the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network in at least one temporary block flow configured to transmit information in one or several packet data traffic channels in a first direction from the mobile communication device to the mobile communication network;

said mobile communication device being configured to set information about the end of the block flow in the last packet to be transmitted when data transmission is at end in the block flow;

said mobile communication network being configured to send an acknowledgement to acknowledge the receipt of packets;

wherein the mobile communication network comprises

a timer for waiting a certain time after the end of transmission of packets in said first direction before transmitting said acknowledgement; and

a receiver for receiving packets addressed to the mobile communication device, wherein said packet data network is configured to set up at least one packet data traffic channel for data transmission in a second direction from the mobile communication network to the mobile communication device, wherein if the mobile communication network has, during the waiting time, detected a need for packet transmission, said packet data network being configured to set up said at least one packet data traffic channel for data transmission in the second direction before the transmission of said acknowledgement;

wherein said acknowledgement comprises a final ack indicator.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the setting up of temporary block flows is arranged to be performed by signalling data to be transmitted in one or several control channels.

15. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the setting up of temporary block flows in said second direction is arranged to be performed in a control channel corresponding the temporary block flow in the first direction.

16. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network are provided with a protocol stack for processing information to be transmitted, the protocol stack comprising at least a radio link control/media access control layer.

17. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein said acknowledgement is arranged to be transmitted substantially immediately after the formation of said at least one packet data traffic channel.

18. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein said acknowledgement is arranged to be transmitted substantially immediately after the expiry of a waiting time.

19. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the mobile communication network is a general packet radio service network.

20. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the receiver for receiving packets addressed to the mobile communication device comprise a packet control unit.

21. The communication system according to claim 20, comprising a base station controller, wherein the packet control unit is placed in the base station controller.

22. The communication system according to claim 20, comprising a base transceiver station, wherein the packet control unit is placed in the base transceiver station.

23. The communication system according to claim 20, comprising a serving support node, wherein the packet control unit is placed in the serving support node.

24. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein in the first direction of data transmission, the information used on the end of the block flow is arranged to be a countdown value.

25. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein in the communication system, the time taken in the formation of a temporary packet connection is arranged to be controlled and is allocated a maximum time, wherein said waiting time is arranged to be shorter than said maximum time.

26. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein in the communication system, the acknowledgement with which all data packets are acknowledged as received, is arranged to be delayed.

27. The communication system according to claim 13 wherein said final ack indicator has a value ‘

1’

.

28. A network element to be used in a communication system in which information is arranged to be transmitted in packet form between a mobile communication device and a mobile communication network, the communication system comprising:

a packet data network for packet transmission between the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network in at least one temporary block flow configured to transmit information in one or several packet data traffic channels in a first direction from the mobile communication device to the mobile communication network;

said mobile communication device being configured to set information about the end of the block flow in the last packet to be transmitted when data transmission is at end in the block flow;

wherein the network element is configured to send an acknowledgement to acknowledge the receipt of packets; and

the network element comprises;

a timer for waiting a certain time after the end of transmission of packets in said first direction before transmitting said acknowledgement; and

a receiver for receiving packets addressed to the mobile communication device, wherein the network element is configured to set up at least one packet data traffic channel for data transmission in a second direction from the mobile communication network to the mobile communication device, wherein if the network element has, during the waiting time, detected a need for packet transmission, the network element is configured to set up said at least one packet data traffic channel for data transmission in the second direction before the transmission of said acknowledgement;

wherein the network element is configured to include a final ack indicator in said acknowledgement.

29. The network element according to claim 28 configured to set said final ack indicator into a value ‘

1’

.