Method to control reconfiguration of multiple radio access bearers in a wireless device

• US 8,428,080 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Xing, Longda, Su, Li, Shi, Jianxiong
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand, Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US13/101,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections

Abstract

Methods to control reconfiguration of multiple radio access bearers in a mobile wireless device connected to a wireless network are described. The mobile wireless device is connected to the wireless network through a voice connection and a data connection simultaneously. The data connection is concurrently active with the voice connection. Transmission of one or more signaling messages for the data connection is delayed until the voice connection terminates. Representative signaling messages include messages that reconfigure a radio access bearer supporting the data connection and messages estimated to exceed a pre-determined transmission time interval.

Claims

1. A method for managing radio resources between a mobile wireless device and a wireless network, the method comprising:

detecting by a network subsystem in the wireless network simultaneous voice and data connections between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network; and

delaying by the network subsystem and not transmitting a signaling message for the data connection until after the voice connection terminates;

wherein the data connection uses a packet switched radio access bearer, and the signaling message is a radio bearer reconfiguration message, wherein the signaling message requires a plurality of data link layer protocol data units for transmission from the radio network subsystem to the mobile wireless device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the signaling message requires more than 100 ms for transmission from the radio network subsystem to the mobile wireless device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data connection uses a high speed packet access packet switched radio access bearer, and the signaling message for the data connection reconfigures or releases the high speed packet access packet switched radio access bearer.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a signal quality for a signaling connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network; and

delaying and not transmitting the signaling message until after the voice connection terminates only when the estimated signal quality is less than a pre-determined signal quality threshold.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the estimated signal quality measures at least one of a received signal strength, a received signal code power and a received signal to interference ratio at the mobile wireless device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a time to transmit the entire signaling message from the radio network subsystem to the mobile wireless device; and

delaying and not transmitting the signaling message until after the voice connection terminates only when the estimate time to transmit the entire signaling message exceeds a time interval threshold.

7. A method for managing radio resources between a mobile wireless device and a wireless network, the method comprising:

establishing a voice connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network;

establishing a data connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network, the data connection being configured to support a variable data rate transmission based on a dynamic bandwidth allocation; and

restricting reconfiguration of the data connection until the voice connection terminates;

wherein the reconfiguration of the data connection includes changing a data rate allocated to the data connection.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the reconfiguration of the data connection includes downgrading the data connection from a variable data rate to a fixed data rate.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the reconfiguration of the data connection requires a plurality of data link layer protocol data units for transmission from the wireless network to the mobile wireless device.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the reconfiguration of the data connection requires at least 100 ms to complete.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the voice connection is a circuit switched connection, and the data connection is a packet switched connection based on a high speed packet access radio bearer.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising delaying a downgrade of the packet switched connection from a high speed packet access radio bearer to a Release 99 radio bearer until after the voice connection terminates.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising delaying a release of radio resources used by the data connection until the voice connection terminates.

14. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein establishing the data connection includes upgrading an existing data connection based on a Release 99 radio bearer to use a high speed packet access radio bearer.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing non-transitory computer program code executed by a processor for controlling radio resources between a wireless network and a mobile wireless device, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

non-transitory computer program code for establishing a voice connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network;

non-transitory computer program code for establishing a data connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network, the data connection being concurrently active with the voice connection;

non-transitory computer program code for estimating a time interval to transmit successfully a signaling message to the mobile wireless device; and

non-transitory computer program code for delaying transmission of the signaling message when the estimated time interval exceeds a pre-determined transmission time interval threshold and the voice and data connections remain concurrently active.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the data connection uses a packet switched radio access bearer, and the signaling message is a radio bearer reconfiguration message.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the signaling message requires a plurality of data link layer protocol data units for transmission from the wireless network to the mobile wireless device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the signaling message requires more than 100 ms for transmission from the wireless network to the mobile wireless device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

non-transitory computer program code for estimating a signal quality of a signaling connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network; and

non-transitory computer program code for delaying transmission of the signaling message on the signaling connection only when the estimated signal quality is less than a pre-determined signal quality threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the estimated signal quality measures at least one of a received signal strength, a received signal code power and a received signal to interference ratio at the mobile wireless device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the delayed signaling message changes a fixed data rate of a radio bearer allocated to the data connection.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the delayed signaling message releases a radio bearer allocated to the data connection.