Method and apparatus for establishing a channel

• US 9,814,083 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranta-aho, Karri Markus, Sayenko, Alexander, He, Jing, Bazar, Isman
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US14/369,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method includes determining in a network node that a first channel is to be established between an access node and a user equipment. The first channel including one of an uplink or downlink and being provided between said access node and said user equipment. The first channel provides information for controlling a data channel which is the other of said uplink and downlink and provided between said access node and said user equipment. The data channel is such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity. The method also includes providing information to said access node to cause said first channel to be established responsive to said determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, in a radio network controller, that a first channel is to be established between a base station and a user equipment, said first channel comprising an uplink channel, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such that said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

providing, by the radio network controller,

information to said base station to cause said first channel to be established responsive to said determination, and

time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing information comprises providing said information with packet data which are to be sent by said base station to said user equipment on said data channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing information comprises providing said information with each of said packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing information comprises providing said information to cause said first channel to be established for an identified user equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises information controlling if said first channel is set up before an associated transmission on said data channel or if said first channel is set up in parallel with an associated transmission on said data channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises expected amount of data and/or if a corresponding data transmission is expected.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising providing termination information configured to control the termination of said first channel.

11. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code which when run on a processor performs the method claim 1.

8. A method comprising:

determining, in a radio network controller, that a first channel is to be terminated between a base station and a user equipment, said first channel comprising an uplink channel, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel provided between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity, wherein the determining comprises using time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time; and

providing, by the radio network controller, a command to said base station to cause said first channel to be terminated responsive to said determination.

9. A method comprising:

receiving at a base station from a radio network controller

information indicating that a first channel is to be established, said first channel comprising an uplink channel said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel provided between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity, and

time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time; and

causing said first channel to be set up between said base station and said user equipment.

10. A method comprising:

receiving at a base station a command from a radio network controller indicating that a first channel is to be terminated, said first channel comprising an uplink channel, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel provided between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity, the command further indicating time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time; and

causing said first channel to be terminated.

12. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine in a radio network controller that a first channel is to be established between a base station and a user equipment, said first channel comprising an uplink channel, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel provided between said access node and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity; and

provide

information to said base station to cause said first channel to be established responsive to said determination, and

time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine in a radio network controller that a first channel is to be terminated between a base station and a user equipment, said first channel comprising an uplink channel, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel provided between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity, wherein the determination comprises using time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time; and

provide a command to said base station to cause said first channel to be terminated responsive to said determination.

14. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive at a base station from a network controller

information indicating that a first channel is to be established, said first channel comprising an uplink channel being provided between said base station and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel being provided between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity, and

time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time; and

cause said first channel to be set up between said base station and said user equipment.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive at a base station a command from a radio network controller indicating that a first channel is to be terminated, said first channel comprising an uplink channel and being provided between said base station and said user equipment, said first channel providing information for controlling a downlink data channel being provided between said base station and said user equipment, said data channel being such that said user equipment is provided with always on connectivity, the command further indicating time information configured to control the termination of said first channel, wherein the time information comprises a timer value indicating a period of time after which the first channel is to be terminated if no transmission occurs within said period of time; and

causing said first channel to be terminated.