GB2499997A

GB2499997A - Aperiodic transmission of data from background applications

Info

Publication number: GB2499997A
Application number: GB1203838.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jianke Fan
Original assignee: Renesas Mobile Corp
Current assignee: Renesas Electronics Corp
Priority date: 2012-03-05
Filing date: 2012-03-05
Publication date: 2013-09-11
Also published as: WO2013132415A1; GB201203838D0

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of acquiring uplink resources for a User Equipment (UE) during use of an application which generates data, typically background traffic data. In response to the arrival of data from the application into a buffer, the UE sends a random access scheduling request to the Radio Access Network (RAN), requesting uplink resources which it subsequently uses to transmit the data. When subsequent data arrives in the buffer, rather than transmitting it on a time aligned dedicated resource as in a conventional system, the UE transmits a further random access scheduling request, without using periodicity, to the RAN and transmits the data on the subsequently allocated uplink resource. Thus the UE achieves aperiodic transmission of the data as it is generated rather than transmitting it periodically via dedicated scheduling requests. An optimized discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration can be achieved based upon information sent by the UE.

Description

1

Method and Apparatus for Acquiring Uplink Resources

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to Radio Resource Control (RRC) in 5 Radio Access Network (RAN) and use of uplink resources. Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network called Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), and an LTE advanced network are some examples of RANs.

10 Background

User Equipment (UE) operating in a RAN may include several applications which generate data. This data may be intermittent and conveyed small amounts at a time. The data is also termed background traffic data, because it is sent from the UE without any user activity. When the data is transmitted to a base station, such as an enhanced Node B (eNB), it is 15 transmitted on an uplink data channel, such as the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

Before the data transmission the UE needs uplink resources from one or more Resource Block (RB). In order to obtain the uplink resources the UE supplies information about data packets in its buffer. The LTE network provides a scheduling request (SR) mechanism to allow the UE to request uplink-transmission resources from the eNB. The SR conveys a single 20 bit of information, indicating that the UE has new data to transmit. The SR mechanism is one of two types: dedicated SR (D-SR), where the SR is conveyed on a dedicated resource, i.e on the physical uplink-control channel (PUCCH), and random access-based SR (RA-SR), where the SR is indicated by performing a RA procedure. The D-SR is simpler than the RA-SR but assumes that the uplink of the UE is already time aligned. If the uplink of the UE is not time aligned, RA-25 SR must be used to (re-)establish the time alignment. RA-SR also is used, regardless of the uplink-timing state, when no PUCCH resources for D-SR were assigned to the UE. Because the SR procedure conveys little detail about the UE resource requirement, a buffer status report (BSR) with more detailed information about the amount of data waiting in the UE is attached to the first uplink transmission, and the SR procedure follows the first uplink transmission. In fact, 30 the requirement to transmit a BSR triggers the transmission of an SR.

2

The main buffer status reporing mechanism in LTE are Buffer Status Reports (BSR). When using the BSR mechanism the data size is sent in the BSR. In the Scheduling Request (SR) mechanism the SR is used for requesting uplink resource and if the uplink resources are scheduled for the UE, the UE sends data using the uplink resources. In more detail, the UE uses 5 the SR to request Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources when the UE is not yet scheduled on PUSCH in the current Transmission Time Interval (TTI). The SR is transmitted to an eNB on a control channel, either on Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or on Random Access Channel (RACH). Discontinuous Transmission and Reception (DTX/DRX) means that the UE is allowed to skip monitoring Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) 10 during certain subframes and the UE is allowed to move to a power saving mode. This power saving mode is termed "Opportunity to DRX in DRX Cycle", or shortly the 'Opportunity to DRX'. The Opportunity to DRX is usable at the UE when the UE is in a RCC CONNECTED state or in a RRC IDLE state. The DRX parameter may impact both uplink and downlink performance. Therefore, the DRX arconym is here used, though the acronym DTX could be 15 used, too. The prior art also uses the terms micro-sleep and fast dormancy, but it is possible to consider that the UE sleeps when it is in the power saving mode.

The DRX concept contains user-specific parameters. One of these parameters is On Duration that discloses the number of consecutive subframes that the UE is allowed to use for the data transmission. DRX Cycle parameter specifies the periodic repetition of the On Duration. 3rd 20 Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifies the DRX Cycle in TS 36.321 (pages 6 and 7) as follows: the DRX cycle specifies the periodic repetition of the On Duration followed by a possible period of inactivity. For example, On Duration may have value 1 and the DRX Cycle may have value 40 ms. Then the UE has each 40th ms one subframe for the data transmission.

In the present LTE system the UE may supply the eNB information about data in its 25 buffers by forming a scheduling request (SR) and sending the SR with the buffer information to the eNB. The SR is transmitted on a control channel that is either PUCCH or RACH. In the present LTE system the UE sends periodically a new SR to eNB. As specified in 3GPP specification TS 36.213 (page 75), the SR periodicity is a fixed-length period having one of the following values: 1 ms, 2 ms, 5ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, or 80 ms. The SR periodicity is set by a 30 scheduler located on the eNB. When the UE sends its first SR to the eNB the UE does not yet

3

have the SR periodicity. In other words, the UE sends its first SR whenever it wants. The SR format includes a certain bit informing that the UE requests an SR periodicity. In the first SR this certain bit has value 1. Alternatively, an SR message, as such, informs the eNB that the UE requests the SR periodicity. Thus, a request itself, or one or more bits included in the request, 5 discloses that the UE requests the SR periodicity. As a response to the request the scheduler informs the UE about its SR periodicity. The UE uses continuosly this SR periodicity when it sends new SRs to the eNB.

FIGURE 1 illustrates the above-described periodic SR practice. The data transmission from an UE is assumed to be intermittent. When the UE is triggered by a packet arrival, the UE 10 sends its first SR 101 to an eNB. As a response to the first SR 101, the UE receives uplink resources and an SR periodicity from the scheduler. Then the UE sends the packet from its buffer using the uplink resources. In more detail, the packet is carried on PUSCH in the subframes specified by the scheduler. Later, according to the SR periodicity, the UE sends a second SR 102 though the UE has no data in its buffer. After sending the second SR 102 a new packet arrives 15 into the buffer of the UE. In the third SR 103 the UE requests again uplink resources. The scheduler schedules the uplink resources to the UE after which the UE sends the new packet on PUSCH in accordance with the scheduled uplink resources. Because of the SR periodicity, the DRX cycle 104 is the same between the all three SRs. On Duration parameter 105 discloses the number of consecutive subframes to be transmitted on PUSCH. Period 106 describes the time 20 period during which the UE sleeps a first time, i.e. the UE start to sleep when it has sent the packet 107 and it is awakened when it should sent the second SR 102.

As described in FIG. 1, the UE sends periodically new SRs to the eNB when the UE has obtained the SR periodicity from the scheduler placed in the eNB. Basically, the scheduler cannot know when the UE has data in its buffer. It is possible that UE has nothing to transmit, 25 but the UE obeys the SR periodicity and sends an SR, according to the SR periodicity, to the eNB. This causes uplink signling overhead, wastes resources of the control channel (PUCCH), and increases the UE's power consumption

30

4

Summary

In the present LTE system an UE must send an SR to the eNB even if the UE has no data in its buffer. This wastes the capacity of the control channel on which the SR is transmitted. In addition, the UE must be on the active state when it forms and sends the SR. In other words, 5 sending of SRs unnecessarily increases the power consumption of the UE. Therefore, the wasting of the control channel capacity and the higher power consumption of the UE can be considered as the problems of the periodic SR practice. The present invention tries to solve these problems. In addition to LTE networks, the present invention can be utilized in other type of RANs, too.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of acquiring uplink 10 resources, the method comprising the following to be performed at a user equipment:

forming a request in response to an arrival of data, the request indicating that the uplink resources are required with a scheduling request; and forming a later request in response to an arrival of new data, wherein the later request is intended to be sent, without using a periodicity, to a radio access network, wherein 15 the request and the later request are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission.

In one embodiment of the method, the data and the new data originate from an application, during use of the application.

In one embodiment of the method, the method comprises the following to be 20 performed at the user equipment:

enabling a DRX configuration which originates from the radio access network as response to the request.

In one embodiment of the method, the DRX configuration is received as Radio Resource Control signaling.

25 In one embodiment of the method, the method comprises the following to be performed at the user equipment:

waiting for, a time period defined in the DRX configuration, an uplink grant as a response to the request.

In one embodiment of the method the UE and the radio access network share

5

an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe n+ k, wherein subframe n is used for the acquiring the uplink resources, k is an integer.

In one embodiment of the method the UE and the radio access network share an 5 understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe m+ j, wherein subframe m is used for granting the uplink resources, j is an integer.

In one embodiment of the method, the forming of the request is triggered by a first bit of the data, or a block of bits of the data.

10 In one embodiment of the method, the method comprises the following to be performed in the radio access network:

when a "Periodic DRX" condition has a value 'true',

forming an other request to be transmitted, in accordance with the periodicity, to a scheduler.

15 In one embodiment of the method the "Periodic SR practice" condition is changeable.

According to the invention there is also provided an apparatus, comprising a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to perform in a user equipment at least the following:

forming a request in response to an arrival of data, the request indicating that the 20 uplink resources are required with a scheduling request; and forming a later request in response to an arrival of new data, wherein the later request is intended to be sent, without using a periodicity, to a radio access network, wherein the request and the later request are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission.

25 In one embodiment of the apparatus the data and the new data originate from an application, during use of the application.

In one embodiment of the apparatus the apparatus is caused to perform in the user equipment:

enabling a DRX configuration which originates from the radio access network as 30 response to the request.

In one embodiment of the apparatus the DRX configuration is received as Radio Resource Control signaling.

In one embodiment of the apparatus the UE and the radio access network share an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe n+ k, wherein subframe n is used for the acquiring the uplink resources, k is an integer.

In one embodiment of the apparatus the UE and the radio access network share an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe m+ j, wherein subframe m is used for granting the uplink resources, j is an integer.

In one embodiment of the apparatus the forming of the request is triggered by a first bit of the data, or a block of bits of the data.

when a "Periodic DRX" condition has a value 'true',

forming an other request to be transmitted, in accordance with the periodicity, to the scheduler.

In one embodiment of the apparatus the "Periodic DRX" condition is changeable. According to the invention there is also provided an apparatus, comprising a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to perform in a radio access network at least the following:

accepting a request in response to an arrival of data, the request indicating that the uplink resources are required with a scheduling request; and accepting a later request in response to an arrival of new data, wherein the later request is intended to be sent, without using a periodicity, to a radio access

7

network, wherein the request and the later request are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission.

5

In one embodiment of the apparatus is caused to perform in the radio access network the following:

determining, in response to the request, the periodicity.

determining a value for a "Periodic DRX" condition, wherein the

10

value 'true' forces the user equipment to request the uplink resources in accordance with the periodicity.

In one embodiment of the apparatus is caused to use, in the radio access network, uplink control information to convey the value to the user equipment.

15 Brief Description Of The Drawings

For a more complete understanding of examples and embodiments of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a periodic SR practice;

20 FIGURE 2 illustrates an aperiodic SR practice;

Detailed Descripton

A periodic SR practice, as described in FIG. 1, works well in many cases. There are, however, cases in which a new, aperiodic SR practice would work better.

25

FIGURE 3 shows an example of aperiodic SR practice;

FIGURE 4 shows an example of changing SR practices;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a method of acquiring uplink resources;

FIGURE 6 illustrates an apparatus for acquiring uplink resources; FIGURE 7 illustrates an apparatus accepting an aperiodic SR in a RAN.

8

FIGURE 2 illustrates an aperiodic SR practice As a response to a packet arrival and the buffer state change, a UE sends an SR 201 to an eNB and obtains an "uplink grant" from the scheduler placed in the eNB. Then the UE sends the packet from its buffer using the uplink resources that have been granted to it. After sending the packet the UE sleeps and it is triggered 5 when a new packet arrives into the buffer. Not until then the UE sends a second SR 202 to the eNB. The scheduler schedules uplink resources to the UE and the UE sends the second packet using the granted uplink resources. In the aperiodic SR requests the SRs 201 and 202 immediatelly follows the packet arrivals 203 and 204. When comparing FIG. 2 to FIG. 1 it can be noticed that FIG. 2 includes one SR less than in FIG. 1. In addition, the UE in FIG. 2 can 10 sleep more than the UE in FIG. 1, because in FIG. 1 the UE was awakened to send the second SR 102, though there was no data to send. Therefore, in FIG. 2 the control channel capacity is saved and the UE consumes less power than in FIG. 1. In addition, by using the aperiodic SR practice, the UE has sent two packets 205 and 206 on PUSCH in an earlier stage than the UE has sent two packets, i.e. packets 107 and 108, in FIG. 1. Thus, in the example of FIG. 2 the 15 aperiodic SR practice is even faster than the periodic SR practice.

The uplink resources mean in the present application, for example, PUSCH resources. In addition, or alternatively, the UE may have other uplink resources. The uplink resources are usually requested via PUCCH. Alternatively, the UE may use RACH for requesting the uplink resources.

20 In the periodic SR practice the UE requests the scheduling by using PUCCH format 1,1a or lb. The PUCCH lias six formats, which are format 1, format la, format lb, and format 2, format 2a and format 2b. For PUCCH format 1, information is carried by the presence/absence of transmission of PUCCH from the UEt For PUCCH formats la and lb, one or two explicit bits are transmitted, respectively. An SR indicator contains two states in which the UE either requests 25 (positive SR indicator) or does not request (negative SR indicator) to be scheduled for uplink data transmission When both ACK/NACK and SR are transmitted in the same subframe, to avoid collision, the UE could employ aperiodic SR resource for demanding ACK/NACK transmission, so that the UE transmits ACK/NACK on its assigned ACK/NACK resource for negative SR transmission and transmits ACK/NACK on its assigned SR resource for positive SR 30 transmission. For a UE with intermittent small packet transmission, using PUCCH format la and

9

lb in practice meaning that UE could set 1 into the certain bit in the first SR when data has arrived at buffer the first time, and 1 or 0 in the following SR of a periodic SR.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the UE always requests scheduling by setting 1 into the certain bit, i.e. each SR sent by the UE is always a positive SR meaning an uplink 5 resource is requested by the UE. The advantage of this kind of aperiodic SR practice is that the UE can send an SR whenever needed. In more detail, when a buffer state of the UE changes, the UE sends at once an SR to the eNB. The buffer state may change when one bit arrives into a buffer of the UE. Alternatively, the buffer state may change when a packet including a number of bits arrives into the buffer. The buffer state change triggers the UE to send an SR. 10 FIGURE 3 shows an example of aperiodic SR practice. The numerical Spreading Factor

(SF) values and the numerical ms values mentioned here are examples. The scheduler is located in an eNB of a RAN. At first, the UE sleeps 301. Then it is triggered (and awakened) 302, because data arrives into its buffer. In the prior art the application, which generates this data, is termed a background application. After the data arrives to the buffer of the UE, at SF 4 the UE 15 sends an aperiodic SR 303 on PUCCH to the eNB. In more detail, the UE sends in subframe, at n point of time, the aperiodic SR request to the scheduler and moves itself to "DRX On" state. The UE moves to the "DRX On" state at a point in time that starts 7 ms after subframe n, wherein n is the subframe in which the UE sent the SR, in this example n = 4. This point of time is marked n+7. The scheduler receives the aperiodic SR request and searches free uplink resources. The UE 20 waits whether the scheduler grants 304 the uplink resources or not. In this example, the scheduler finds and grants the uplink resources. As, the UE sent the aperiodic SR at n point of time, eNB would receive the SR and transmit a uplink grant at m = n+4, where in this example m = 8. Then UE recives an uplink grant after 3 ms after eNB sent an uplink grant which is the same as specified in the current LTE system. It can be set as a default knowledge knowing by both UE 25 and the network, so that after SR is triggered and sent the UE could move to "DRX On" state at n+7 or at m+3 where n is the subframe on which to send a SR by the UE and m is the subframe to send a uplink grant by a eNB. Then the UE sends the data 305 using the granted uplink resources on PUSCH at SF 12. Normally, the UE receives ACK 306 from the eNB, but if the data transmission fails, the eNB sends NACK. If the UE receives NACK, it must send a new 30 aperiodic SR and after a possible grant, it must send the data again. The UE may have, for

10

example, one Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) available for the retransmission of the data. Also retransmissions may fail and result in NACKs. One HARQ is enough, if the channel quality is good. Otherwise, it is advisable to have two HARQs. Then, if the retransmission of the data fails after the first HARQ, the second HARQ is usable for a new retransmission. In this 5 example the UE receives an ACK from the eNB, after which the UE has a period of inactivity, i.e. the Opportunity for DRX. The UE sleeps during the period of inactivity until new data arrives in the UE's buffer. When using the aperiodic SR practice the UE can sometimes sleep more than in the periodic SR practice.

In one embodiment of the invention it is possible to change the aperiodic SR practice to the 10 periodic SR practice and vice versa. The embodiment is termed changing SR practices. The changing of practices means that the RAN decides which SR practice (periodic or aperiodic) currently meets certain requirements in the best way. These requirements may vary depending on which background application is running in the UE, for example, how much the background application generates data at a time, and how frequently? The requirements may also vary 15 depending on the quality of the uplink channel used in the data transmission. In FIG. 3 this means the quality of PUSCH.

FIGURE 4 shows an example of the changing SR practices when an UE determines whether it uses periodic SR practice or aperiodic SR practice. The UE's decision is illustrated with "Periodic DRX" condition 407. If the "Periodic DRX" condition 407 is true, the UE has 20 such kind of sleep 408 from which it is awaken by a timer 409, i.e. the timer expires. Otherwise, the UE has a sleep 401 from which it is awaken because of a packet arrival 402. Basically, the steps 401- 406 in FIG. 4 correspond to the steps 301- 306 in FIG. 3. One possible difference is that in the step 403 the UE sets the value 0 into the certain bit of the SR, if the "Periodic DRX" condition 407 is true. Otherwise, the UE sets, in the step 403, the value 1 into the certain bit of 25 the SR. When considering the sending SR 404, the receiving grant 405, the sending data 406, and the receiving ACK 407, the operation of the UE is basically the same regardless whether the UE uses the periodic SR practice or the aperiodic practice.

In one embodiment of the invention, when the RAN has determined that the SR is aperiodic, the RAN uses, for example, the RRC higher layer signaling to set, at the UE, a "DRX 30 on".

11

3GPP specification TS 36.211, V9.1.0 (2010-03) discloses how the value of the certain bit in the SR can be set. The setting should be performed according to Table 5.4.1-1 of this specification. Instead of the term "certain bit in the SR", a generic term "certain piece of information" is used later in this application. The certain piece of the information includes one or 5 more bits and discloses that the uplink resources are required with a scheduling request.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a method of acquiring uplink resources. When performing the method the UE forms a request in response to arrival of data, Later, the UE forms a later request that is intended to be sent to a radio access network. The request and the later request, which both the UE forms, are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission. The request 10 and the later request may be consecutive requests, but there are other possibilities, too. There may be at least one request between the request and the later request. It is possible to use, during the whole operating time of the application, the aperiodic SR practice illustrated in FIG. 3. Alternatively, it is possible to use the changing SR practice illustrated in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 5 the arrival of the data triggers the forming of the request. The data originates 15 from an application which is a background application or some other application. A game application and a video streaming application are examples of these applications. In more detail, an application located at the UE generates data in a buffer. The buffer can be understood as a piece of memory. The buffer has size, for example 100 bytes, and it is used temporarily to store data. In the present method the buffer stores the data before it is sent to the RAN. The user 20 equipment does not need to wake up from sleep, if there is no data to be transmitted in the buffer. Thus, the user equipment can sometimes sleep longer than in the periodic SR practice.

As shown in the FIG. 4, the changing SR practice includes the "Periodic DRX" condition. If the "Periodic SR" condition configured by an eNB has a value 'true', the method of FIG. 5 forms an other request to be transmitted, in accordance with the periodicity, to the scheduler. 25 Otherwise, if the "Periodic SR" configured by an eNB condition has a value 'false', the method of FIG. 5 forms the other request to be transmitted, without any waiting period defined by the periodicity, to the scheduler. In one embodiment of the method the SR configuration at eNB is changeable. The UE and/or the RAN may change the condition. The RAN needs to use suitable signaling to change the condition.

12

In one embodiment of the invention, the aperiodic SR practice enables a learning mechanism for the scheduler that is located in the eNB. In this learning mechanism the UE sends Uplink Control Information (UCI) to eNB to enable a proper DRX configuration. In more detail, the UE sends an SR at data arrival, that is triggered by the first bit of the data, or a block of bits 5 of the data arrived in the buffer and moves to the "DRX On" state as described in the example of this document. When packets are small and the arrival times of the packets are widely dispersed, it is difficult to set a proper DRX for the UE. The eNB, however, sets at first a default DRX configuration for the UE, or always set UE in DRX opportunit state. When eNB receives a SR request by the UE, it enables the UE to the "DRX On" state. The eNB receives requests and/or 10 other messages from the UE. These other messages contain data that is originated from the application running in the UE. Then eNB examines the requests and/or other messages and learns which type of SR practice serves the UE the best.

In one embodiment of the method the request and the later request are formed using a scheduling request mechanism defined by 3GPP. The scheduling request mechanism may be, for 15 example, the known SR mechanism, or a mechanism that is available in the future. In one embodiment of the method the request and the later request include a certain piece of information disclosing that the uplink resources are required with a scheduling request.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an apparatus 601 for acquiring uplink resources. The apparatus 601 comprises at least one processor 602 and at least one memory 603 including computer program 20 code. The apparatus 601 performs in a user equipment 604 at least the following. It forms request 605 to be sent to a scheduler 606 of a radio access network 607. Then, in response to a state change of a buffer 608 in the user equipment 604, the apparatus 601 forms a later request 609 to be sent to the scheduler 606. In this example, the request 605, the buffer 608, the later request 609, and an application 610 are stored in the memory 603 which is composed of one or more 25 storage mediums. During its operation time the application 610 generates data 611 into the buffer 608. The data 611 results in state changes of the buffer 608 and the apparatus 601 forms, in response to the state changes of the buffer 608, the request 605, and the later request 609, wherein the requests are used to acquire uplink resources for the application 610.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 601 moves the user equipment 604 to a state of 30 inactivity when the request 605 is sent and continues the state of inactivity until the state change

13

of the buffer 608. The state of inactivity is termed Opportunity for DRX, but can also be termed a sleep or a micro-sleep. When a "Periodic DRX" condition is 'true', the apparatus 601 forms each request so that each request is sent to schduler after a certain waiting period defined by a periodicity. The scheduler 606 sets the value of the periodicity and sends the periodicity to the 5 user equipment 604. If the apparatus 601 uses always in the aperiodic SR schema, it does not need the periodicity in its operation. Otherwise, the apparatus needs the periodicity, which may be stored, for example, in the memory 603. In one embodiment, the value of the "Periodic DRX" condition is changeable. In one embodiment, the apparatus 601 is uses such value of the "Periodic DRX" condition that is originated from the radio access network 607. 10 FIGURE 7 illustrates an apparatus 701 for accepting an aperiodic SR in a RAN. The apparatus 701 can communicate with the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, thus partly the same reference numbers are used in FIG. 7. The apparatus 701 comprises at least one processor 702 and at least one memory 703 including computer program code. The apparatus 701 performs in the radio access network 607 at least the following. It accepts the request 605 sent from the user 15 equipment 604 to the scheduler 606 of the radio access network 607, wherein the application 610 is located in the user equipment 604. In addition, the apparatus 701 accepts the later request 609 that is sent, without any waiting period defined by a periodicity, to the scheduler 606. The request 605 as well as the later request 609 are sent during a same operation time of the application 610.

20 It should be noticed that in the periodic SR practice the later request 609 is sent to the scheduler 606 after a certain waiting period defined by a periodicity, wherein the periodicity is set by the scheduler 606. In this sense, the later request 609 should be rejected, because the user equipment 604 didn't obey the periodicity when it sent the later request. The apparatus 701, however, accepts the request 606 as well as the later request 609.

25 In one embodiment, the apparatus 701 determines, in response to the request, the periodicity. In one embodiment, the apparatus 701 determines a value for a "Periodic DRX" condition, wherein the value 'true' forces the user equipment 604 to request the uplink resources in accordance with the periodicity. In the two last mentioned embodiments the apparatus 701 performs tasks belonging to the scheduler 606, thus the apparatus 701 can be considered as the 30 scheduler 606, or as a component of the scheduler 606.

14

The exemplary embodiments described in the above may include, for example, any suitable network devices, base stations, eNodeBs, RAN devices, laptop computers, Internet appliances, handheld devices, cellular telephones, smart phones, wireless devices, and the like, capable of performing the processes of the exemplary embodiments. The devices and subsystems 5 of the exemplary embodiments can communicate with each other using any suitable protocol and they may be implemented using one or more programmed computer systems or devices.

The present invention may be implemented in software, hardware, application logic or a combination of software, hardware and application logic. The application logic, software or instruction set is maintained on any one of various conventional computer-readable media. In the 10 context of this document, a "computer-readable medium" may be any media or means that contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport the instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer. A computer-readable medium may comprise a computer-readable storage medium that may be any media or means that contain or store the instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction 15 execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

The exemplary embodiments can store information relating to various processes described herein. This information can be stored in one or more memories, such as a hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, RAM, and the like

All or a portion of the exemplary embodiments can be conveniently implemented using 20 one or more general purpose processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors, microcontrollers, and the like, programmed according to the teachings of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the computer and/or software art(s). Appropriate software can be readily prepared by programmers of ordinary skill based on the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the 25 software art. In addition, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented by the preparation of application-specific integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the electrical art(s). Thus, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and/or software.

15

Stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can include software for controlling the components of the exemplary embodiments, for driving the components of the exemplary embodiments, for enabling the components of the exemplary embodiments to interact with a human user, and the 5 like. Such software can include, but is not limited to, device drivers, firmware, operating systems, development tools, applications software, and the like. Such computer readable media further can include the computer program of an embodiment of the present invention for performing all or a portion (if processing is distributed) of the processing performed in implementing the present invention. Computer code devices of the exemplary embodiments of 10 the present invention can include any suitable interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), Java classes and applets, complete executable programs, Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) objects, and the like.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a number of exemplary 15 embodiments, and implementations, the present invention is not so limited, but rather covers various modifications, and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of prospective claims.

16

Claims

Claims:

1. A method of acquiring uplink resources, the method comprising the following to be performed at a user equipment:

forming a request in response to an arrival of data, the request indicating that the 5 uplink resources are required with a scheduling request; and forming a later request in response to an arrival of new data, wherein the later request is intended to be sent, without using a periodicity, to a radio access network, wherein the request and the later request are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data and the new data are originated 10 from an application, during use of the application.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method comprises the following to be performed at the user equipment:

enabling a DRX configuration which is originated from the radio access network in response to the request.

15

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the DRX configuration is received as

Radio Resource Control signaling.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method comprises the following to be performed at the user equipment:

waiting for, a time period defined in the DRX configuration, an uplink grant as a 20 response to the request.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the UE and the radio access network share an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe n + k, wherein subframe n is used for the acquiring the uplink resources, k is an integer.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the UE and the radio access network 25 share an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe m+j, wherein subframe m is used for granting the uplink resources, j is an integer.

8. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the forming of the request is triggered by a first bit of the data, or a block of bits of the data.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises the following to 30 be performed in the radio access network:

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when a "Periodic DRX" condition has a value 'true',

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the "Periodic SR practice" condition is 5 changeable.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to perform in a user equipment at least the following:

forming a request in response to an arrival of data, the request indicating that the 10 uplink resources are required with a scheduling request; and forming a later request in response to an arrival of new data, wherein the later request is intended to be sent, without using a periodicity, to a radio access network, wherein the request and the later request are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the data and the new data originate 15 from an application, during use of the application.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform in the user equipment:

enabling a DRX configuration which originates from the radio access network in response to the request.

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14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the DRX configuration is received as

Radio Resource Control signaling.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform in the user equipment:

waiting for, a time period defined in the DRX configuration, an uplink grant as a 25 response to the request.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the UE and the radio access network share an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe n+ k, wherein subframe n is used for the acquiring the uplink resources, k is an integer.

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17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the UE and the radio access network share an understanding that the UE stays on "DRX On" state during a time period which starts at subframe m+j, wherein subframe m is used for granting the uplink resources, j is an integer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the forming of the request is 5 triggered by a first bit of the data, or a block of bits of the data.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform in the user equipment:

when a "Periodic DRX" condition has a value 'true',

forming an other request to be transmitted, in accordance with the periodicity, to a

10 scheduler.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the "Periodic DRX" condition is changeable.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to perform in a radio access 15 network at least the following:

accepting a request in response to an arrival of data, the request indicating that the uplink resources are required with a scheduling request; and accepting a later request in response to an arrival of new data, wherein the later request is intended to be sent, without using a periodicity, to a radio access network, wherein the 20 request and the later request are used to request the uplink resources for data transmission.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform in the radio access network the following:

determining, in response to the request, the periodicity.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the apparatus is caused to 25 perform in the radio access network the following:

determining a value for a "Periodic DRX" condition, wherein the value 'true' forces the user equipment to request the uplink resources in accordance with the periodicity.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the apparatus is caused to use, in the radio access network, uplink control information to convey the value to the user equipment.

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25. A computer program comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a compter, causes the computer to implement the method of any of claims 1 to 10.