TW201304449A - Power saving - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of obtaining an indication of radio condition being experienced by user equipment operating in Cell-FACH or enhanced Cell FACH state in a wireless communication network. A base station and computer program product operable to perform that method. The method comprises the steps of: determining parameters of a feedback cycle according to which said user equipment is operable to periodically transmit an indication of radio condition at said user equipment; transmitting an indication of said feedback cycle parameters to said user equipment; and monitoring for receipt of said periodically transmitted indication of radio condition. It will be appreciated that embodiments provide a possible solution for obtaining radio condition feedback for UE in Enhanced Cell_FACH state without compromising on UE battery savings and reliability of channel quality estimates.

Description

Power saving technology

The present invention relates to a method of obtaining an indication of a radio condition, and a computer program product and network node operable to perform the method.

The radio network is known. In a cellular system, radio coverage is provided by the area. Those areas covered by radio are known as cells. The base station is located in each cell to provide radio coverage. The user equipment in each cell receives information and information from the base station and transmits the information and data to the base station.

The information and data transmitted by the base station to the user equipment occurs on the channel of the radio carrier known as the downlink carrier. The information and data transmitted by the user equipment to the base station occurs on the uplink data channel of the radio carrier known as the uplink carrier.

There are various radio states in which the user device can operate in a UMTS telecommunications network. When the user device in a cell is initially turned on, it will typically be in "idle mode." Once it synchronizes itself and attaches to a base station, it obtains a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection and is said to be in connected mode. The user equipment in idle mode does not have a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection.

If the user equipment is RRC connected, it can typically be in one of five different RRC states: Cell_DCH, Cell_FACH, Enhanced Cell_FACH, Cell_PCH, or URA_PCH.

The user equipment typically moves into the Cell_DCH state when its data traffic is high because in this state the user equipment is configured with a dedicated channel to facilitate transmission and reception of data from the base station. In the UMTS network architecture, the user equipment may be in the Cell_DCH state, where it is expected to have high data traffic.

Allowing the user equipment to temporarily transmit and receive data traffic in a non-Cell_DCH state (eg, when the user equipment is in the Cell_FACH or Enhanced Cell_FACH state) may provide power savings compared to the constant Cell_DCH state usage, since no dedicated signaling is required (signalling). As a result, the user device can act with a portion of the down time, rather than being in a dedicated signaling state and thus being able to use less power. The use of a non-Cell_DCH state for communication within a communication network may thus provide some power savings but not without implementation difficulties.

It is desirable to propose a radio network that provides increased power efficiency.

The first aspect provides a method of obtaining an indication of a radio condition experienced by a user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or Enhanced Cell_FACH state in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of: determining a parameter of a feedback loop, the user equipment Determining, according to the feedback loop, an indication of periodically transmitting a radio condition on the user equipment; transmitting an indication of the feedback loop parameters to the user equipment; and supervising an indication of the periodic transmission of the radio condition receive.

The user device can operate in various modes, for example, in a UMTS telecommunications network. When the user device in a cell is initially turned on, it will typically be in "idle mode." Once it synchronizes itself and attaches to a base station, it obtains a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection and is said to be in connected mode. The user equipment in idle mode does not have a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection.

If the user equipment is RRC connected, it can typically be in one of five different RRC states: Cell_DCH, Cell_FACH, Enhanced Cell_FACH, Cell_PCH, or URA_PCH state.

The user equipment typically moves into the Cell_DCH state when its data traffic is high because in this state the user equipment is configured with a dedicated channel to facilitate transmission and reception of data from the base station. In the UMTS network architecture, the user equipment may be in the Cell_DCH state, where it is expected to have high data traffic.

Historically, when not in the Cell_DCH state, user equipment and base stations operating using the Random Access Channel (RACH) on the uplink will operate to communicate with the user equipment using the Forward Access Channel (FACH). RACH and FACH have minimal data carrying capacity; and in W-CDMA or UMTS systems, an ability has been introduced to enhance the EUL in Cell_FACH and Cell_FACH to enable user equipment and base stations to use the downlink and uplink. Shared or common resources on the road to operate and deliver data traffic between them while the user equipment is in the Cell_FACH state. In the uplink, data traffic transmission occurs using Enhanced Derivative Channel (EDCH); in the downlink, traffic Then it is transmitted on the high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH). Those channels allow the user equipment and the base station to transmit and transmit larger data packets between themselves for a period of time without requiring the user equipment to enter the Cell_DCH state. This configuration allows the user equipment to remain in the Cell_FACH state for a longer period of time without transitioning to a "more exclusive" state, thus allowing for power consumption savings.

Furthermore, the HS-DSCH DRX (intermittent reception) capability introduced for use by the user equipment in the Cell_FACH state allows the user equipment to achieve further operational power savings.

The deployment of these enhanced features for the Cell_FACH state allows for "always on" services, such as push-to-talk (PoC), push email, and VPN connections through the cellular system (which are frequent but small packets are transmitted to the UE and the server). In the meantime, it supports the Cell_FACH state without entering the Cell_DCH state.

Although the enhancement of the Cell_FACH state allows data packets to be transmitted between the base station and the user equipment (or vice versa) when the user equipment is in the Cell_FACH state, this configuration may be a waste of resources because it is completely exclusive. Information that is normally available to the base station in the letter mode (eg, Cell_DCH) is no longer always available. As a result, guessing and approximation can be performed on the base station to try and ensure that communication with the user equipment can occur. Therefore, the operation of the base station to send a message to the user equipment is abandoned. For example, a base station will typically have access to direct information from the user equipment operating in the proprietary messaging mode regarding the radio conditions experienced by the user equipment (also known as radio channel propagation conditions). Radio related Such information may, for example, include channel quality information (CQI) and/or feedback agreement information, such as ACK/NACK information. This information can be used by the base station to determine the appropriate data packet size for transmission to the user equipment. If the user equipment is experiencing good radio conditions, then a large data packet can be transmitted with a high probability of successful reception. If a poor radio condition is being experienced, the base station can transmit a smaller data packet to the user equipment to try and ensure that the data traffic is successfully received.

In this regard, for user equipment in the Cell_FACH or Enhanced Cell_FACH state, the uplink HS-DPCCH (High Speed Dedicated Entity Control Channel) feedback channel is critical to supporting efficient downlink transmissions on the HS channel. High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) channel when there is a lack of radio status indicators such as, for example, channel quality information (CQI) and/or ACK/NACK information carried over the HS-DPCCH channel The blind retransmission by the base station may result in significant loss of HSDPA throughput and inefficient use of available HSDPA resources.

The first modality discloses a method that allows for intermittent HS-DPCCH transmission; provides an indication of the radio condition experienced by the UE, by allowing a discontinuous, or periodically intermittent feedback loop to occur during the period of DL HSDPA inactivity . In other words, although no data traffic is transmitted from the base station to the UE, the UE is still operable to continuously provide an indication of the experienced radio condition to the base station, the feedback being periodically transmitted from the user equipment to the base station. Furthermore, the feedback continues to be transmitted by the user device even if no data traffic is transmitted by the user device to the base station. According to an embodiment, The base station instructs the UE to transmit HS-DPCCH (CQI) according to a specific discontinuous cycle, for example, a specific timing slot for transmission of the UL HS-DPCCH may be appropriately transmitted by the base station (Node B) to the UE in cooperation with the RNC. Alternatively, the period between transmissions may be assigned to the UE by the base station in conjunction with the RNC. In some embodiments, the user equipment is also operable to transmit non-interruptive feedback when there is data traffic on the uplink. Thus, the base station can ensure that some recent correlation indication of the radio conditions experienced by the UE preferably estimates an appropriate manner in which the downlink data packets are transmitted.

In an embodiment, the parameters include an indication of a period between adjacent transmissions of the radio condition indication. Thus, the parameters indicate how often radio status feedback can be requested by the network and can be set according to various UE environmental conditions. In an embodiment, the determining step includes: checking information about whether the user equipment operates on a fast or slow channel, and determining at least one of the feedback channel parameters according to the channel speed. These parameters may include information about the nature of the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop. For example, a fast channel would require frequent updates of CQI compared to a slow channel, and thus, controlling a implemented periodic radio condition feedback mechanism allows a base station to control the frequency of CQI updates.

In an embodiment, the parameters include an indication of an upper limit of the indication of a period between adjacent transmissions of the radio condition indication. It should be understood that if the radio status feedback (eg, CQI update) is too infrequent, the previous radio status indication (eg, COI update) from the feedback communication (HS-DPCCH transmission when the UE finally wakes up) will generally no longer be representative. The radio condition at the time of data packet transmission on the downlink channel. Have It is possible that the previous CQI update may provide an optimistic condition for the radio channel, causing the high HS-DSCH transport block to be transmitted to the UE causing an error. According to some embodiments, the threshold may be set by the base station or RNC based on, for example, the last known UE speed (i.e., Doppler). In one embodiment, the upper limit is determined based on an indication of the speed at which the user device moves.

In an embodiment, the indication of the feedback loop parameters is prompted to a group of user devices. The transmission of the HS-DPCCH may (in some embodiments) be linked to a UE unique identifier, such as, for example, an H-RNTI; or a family identifier such as, for example, a group H-RNTI. Such an embodiment ensures that a radio status feedback message within a cell is dispersed to avoid unnecessary peaks in the signaling traffic. This dispersion is achieved by appropriately presenting an indication of the operation in the periodic feedback mode to one or more UEs, such as a way similar to the loop used in CPC and paging aging (Paging Occasion). . Such an embodiment aims to avoid simultaneous transmission of HS-DPCCH between all UEs in a cell.

The second aspect provides a computer program product that, when executed on a computer, is operable to perform the method of the first form.

A third aspect provides a base station operable to obtain an indication of a radio condition in a wireless communication network being experienced by a user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state, the base station comprising: decision logic operable to determine a parameter of a feedback loop, the user equipment being operable to periodically transmit an indication of a radio condition on the user equipment in accordance with the feedback loop; Transmission logic operable to transmit an indication of the feedback loop parameters to the user equipment; and supervisory logic operable to monitor receipt of the indication of the periodic transmission of the radio condition.

In an embodiment, the parameters include an indication of a period between adjacent transmissions of the radio condition indication.

In one embodiment, the decision logic is operable to check information about whether the user device is operating on a fast or slow channel and to determine at least one of the feedback channel parameters based on the channel speed.

In an embodiment, the parameters include an indication of an upper limit of the indication of a period between adjacent transmissions of the radio condition indication.

In one embodiment, the upper limit is determined based on an indication of the speed at which the user device moves.

In an embodiment, the indication of the feedback loop parameters is prompted to a group of user devices.

A fourth aspect provides a method of transmitting an indication of a radio condition experienced by a user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of: supervising reception of an indication of a feedback loop parameter; and relying on feedback The received indication of the loop parameter is to periodically transmit an indication of the radio condition being experienced by the user equipment.

Thus, the user equipment is operable to periodically transmit an indication of the radio condition being experienced to the base station. The indication can be transmitted periodically and the frequency of this transmission is determined by the parameters set by the wireless communication network. set.

In an embodiment, the method includes the steps of: supervising the reception of downlink data traffic; and if receiving downlink data traffic, performing the downlink data traffic while performing the radio data frame Transmission of indications of radio conditions. Thus, in addition to periodically transmitting feedback information such that downlink traffic can be transmitted with some degree of efficiency at any time, this method allows for when it is most desirable (ie, when there is downlink traffic) A specific and targeted update of the radio status information to be transmitted within the network, thereby ensuring that specific and targeted information arrives at a base station to allow downlink data traffic messages to be efficiently transmitted.

In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining uplink data traffic to be transmitted and transmitting the indication of radio conditions in each radio frame while transmitting the uplink data traffic. Thus, in addition to periodically transmitting feedback information such that downlink traffic can be transmitted with some degree of efficiency at any time, this method allows for the user equipment to be active and transmitting information within the network and/or Or a specific and targeted update of the radio status information that will be transmitted over the network, thereby ensuring that specific and targeted information arrives at a base station to allow downlink data traffic messages to be efficiently transmitted.

In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining whether the user equipment is operating in the discontinuous reception mode and adjusting the feedback loop within the feedback parameters to conform to the operational parameters of the intermittent reception mode.

Currently, UEs in Cell_FACH with low traffic activity will move into DRX to conserve battery power. Although this UE can continue to transmit periodically without The line condition feedback loop, for example, HS-DPCCH DTX during full DRX (according to its preset cycle), but this configuration reduces the amount of battery power that can be saved in DRX.

Thus, in some embodiments, the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) is a function of UE DRX in Cell_FACH. In some embodiments, if the periodic radio condition feedback report is longer than the UE DRX cycle, the UE is operable to maintain its intermittent feedback loop activity. The DTX and reporting radio status cycles can be synchronized such that the UE only needs to wake up once to listen to possible reception and transmit radio status feedback information, such as HS-DPCCH. (Note: According to the DTX cycle, the UE cannot transmit HS-DPCCH during some wake-up cycles). Thus, in some embodiments, the UE DRX cycle is not interrupted by periodic feedback loop transmissions. Because periodic radio condition feedback reporting loops (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX cycles) are maintained, these embodiments can ensure that acceptable radio condition indicators (eg, CQI updates) are provided for efficient base stations and Network operation. In some embodiments, the UE or base station is operable to shorten the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (e.g., HS-DPCCH DTX) such that it transmits radio status feedback on each wake cycle during DRX.

It should be understood that in certain embodiments, there is no need to ensure that its periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (e.g., HS-DPCCH DTX) is always synchronized with the UE DRX loop. Thus, in some embodiments, an asynchronous loop is allowed. However, as noted above, such configurations do not provide an optimal optimization solution from the perspective of UE battery savings.

In some embodiments, if the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX loop) is shorter than the UE DRX cycle, the UE is operable to stop its feedback activity or move into a longer period according to the UE DRX cycle. Use of the sexual radio status feedback loop.

In some embodiments, the UE periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX and DRX cycles) is such that it must synchronize with the UE DRX cycle, and thus in a scenario where the feedback loop is shorter than the DRX cycle The UE can only transmit radio status feedback information when it wakes up during its DRX cycle. This effectively causes the UE to move into a longer HS-DPCCH DTX cycle.

In some embodiments, the UE may completely stop periodic radio condition feedback activities, for example, if the UE DRX cycle is determined to be longer than a predetermined threshold, it should be understood that if the radio status feedback (eg, CQI update) Too infrequent, the previous radio status indication (eg, CQI update) from the feedback message (HS-DPCCH transmission when the UE finally wakes up) will usually no longer represent when data packet transmission is about to occur on the downlink channel. Radio condition. It is possible that a previous CQI update may provide an optimistic condition for the radio channel, resulting in a high HS-DSCH transport block being transmitted to the UE resulting in an error. According to some embodiments, the threshold may be set by the base station or RNC based on, for example, the last known UE speed (i.e., Doppler).

In some embodiments, the UE is operable to resume a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) when it leaves the DRX mode. That is, the UE is operable to use periodic wireless The electrical status feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX loop) may be reverted to the feedback reporting loop before it moves into DRX and (on departure) DRX. Note: In some embodiments, if the UE leaves the DRX due to HS-DSCH (ie, downlink) reception, it can continuously transmit radio status feedback. In some embodiments, if the UE leaves the DRX due to E-DCH (ie, uplink) transmission, it may continue the original periodic radio condition feedback loop.

In an embodiment, the indication of the radio condition is measured and transmitted more than once for each transmission of the feedback loop.

In some embodiments, when the UE transmits a radio condition feedback indicator (eg, HS-DPCCH) according to a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX), it is operable to transmit a radio condition feedback indicator ( For example, CQI) takes more than one sub-frame. This configuration may allow the base station to perform averaging for a few radio condition feedback metrics (e.g., CQI values) during each feedback burst, thereby obtaining a more reliable non-instantaneous estimate of the radio channel conditions being experienced by the UE. .

The fifth aspect provides a computer program product operable to perform the fourth aspect when executed on a computer.

A sixth aspect provides a user equipment operable to transmit an indication of a radio condition in a wireless communication network being experienced by the user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state, the user equipment comprising: supervisory logic, Operation to monitor receipt of an indication of feedback loop parameters; and Transmission logic operable to periodically transmit an indication of the radio condition being experienced by the user equipment in accordance with the received indication of the feedback loop parameter.

In one embodiment, the supervisory logic is operative to monitor receipt of downlink data traffic; and if downlink data traffic is received, the transport logic is operative to implement while receiving the downlink data traffic Transmission of indications of radio conditions in each radio frame.

In an embodiment, the user equipment further includes decision logic operable to determine uplink data traffic to be transmitted, and the transmission logic is further operable to implement each radio while transmitting the uplink data traffic The transmission of the indication of the radio condition in the frame.

In an embodiment, the user equipment further includes: decision logic operable to determine whether the user equipment is operating in a discontinuous reception mode, and adjustment logic operable to adjust the feedback loop within the feedback parameters In order to comply with the operating parameters of the intermittent receiving mode.

In an embodiment, the indication of the radio condition is measured and transmitted more than once for each transmission of the feedback loop.

Further specific and preferred aspects are described in the appended dependent and dependent claims. The features of the sub-items may be combined as appropriate with the features of the scope of the independent patent application, as well as features in addition to those specifically described in the scope of the patent application.

1 schematically illustrates a radio system 10 in accordance with an embodiment. Main components. User device 50 roams throughout the telecommunications system. A base station 20 is provided for its area 30 that supports radio coverage. A number of such base stations 20 are provided and geographically distributed to provide a wide coverage area for user equipment 50. When the user equipment is located in an area 30 served by the base station, communication can be established between the user equipment and the base station via the associated radio link. Each base station typically supports several sections within the geographic area 30 of the service.

Usually different antennas within a base station support each relevant segment. Each base station 20 has a plurality of antennas. It should be understood that Figure 1 illustrates a small subset of the total number of user equipment and base stations that may be present in a typical communication system.

The wireless communication system is managed by a Radio Network Controller (RNC) 40. The radio network controller 40 controls the operation of the radio system by communicating with the plurality of base stations via the backhaul communication link 60. The RNC also communicates with the user equipment 50 via the base stations, thereby efficiently managing the area of the entire wireless communication system.

The user equipment communicates with the base station 20 by transmitting data and information on a channel known as an "uplink" or "reverse" channel, and the base station 20 is known as "downlink" or The data and information are transmitted on the radio channel of the "forward" channel to the communication and user equipment 50.

In addition to the "continuous on" operation, the user device 50 can operate in a "discontinuous reception" (DRx) or "discontinuous transmission" (DTx) mode. Such a mode allows the user device 50 to conserve battery power when the UE is in an inactive cycle (eg, when the user device is idle) State).

During intermittent reception, the user device 50 turns off its receiving antenna and periodically wakes up to receive possible data traffic and information (eg, paging messages) from the radio network 10 via the slave base station 20 to the user device 50. The data transmitted on the downlink channel. If the message received by the user device 50 during the wake-up cycle is considered to exceed a threshold, or if the base station 20 wishes to transmit more information to the user device 50, the user device is operable to interrupt The receive mode leaves.

Similarly, the discontinuous transmission (DTx) mode can be implemented by the user equipment. In this case, when in the substantially idle mode, the user equipment turns off its transmitter and only wakes up periodically to transmit packets of data to the network 10 via the uplink channel to the base station 20. .

In order to synchronize the operation of the user equipment 50 in the cells 30 served by the base station 20, the base station 20 has its own reference time frame and indicates the system time frame to the user equipment when it is first connected. . The reference time frame is not correlated between the base stations. It is known that reference time frames in radio systems (eg, UMTS and LTE architecture systems) are obtained by using the number of system frames. The number of system frames (SFN) is used to identify the framing and timing of the cells served by the base station. The number of system frames covers the range from 0 to 4095 (in UMTS) and 0 to 1023 (in LTE).

The DTx and DRx cycles can be specified by reference to the SFN. The SFN is used to control the maximum loop length of the 4096 radio frame for intermittent transmission or reception loops. Because a radio frame lasts 10ms (milliseconds), This means that the maximum loop length of the UMTS network is 40.96 seconds.

By way of background, Figure 2 illustrates diagrammatically various radio states in which user equipment 50 is operable in a UMTS telecommunications network. When the user device in a cell 30 is initially turned on, it will typically be in "idle mode" 100. Once it synchronizes itself and attaches to a base station 20, it obtains a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection and is said to be in connected mode 200. The user equipment in idle mode does not have a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection.

If the user equipment is an RRC connection 200, it will be in one of five RRC states: Cell_DCH (201), Cell_FACH (202), Enhanced Cell_FACH (203), Cell_PCH (204), and URA_PCH (205) states.

The user equipment typically moves into the Cell_DCH (201) state when its traffic is high because in this state the user equipment is configured with a dedicated channel for transmission and reception of data from the base station 20. In the UMTS network architecture, the user equipment may be in the Cell_DCH state where it is expected to have high traffic.

When not in the Cell_DCH state, traditionally the user equipment operates using a random access channel (RACH) on the uplink, and the base station will communicate with the user equipment using a forward access channel (FACH). RACH and FACH have very small data carrying capacity; and in W-CDMA or UMTS systems, the capability of a user equipment and a base station has been introduced by enhancing the EUL in Cell_FACH and Cell_FACH, so that when the user equipment is in Cell_FACH In the downlink and uplink A shared or common resource is used on the link to operate and deliver data traffic therebetween. In the uplink, data traffic transmission occurs using Enhanced Derivative Channel (EDCH); in the downlink, traffic is transmitted on the High Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH). Those channels allow the user equipment and the base station to temporarily transfer and transmit larger data packets between themselves without requiring the user equipment to enter the Cell_DCH state. This configuration allows the user equipment to remain in the Cell_FACH state for a longer period of time without transitioning to the "more exclusive" state, thus allowing for power consumption savings.

Furthermore, the HS-DSCH DRX (intermittent reception) capability introduced for use by the user equipment in the Cell_FACH state allows the user equipment to achieve further operational power savings.

The deployment of these enhanced features for the Cell_FACH state allows for "always on" services, such as push-to-talk (PoC), push email, and VPN connections through the cellular system (which are frequent but small packets are transmitted to the UE and the server). In the meantime, it supports the Cell_FACH state without entering the Cell_DCH state.

Although the enhancement of the Cell_FACH state allows data packets to be transmitted between the base station and the user equipment (or vice versa) when the user equipment is in the Cell_FACH state, this configuration may be a waste of resources because it is completely exclusive. Information that is normally available to the base station in the letter mode (eg, Cell_DCH) is no longer always available. As a result, guessing and approximation can be performed on the base station to try and ensure that communication with the user equipment can occur. Therefore, the operation of the base station to send a message to the user equipment is abandoned. For example, a base station will typically have access to operations from a proprietary messaging mode. Direct information about the user's device and the radio conditions experienced by the user device (also known as radio channel propagation conditions). Such information regarding radio conditions may, for example, include channel quality information (CQI) and/or feedback agreement information, such as ACK/NACK information. This information can be used by the base station to determine the appropriate data packet size for transmission to the user equipment. If the user equipment is experiencing good radio conditions, then a large data packet can be transmitted with a high probability of successful reception. If a poor radio condition is being experienced, the base station can transmit a smaller data packet to the user equipment to try and ensure that the data traffic is successfully received.

In this regard, for user equipment in the Cell_FACH or Enhanced Cell_FACH state, the uplink HS-DPCCH (High Speed Dedicated Entity Control Channel) feedback channel is critical to supporting efficient downlink transmissions on the HS channel. When there is a lack of radio status indicators, such as, for example, channel quality information (CQI) and/or ACK/NACK information carried over the HS-DPCCH channel, the base is on the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) channel. The blind retransmission by the station may result in a significant loss of HSDPA transmissions and a highly inefficient use of available HSDPA resources.

The transmission of the HS-DPCCH in a speculative manner is feasible under Cell_FACH, so that the radio status information is transmitted to the base station only when the UE has the information for transmission on the E-DCH (Enhanced Exclusive Channel). That is, a system can be implemented whereby radio status feedback information is transmitted to the base station only when there is a data packet to be transmitted on the uplink. It should be understood that this system can be expressed in most cases when HS-DPCCH is transmitted At the time of delivery, no downlink data may be transmitted back from the base station to the user equipment. In this case, it should be understood that its radio status feedback information (or HS-DPCCH) may be minimal or useless. Furthermore, if the HS transmissions on the HS channel do not overlap with the UL transmission on the E-DCH, the HS transmission will typically occur via blind retransmission in the absence of ACK/NACK or CQI information.

The dependency of the HS-DPCCH transmission (feedback information) can be removed from the uplink data packet transmission on the E-DCH. Some configurations that remove this dependency assume a continuous HS-DPCCH transmission by the UE, that is, every TTI transmission of the feedback message when the UE is in the enhanced Cell_FACH state. It should be understood that this system results in radio condition feedback, for example, CQI and ACK/NACK transmissions in which downlink HSDPA transmissions will be made, and such feedback transmissions by the UE when there is no downlink HSDPA transmission. This configuration is similar to the typical feedback technique followed by UEs operating in accordance with 3GPP in the Cell_DCH state.

However, a significant disadvantage of this technique is that it is inefficient from the standpoint of UE battery power savings. Since the UE is expected to continuously transmit the HS-DPCCH (CQI) even during the period in which there is no DL transmission, and the UE may not be able to enter its Allowed Battery Power Saving Intermittent Transmission or Reception (DTX/DRX) state.

The proposal to transmit HS-DPCCH (Radio Condition Feedback) for UL E-DCH transmission completely independent of Enhanced Cell_FACH tends to solve the problem of inefficient use of HSDPA information and loss of HSDPA transmission, but due to the continuity of HS-DPCCH Transmission even if DL is inactive During the cycle, it may be cumbersome in terms of UE battery drain.

A further proposed technique uses the High Speed Shared Control Channel (HS-SCCH) sequence transmitted by the base station to instruct the UE to initiate HS-DPCCH transmissions, as well as when requested by a Node B (Base Station). This technique may have the disadvantage that there will be a delay between the HS-SCCH and the beginning of the HSDPA transmission for the actual payload, since the Node B will typically need to average a small number of CQI values, or other indicators experienced by the UE, In order to have a sufficient estimate of the radio channel quality on the UE before starting the actual HSPDA transmission. Before starting the actual HSPDA transmission, the Node B transmits the HS-SCCH sequence to the UE to instruct the UE to start HS-DPCCH (CQI) transmission. The UE starts the feedback transmission and the base station waits to receive a predetermined number of feedback CQI values. The base station averages the CQI feedback values to obtain an estimate of the DL channel quality. The data packet is then transmitted according to the estimated channel quality (DL HSDPA transmission).

According to this method, the HS-SCCH sequence will start the continuous transmission of the HS-DPCCH on the UE, that is, the feedback transmission per TTI. Assuming the bursty nature of the expected traffic in Cell_FACH, in order to save UE battery power and avoid excessive transmission of HS-DPCCH, an additional sequence may be required to stop HS-DPCCH transmission on the UE after DL data transmission. As the number of UE operations in the enhanced Cell_FACH state is increased (assuming the appropriateness of Cell_FACH to handle bursty traffic), this method may require a large number of HS-SCCH sequences from the base of the user equipment within its coverage area. Transfer by the station (for example, before and after the burst of data). Each HS-SCCH sequence transmitted by a base station is available for loss. One part of the DL battery power. The battery power is limited. Furthermore, each UE that is transmitting the HS-SCCH sequence occupies an HS-SCCH physical channel. Those channels are shared among all UEs in a cell and are therefore a limited resource. The use of the HS-SCCH sequence to initiate and stop radio condition feedback in accordance with certain methods thus provides limited scalability of operation. Since there is no UL feedback for the transmission of the HS-SCCH sequence, such methods may also result in blind retransmission of the HS-SCCH sequence to ensure reliable reception by the UE.

The above described embodiments operate to permit intermittent HS-DPCCH transmissions that provide an indication of the radio conditions experienced by the UE, which occur during the period of DL HSDPA inactivity. In other words, although no data traffic will be transmitted from the base station to the UE, the UE is still operable to continue to provide an indication of the experienced radio condition to the base station, the feedback being periodically transmitted from the user equipment to the base station . Furthermore, the feedback continues to be transmitted by the user device even if no data traffic will be transmitted by the user device to the base station. According to an embodiment, the UE is instructed by the base station to transmit HS-DPCCH (CQI) according to a particular discontinuous cycle, eg, a particular timing slot for transmission of the UL HS-DPCCH may be suitably by the base station (Node B) The UE is delivered to the UE in conjunction with the RNC; alternatively, the period between transmissions can be assigned to the UE by the base station in conjunction with the RNC. In some embodiments, the user equipment is also operable to transmit non-interruptive feedback when there is data traffic on the uplink. Thus, the base station can ensure that some recent correlation indication of the radio conditions experienced by the UE preferably estimates an appropriate manner in which the downlink data packets are transmitted.

Embodiments may allow the UE to operate in a full DTX/DRX state, thus ensuring further power savings. The DTX/DRX mode can be implemented in certain embodiments such that the UE can operate in such discontinuous mode except when it must transmit HS-DPCCH (or radio status feedback). In some embodiments, the HS-DPCCH periodic feedback loop can be controlled by the network to provide a balance between UE battery savings and channel quality feedback reliability maintained on Node B.

The transmission of the HS-DPCCH may (in some embodiments) be linked to a UE unique identifier, such as, for example, an H-RNTI; or a family identifier such as, for example, a group H-RNTI. Such an embodiment ensures that a radio status feedback message within a cell is dispersed to avoid unnecessary peaks in the signaling traffic. This dispersion is achieved by appropriately presenting an indication of the operation in the periodic feedback mode to one or more UEs, such as a way similar to the loop used in CPC and paging aging (Paging Occasion). . Such an embodiment aims to avoid simultaneous transmission of HS-DPCCH between all UEs in a cell.

In some embodiments, the inactivity timer after the burst of HS-DSCH may be set by a sequence or indication generated on the base station or RNC, or may be set by the UE itself. This inactivity timer can be set such that the UE's operating system is such that when the timer expires, and when no further downlink data traffic is received during the inactivity period, the radio condition feedback (HS-DPCCH) is followed. It is transmitted to the base station in a broken, periodic cycle. In some embodiments, this inactivity timer can be set such that the UE's operating system is such that when the timer expires, and when there is no further When the uplink data traffic is transmitted during the inactive period, the radio condition feedback (HS-DPCCH) is then transmitted to the base station in an intermittent, periodic loop.

In some such embodiments, when the UE has performed a periodic feedback reporting loop, then the transmission of radio status feedback (HS-DPCCH) due to this operation should not be considered an activity within the period. Otherwise, the UE may never move into the periodic feedback reporting technique.

In some embodiments, a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) may be initiated or revoked using the HS-SCCH population order transmitted by the base station. In an embodiment, the difference in the use of the HS-SCCH sequence described above is:

1) The sequence indicates the beginning of a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (e.g., HS-DPCCH DTX) without causing continuous transmission of UEs by radio status feedback messages (e.g., HS-DPCCH).

2) The sequence is transmitted to the UE's community (using the common H-RNTI in Cell_FACH) instead of the specific UE. Note: This does not preclude the order for a particular UE.

3) The sequence must include information about the nature of the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop. Note: Fast channels will require frequent updates of CQI compared to slower channels, and therefore: controlling the nature of an implemented periodic radio condition feedback mechanism allows the base station to control the frequency of CQI updates.

4) HS-SCCH can immediately start periodic radio status feedback report Loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX program), or after an inactivity timer (as described above).

Currently, UEs in Cell_FACH with low traffic activity will move into DRX to conserve battery power. Although this UE may continue to transmit periodic radio condition feedback reporting loops (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) (according to its preset cycle) during the full DRX period, this configuration may reduce the battery power it can save in DRX. The amount.

Thus, in some embodiments, the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) is a function of UE DRX in Cell_FACH. In some embodiments, if the periodic radio condition feedback report is longer than the UE DRX cycle, the UE is operable to maintain its intermittent feedback loop activity. The DTX and reporting radio status cycles can be synchronized such that the UE only needs to wake up once to listen to possible reception and transmit radio status feedback information, such as HS-DPCCH. (Note: According to the DTX cycle, the UE may not be able to transmit HS-DPCCH during some wake-up cycles). Thus, in some embodiments, the UE DRX cycle is not interrupted by periodic feedback loop transmissions. Because periodic radio condition feedback reporting loops (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX cycles) are maintained, these embodiments can ensure that acceptable radio condition indicators (eg, CQI updates) are provided for efficient base stations and Network operation. In some embodiments, the UE or base station is operable to shorten the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (e.g., HS-DPCCH DTX) such that it transmits radio status feedback on each wake cycle during DRX.

It should be understood that in certain embodiments, there is no need to ensure that its periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (e.g., HS-DPCCH DTX) is always synchronized with the UE DRX loop. Thus, in some embodiments, an asynchronous loop is allowed. However, as noted above, such configurations do not provide an optimal optimization solution from the perspective of UE battery savings.

In some embodiments, if the periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX loop) is shorter than the UE DRX cycle, the UE is operable to stop its feedback activity or move into a longer period according to the UE DRX cycle. Use of the sexual radio status feedback loop.

In some embodiments, the UE periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX and DRX cycles) is such that it must synchronize with the UE DRX cycle, and thus in a scenario where the feedback loop is shorter than the DRX cycle The UE can only transmit radio status feedback information when it wakes up during its DRX cycle. This effectively causes the UE to move into a longer HS-DPCCH DTX cycle.

In some embodiments, the UE may completely stop periodic radio condition feedback activities, for example, if the UE DRX cycle is determined to be longer than a predetermined threshold, it should be understood that if the radio status feedback (eg, CQI update) Too infrequent, the previous radio status indication (eg, CQI update) from the feedback message (HS-DPCCH transmission when the UE finally wakes up) will usually no longer represent when data packet transmission is about to occur on the downlink channel. Radio condition. It is possible that a previous CQI update may provide an optimistic condition for the radio channel, resulting in a high HS-DSCH transport block being transmitted to the UE resulting in an error. According to some embodiments, the threshold may be by a base station or The RNC is set according to, for example, the last known UE speed (i.e., Doppler).

In some embodiments, the UE is operable to resume a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) when it leaves the DRX mode. That is, the UE is operable to use a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX loop) before it moves into DRX, and (on departure) DRX may revert to the feedback reporting loop. Note: In some embodiments, if the UE leaves the DRX due to HS-DSCH (ie, downlink) reception, it can continuously transmit radio status feedback. In some embodiments, if the UE leaves the DRX due to E-DCH (ie, uplink) transmission, it may continue the original periodic radio condition feedback loop.

In some embodiments, when the UE transmits a radio condition feedback indicator (eg, HS-DPCCH) according to a periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX), it is operable to transmit a radio condition feedback indicator ( For example, CQI) takes more than one sub-frame. This configuration may allow the base station to perform averaging for a few radio condition indicators (e.g., CQI values) during each feedback burst, and thus obtain a more reliable non-instantaneous estimate of the radio channel conditions being experienced by the UE.

Overview

1) Periodic radio status feedback reporting loop (eg, HS-DPCCH DTX) is defined for UEs operating in the Cell_FACH state, with periodic feedback defined by the network cycle. Different UEs can have different cycles.

2) The UE may move into the periodic radio status feedback reporting loop after the inactivity timer (eg, no HS-DSCH transmission)

3) The UE may move into the periodic radio status feedback reporting loop when notified by the network (eg, by using HS-SCCH order or HS-SCCH group order)

4) The radio status feedback message cannot be considered active when the inactivity timer is determined. (Note: different inactivity timers can be used for periodic feedback loops and implementation of UE DRX operations, those inactivity timers need not be the same)

5) The network is operable to inform the UE to stop periodic radio condition feedback (eg, via HS-SCCH order)

6) The cyclic radio status feedback reporting loop and the DRX loop on the UE can be asynchronous

7) The periodic radio status feedback reporting loop and the DRX on the UE can be synchronized

8) When the UE moves into DRX and if the implemented periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop is longer than or equal to the DRX cycle, then the UE may synchronize its periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop with DRX and maintain (or shorten) its periodic radio Status feedback report loop

9) When the UE moves into DRX and if its periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop is shorter than the DRX cycle, the UE may synchronize its periodic radio status feedback reporting loop with DRX and extend its Periodic radio status feedback reporting loop

10) When the UE moves into DRX and if its periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop is shorter than the DRX cycle and the DRX cycle is longer than a predetermined threshold, if the UE needs to synchronize its periodic radio condition feedback reporting loop with the DRX cycle, then the UE Its periodic radio status feedback will be stopped. This threshold can be determined by the network.

11) The UE may resume its original periodic radio status feedback reporting loop when it leaves the DRX state.

12) The UE may transmit more than one radio condition feedback indicator during each transmission cycle in its DTX cycle to allow the network to have an average of the radio conditions being experienced by the UE.

Example 1

In this example, the network configuration is as follows:

1) HS-DPCCH DTX cycle of 16 radio frames (ie, UE transmits an HS-DPCCH every 160 ms)

2) 8 radio frame DRX cycle (ie, when the UE moves into DRX, it wakes up every 80 ms to listen to receive)

3) Inactivity time of DRX moved into 100 ms

The NB informs the UE of the periodic radio status feedback reporting loop parameters, for example, via HS-SCCH order (or ethnic order) or via Layer 3. According to the indication, the UE transmits via the HS-DPCCH to transmit the CQI update every 16 frames, as shown in FIG. In two HS-DPCCH connections After receiving, the NB transmits the HS-DSCH packet to the UE. In this example, the NB can use the information obtained from the CQI transmitted by the UE in the HS-DPCCH twice. Upon receiving the HS-DSCH, the UE may also operate to transmit the HS-DPCCH. When the NB stops transmitting the HS-DSCH, the UE is operable to resume its periodic feedback activity and revert to an operation in which the UE transmits an update after every 16 radio frames.

If there is no UE or network activity for 100 ms, the UE moves into DRX. Note: HS-DPCCH DTX is not considered active, otherwise the UE will never move into DRX. The DRX and HS-DPCCH DTX activities are shown in Figure 4. The HS-DPCCH is only transmitted when the UE wakes up from the DRX, ie, the HS-DPCCH DTX is now synchronized with the DRX. In the example shown, the last HS-DPCCH DTX cycle is broken so that instead of transmitting 16 ms before the start of the DRX and after the last HS-DPCCH transmission, the UE transmits in 16 frames after the DRX starts. The CQI update rate is unaffected (ie, maintained at every 16 frames of CQI updates).

If the UTRAN has configured the UE to transmit the CQI of two (or more) subframes during each CQI burst, the UE will therefore transmit the HS-DPCCH, thereby allowing the Node B to have an average estimate of the radio channel conditions. This is shown in Figure 5, where the UE as shown is operable to transmit two consecutive HS-DPCCHs when it wakes up.

Note: HS-DPCCH DTX can be synchronized and DRX cycles (but with different cycle lengths) by using the same UE ID (eg, H-RNTI) to calculate the wake-up time.

Example 2

In this example, the network configuration is as follows:

1) HS-DPCCH DTX cycle of 16 radio frames (ie, UE transmits an HS-DPCCH every 160 ms)

2) 32 radio frame DRX cycle

3) Inactivity time of DRX moved into 100 ms

4) Second inactivity time of 500 ms, where the UE moves into the extended DRX

5) Extended DRX cycle of 128 frames

6) The maximum CQI update period threshold of 400 ms (ie, CQI updates that are isolated more than 400 ms are unacceptable)

As shown in Example 1, NB starts HS-DPCCH DTX with a 16-frame DTX cycle, as shown in FIG. After the inactivity timer, the UE moves into DRX, as shown in Figure 6, where the UE wakes up every 32 frames to listen for possible reception. In order to reduce UE wake-up time for transmission and/or reception (and maximize battery savings), the UE can operate to cycle its HS-DPCCH DTX cycle with DRX, and thus whenever the UE wakes up from the DRX cycle only Transfer an HS-DPCCH. In the embodiment described herein, the UE HS-DPCCH DTX cycle is increased from 16 frames to 32 frames. Note that the UE can move into a longer DTX cycle (eg, a 64 frame), but in this example, it is considered advantageous for the UE to have a DTX cycle that is as close as possible to the original cycle of the 16 frames.

There is 500 ms inactivity and the UE moves into the extended DRX cycle, as shown in Figure 7. In order to synchronize with the UE DRX cycle, HS-DPCCH DTX The loop needs to be 128 frames or 1280 ms. This is longer than the maximum scheduled CQI update period of 400 ms. Since the 1280 ms CQI update does not provide any benefit to the network, the UE stops HS-DPCCH transmission (ie, stops HS-DPCCH activity). After some time, the E-DCH uplink transmission (shown by the arrow in Figure 7) is transmitted and this causes the UE to leave the DRX state. Since there is no downlink transmission, the UE does not need to respond with HS-DPCCH in this embodiment. However, the UE will resume its original HS-DPCCH DTX state and transmit the HS-DPCCH every 16 frames.

It will be appreciated that embodiments thereof provide a possible solution to obtain enhanced radio status feedback for UEs in the Cell_FACH state without detracting from UE battery savings and channel quality estimation reliability. The proposed embodiment does not require any additional DL channels and power, and thus may be more suitable for a greater number of UEs in a cell operating in an enhanced Cell_FACH state.

Embodiments may assist in reducing the extensions required to utilize the best existing solution for initial HSDPA transmission. This enhances the potential of the system. Furthermore, the embodiment does not require any new code or DL cell power, and thus can be better performed in the case where a large number of UEs in one of the cells use Enhanced Cell_FACH.

Embodiments provide a solution for transmission of HS-DPCCH during enhanced DL HSDPA inactivity periods for UEs in the Cell_FACH state.

Embodiments may require changes to the 3GPP standard. This change to the standard may include changes based on the following:

1 Introduction

The WI is agreed to in (1) to further enhance the Cell_FACH state. The enhancements are as follows:

. Link-related enhancements in resource utilization, throughput, latency and coverage

. Uplink related enhancements in resource utilization, throughput, latency and coverage

. UE battery life improvement and signaling reduction

This contribution will focus on downlink-related enhancements, especially in the efficient transmission of HS-DPCCH.

2 Discussion

The HS-DPCCH physical channel carries CQI, PCI and HARQ ACK/NACK for HS-DSCH traffic. Since MIMO is not used for Cell_FACH, only CQI and HARQ ACK/NACK are associated with this WI. At Rel-8, HS-DPCCH feedback is introduced into Cell_FACH to achieve frequent CQI and HARQ ACK/NACK. This allows the NB to schedule the HS-DSCH transport block that matches the channel RF condition and enables the HARQ procedure to function more efficiently (compared to the pre-Rel-8 HS-DSCH implementation in Cell_FACH).

At Rel-8, the HS-DPCCH is transmitted only if there is a UL DCCH or DTCH transmission for a common E-DCH resource. Because the transmission of UL DCCH/DTCH does not necessarily follow the DL DCCH/DTCH transmission (especially if the DL transmission is in RLC UM mode), this leads to The lack of HARQ ACK/NACK and the lack of CQI reduce the efficient use of HS-DSCH resources. At the same time, the HS-DSCH transmission may occur before the UL DCCH/DTCH transmission (or after a long period of UL inactivity), and if there is no CQI, the HS based on the bad (or blind) and usually optimistic estimate of the radio condition is used. -DSCH transport block size. Furthermore, the transmission of the UL DCCH/DTCH does not necessarily result in the transmission of the HS-DSCH and therefore does not use the HS-DPCCH packet (for CQI transmission).

The dependency of the HS-DPCCH transmission and the UL DCCH/DTCH transmission is proposed to be removed in (2). Conversely, the HS-DPCCH should be transmitted whenever the downlink HS-DSCH packet is transmitted. This ensures that the HARQ ACK/NACK is always transmitted to each HS-DSCH packet and the CQI is provided to subsequent packets.

Proposal 1: HS-DPCCH transmission should be independent of UL DCCH/DTCH transmission Proposal 2: HS-DSCH transmission to the UE shall be followed by an HS-DPCCH transmission from the UE

The first HS-DSCH packet after a period of inactivity may need to be transmitted according to the old CQI or blind estimation based on radio conditions. Thereafter, the HS-DPCCH will be transmitted as proposed in the above proposal 2. This is acceptable for low traffic activities. Because smart phone traffic may be bursty in nature, it will likely be placed in Enhanced Cell_FACH. As the number of UEs in Cell_FACH increases and their traffic activity increases, the nature of burst traffic will result in many (first) HS-DSCH transmissions without accurate CQI. Furthermore, NB usually needs some CQI updates to average instant wireless The electrical channel condition, and therefore, the UE is optimally scheduled with the appropriate transport block size. In (3), it is proposed that its HS-DPCCH is transmitted all the time and this is the HS-SCCH sequence. This approach should be investigated further and excessive HS-DPCCH should be avoided.

3 Conclusion

In this contribution, we discuss the efficiency of improving HS-DPCCH transmission.

Its proposal:

Proposal 1: HS-DPCCH transmission should be independent of UL DCCH/DTCH transmission

Proposal 2: The HS-DSCH transmission sent to the UE should be followed by an HS-DPCCH transmission from the UE.

references

[1] R2-110436, “Further Enhancements to CELL_FACH,” Ericsson, ST-Ericsson, Qualcomm Inc., RAN#51

[2] R1-105979, “HS-DPCCH Transmission in Enhanced CELL_FACH,” Alcatel-Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, RAN1#63

[3] R2-110890, “Introducing further enhancements to CELL_FACH operation,” Qualcomm Inc., RAN2#73

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the steps of the various methods described above can be performed by a programmed computer. Here, some embodiments should also cover the process. Storage device, for example, a digital data storage medium readable by a machine or computer and encoded by a machine executable or computer executable program of instructions, wherein the instructions perform some or all of the steps of the above methods . The program storage device can be, for example, a digital memory, a magnetic storage medium (such as a magnetic disk and a magnetic tape), a hard disk drive, or an optically readable digital data storage medium. Embodiments should also encompass computers that are programmed to perform these steps of the above methods.

The functions of the various components shown in the figures, including any functional blocks labeled "processor" or "logic", may be provided through the use of proprietary hardware and hardware capable of executing software associated with the appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors (which may be common). Furthermore, the explicit use of the terms "processor" or "controller" or "logic" shall not be taken to mean a hardware capable of executing software, but may implicitly include (non-limiting) digital signal processors (DSPs). Hardware, network processor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), read-only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM) And non-volatile storage. Other hardware (traditional and/or custom) may also be included. Similarly, any of the switches shown in the figures are conceptual only. Its functions can be performed through the operation of the program logic, through the exclusive logic, through the interaction of the program control with the exclusive logic, or even manually. The specific techniques can be selected by the implementer as the context is more clearly understood.

Anyone familiar with this technology should understand that any block diagram here represents A conceptual view of an illustrative circuit that implements the principles of the present invention. Similarly, it should be understood that any flowchart, program diagram, state transition diagram, virtual code, etc., represent various programs that can be substantially represented in a computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not the computer or processing Whether the device is explicitly displayed.

The description and drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various embodiments, which are not intended to be Furthermore, all of the examples cited herein are intended to be illustrative only and to assist the reader in understanding the principles of the present invention and the concepts of the inventors. Examples and conditions described. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to include equivalents thereof.

10‧‧‧Telecom system

20‧‧‧Base Station

30‧‧‧Area

40‧‧‧ Radio Network Controller

50‧‧‧User equipment

60‧‧‧Return communication link

The embodiments of the present invention will now be further described with reference to the following drawings in which: FIG. 1 illustrates the main components of a radio network in accordance with an embodiment; FIG. 2 illustrates a user equipment suitable for use in the radio network of FIG. A set of radio resource control states; and Figures 3 through 7 illustrate various example implementations of radio condition interrogation methods for the radio network of Figure 1.

Claims (15)

A method of obtaining an indication of a radio condition experienced by a user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of: determining a parameter of a feedback loop, the user equipment being in accordance with the feedback loop An indication operable to periodically transmit a radio condition on the user equipment; transmitting an indication of the feedback loop parameters to the user equipment; and supervising receipt of the indication of the periodic transmission of the radio condition. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters include an indication of a period between adjacent transmissions of the radio condition indication. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises: checking information about whether the user equipment operates on a fast or slow channel, and determining at least one of the feedback channel parameters according to the channel speed A step of. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters include an indication of an upper limit of the indication of a period between adjacent transmissions of the radio condition indication. The method of claim 4, wherein the upper limit is determined based on an indication of a speed at which the user device moves. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the feedback loop parameters is prompted to a group of user devices. A computer program product that, when executed on a computer, is operable to implement any one of claims 1 to 6 of the patent application scope law. A base station operable to obtain an indication of a radio condition experienced by a user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state in a wireless communication network, the base station comprising: decision logic operable to determine a feedback loop a parameter, the user equipment being operable to periodically transmit an indication of a radio condition on the user equipment in accordance with the feedback loop; transmission logic operable to transmit an indication of the feedback loop parameters to the user equipment And supervisory logic operable to monitor receipt of the indication of the periodic transmission of the radio condition. A method of transmitting an indication of a radio condition experienced by a user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of: supervising reception of an indication of a feedback loop parameter; and The received indication is to periodically transmit an indication of the radio condition being experienced by the user equipment. The method of claim 9, comprising the steps of: supervising the reception of downlink data traffic; and if receiving downlink data traffic, implementing the radio frame while receiving the downlink data traffic The transmission of the indication of the radio condition in the medium. The method of claim 9, comprising the steps of: determining an uplink data traffic to be transmitted and performing an indication of radio conditions in each radio frame while transmitting the uplink data traffic; transmission. The method of claim 9, comprising the steps of: determining whether the user equipment operates in the discontinuous reception mode and adjusting the feedback loop within the feedback parameters to conform to the operational parameters of the intermittent reception mode. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication of the radio condition is measured and transmitted more than once for each transmission of the feedback loop. A computer program product operable to perform the method of any one of claims 9 to 13 when executed on a computer. A user equipment operative to transmit an indication of a radio condition experienced by the user equipment operating in a Cell_FACH or enhanced Cell_FACH state in a wireless communication network, the user equipment comprising: supervisory logic operable to supervise feedback Receiving an indication of a cyclic parameter; and transmission logic operable to periodically transmit an indication of the radio condition being experienced by the user equipment in accordance with the received indication of the feedback loop parameter.