Multiplex communications – Data flow congestion prevention or control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-31
2004-07-27
Nguyen, Brian D (Department: 2661)
Multiplex communications
Data flow congestion prevention or control
C370S236000, C370S252000, C370S335000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06768715
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to a manner by which to provide information to facilitate scheduling of packet data communications in a cellular, or other radio, communication system, such as a cdma2000 system. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, and an associated method, by which to facilitate reverse-link traffic measurement reporting, such as TVMAR (traffic volume measurement and reporting) reports generated at a mobile station, to be used to schedule communication of packet data to the mobile station to effectuate a communication service therewith.
The reports provide information, in a timely manner, to permit the packet data scheduling to be performed. And, the report also forms a data-rate request to request a selected data rate at which the packet data is communicated pursuant to the data service. Parameters contained in the report are selected at the network part of the communication system. And, the selected parameters are communicated to the mobile station, causing the mobile station to report with the values of the selected parameters in a timely manner so that the reported values can be used in the data scheduling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A communication system operates to communicate data between two, or more, communication stations. A communication system is formed, at a minimum, of a first communication station, forming a sending station, and a second communication station, forming a receiving station. The communication stations are interconnected by way of a communication channel. And, data that is to be communicated by the first communication station to the second communication station is sent to the second communication station by way of the communication channel. The data that is to be communicated is converted by the first communication station into a form to permit its communication upon the communication channel. And, the second communication station operates to detect the data communicated thereto and to recover the informational content thereof.
Many different types of communication systems have been developed and implemented to effectuate the communication of the data between the communication stations. And, with continued advancements in communication technologies, new types of communication systems, as well as improvements to existing communication systems, have been, and continue to be, made.
A radio communication system is an exemplary type of communication system. A radio communication system utilizes radio communication channels upon which to communicate the data that is to be communicated between the communication stations operable therein. Radio communication channels are defined upon radio links forming part of the electromagnetic spectrum. As a radio link is utilized upon which to define the communication channels, the need otherwise to utilize wireline connections upon which to define communication channels is obviated. Implementation of a radio communication system is generally less costly than the corresponding costs that would be required to construct a conventional, wireline communication system. And, a radio communication system can be implemented to form a mobile communication system.
A cellular communication system, exemplary of a radio communication system, has been widely implemented and has achieved wide levels of usage. A cellular communication system provides for radio communications with mobile stations. The mobile stations permit telephonic communication to be effectuated therethrough. A cellular communication system includes a network part that is installed throughout a geographical area and with which the mobile stations communicate by way of radio channels. Base transceiver stations, forming portions of the network part of the communication system, are installed at spaced apart locations throughout the geographical area that is to be encompassed by the communication system. Each of the base transceiver station defines a cell, formed of a portion of the geographical area. When a mobile station is within the cell defined by a base transceiver station, communications are generally effectuable with the base transceiver station that defines the cell.
As a mobile station travels between cells defined by different ones of the base transceiver stations, communication handoffs are effectuated to permit continued communications by, and with, the mobile station. Through appropriate positioning of the base transceiver stations, only relatively low-powered signals need to be generated to effectuate communications between a mobile station and a base transceiver station. Hand-offs of communications between successive base transceiver stations, as the mobile station moves between cells permit the continued communications without necessitating increase in the power levels at which the communication signals are transmitted. And, because only relatively low-powered signals need to be generated to effectuate communications, the same radio channels can be reused at different locations of the same cellular communication system. Efficient utilization of the frequency-spectrum allocation to the cellular communication system is thereby possible.
Various operating specifications have been promulgated that define operational parameters by which cellular, as well as other, communication systems are to be operable. Successive generations of cellular communication systems, incorporating technological advancements, as such advancements become available, have been defined by successive generations, or updates to, operational specifications. First-generation and second-generation systems have been widely implemented and have achieved significant levels of usage. And, installation of third-generation and successor-generation systems have been proposed. An exemplary operating specification, referred to as the cdma2000 specification, sets forth the operating parameters of an exemplary, third-generation communication system. The cdma2000 operating specification, as well as other third-generation operating specification, provides for packet-based, data communication services.
To effectuate such packet-based data services, a packet scheduler that schedules the communication of the data packets to effectuate the communication service is utilized. To schedule properly the communication of the data packets, the scheduler must receive indications of communication conditions upon the radio channels upon which the packet data is to be communicated. In a proposal for the cdma2000 operating specification, a reverse link traffic volume and measurement and reporting (RL-TVMAR) report is specified, e.g., 3GPP specification, document No. TS 25.331[1]. The purpose for the traffic measurements and reporting is to perform efficiently reverse link packet data scheduling by the scheduler at the network part of the communication system.
Feedback information includes, for instance, a buffer status of a buffer at the mobile station at which packet data is buffered, prior to its transmission. And, information also includes reverse-link activity indications.
Existing TVMAR-report proposals are deficient in several regards. The existing proposals generally provide for 1-bit status reports, to be communicated variously, upon a dedicated channel, a common channel, or a time-multiplexed subchannel, along with another reverse channel. Such single-bit status report is to be reported, variously by way of a per radio frame basis or an on-demand basis.
The single-bit status report provides only very limited information, both prospectively and historically. And, the existing proposals set forth the communication of the single-bit status report on an unsolicited basis. If the status report is sent at a time during which the network part cannot properly make use of the report, the status report is of, essentially, no utility. And, the measurement format, measurement period, and reporting triggers are not necessarily based upon network-part determinations, thereby limiting the optimality of the system efficiency.
An improved reporting mechanism for
Cheng Mark W.
Hsu Liangchi
Nguyen Brian D
Nokia Corporation
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