Multiplex communications – Communication over free space – Having a plurality of contiguous regions served by...
Reissue Patent
2002-12-06
2004-06-15
Cangialosi, Salvatore (Department: 2661)
Multiplex communications
Communication over free space
Having a plurality of contiguous regions served by...
C370S311000
Reissue Patent
active
RE038535
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to digital mobile radio systems, and in particular, to a terminal for a digital mobile radio system and to a method for evaluating received data in a terminal for a digital mobile radio system, which offers the capability to reduce the power consumption when receiving information which is not important.
As a rule, time-division multiplexing methods are used for transmitting data in digital mobile radio systems. In this case, the bandwidth which is available on a carrier signal transmitted between base stations and mobile stations is subdivided in time between the various subscribers. Time-division multiplexing and frequency-division multiplexing methods are frequently combined in such a manner that there are a number of carrier frequencies, which are then each accessed separately using the time-division multiplexing method. Thus, for example, in the GSM system (Global System for Mobile Communications), carrier frequencies with a spacing of 200 kHz from one another are used, which are subdivided into eight time slots or data packets. In this case, data is frequently transmitted to the mobile stations from the base stations which is important for only a single one of the mobile stations, or for none of them. However, conversely, this can also relate to data packets which are sent from a mobile station to a base station. Data packets which are not important may in this case be data packets which contain so-called dummy data or filling data, but they may also be data packets which contain information that does not relate, or no longer relates, to the received terminal since, for example, the terminal has already received it once. In the prior art, all of the transmitted data is received by the receiving terminal and is processed irrespective of whether the data is or is not required by the terminal. This results in increased power consumption in the terminal which is disadvantageous, particularly for mobile stations powered by batteries such as rechargeable batteries.
Published international patent application, WO 96/37051 discloses a method and an apparatus for saving power in portable battery-powered radio appliances. In this case, a received message is compared with a previous received message. If the two messages match, the radio appliance is switched to a power saving mode, in which the message received later is not processed any further. Published international patent application, WO 94/08432 discloses a method for transmitting information between a base station and a mobile station in a digital control channel of a telecommunications system. In this case, the base station transmits change characters which indicate whether successive messages differ. The mobile station processes received messages only if a previous change character indicates a change in comparison to the previous messages. Published international patent application, Wo 94/27377 discloses a mobile station for a mobile radio system, having a receiving device for receiving digital data packets and for providing soft decision values for received data packets, and having a decision device which, before complete reception of an information unit comprising one or more data packets, uses a part of the information unit which has already been received to decide whether the information unit is or is not important and, if the decision is that the information unit is not important, causes the receiving device to ignore the rest of the information unit. In this case, the soft-decision values are used to determine whether a received data packet is or is not free of errors. If the data packet is free of errors, a power saving signal is produced.
The received data packet is furthermore compared with expected or predetermined data in order to determine whether the data packet contains information which is or is not important for the mobile station. If the information is not important, the mobile station is switched to a power saving mode, in which the rest of the received data packets are not processed any further.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a terminal for a digital mobile radio system, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantageous of the prior art and which, specifically provides a simpler and more efficient option for saving power.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a terminal for a mobile digital radio system, that includes a receiver and a decision device. The receiver is for receiving an information unit including one or more data packets, where at least one of the one or more data packets including soft-decision values. The receiver is programmed to initially receive only a portion of the information unit. The decision device is programmed to use the soft-decision values to calculate a probability value indicative of whether it is important to receive an additional portion of the information unit, programmed to determine whether it is important to receive the additional portion of the information unit by comparing the probability value with a predetermined threshold, and programmed to provide a signal such that the receiver does not receive the additional portion of the information unit if it is determined that it is not important to receive the additional portion of the information unit.
The terminal does not wait until an information unit has been received completely, but an evaluation is carried out at an early stage on the basis of an already received part of an information unit to determine whether the transmitted information unit is or is not important for the relevant terminal. If the information unit is not important for the relevant terminal, then reception of the rest of the information unit is terminated. The rest of an information unit which has been identified as not being important thus may not be received or subsequently processed, and this results in a considerable reduction of the power consumption in the terminal. The terminal may be in a base station or a mobile station. Particularly in the case of a mobile station powered by batteries or rechargeable batteries, the reduced power consumption enabled by the invention provides an important advantage. Furthermore, the present invention is independent of the system in which the data is transmitted. For example, the present invention is just as applicable to the GSM system as to the DECT system (Digital European Cordless Telephone), with the time-division multiplexing method being used to transmit digital data in both systems. In the time-division multiplexing method, the data is transmitted in so-called time slots, which each contain one data packet. In the GSM system, each time frame contains eight time slots or data packets, while in the DECT system, twelve time slots or data packets are in each case provided for transmission and reception per frame.
The present invention enables information units including one or more data packets to be ignored after reception of only a part of the information unit, if the information unit is identified as not being important. In this case, a decision can be made after receiving just one data packet or a part of a data packet as to whether the associated information unit is or is not important.
For example, a signaling channel, or, in other words, an information unit containing signaling data, is provided in the GSM system, which is transmitted to the mobile stations from a base station several times per second. The signaling information unit is in this case distributed over four time slots. In each case one time slot is transmitted in one of four time frames which follow one another, that is to say the information unit is transmitted in blocks separated in time. Even after the first of four data packets is received, the present invention makes it possible to avoid receiving and thus processing the remaining three data packets, if the information unit is identified as not being important on the basi
Meyer Jan
Raaf Bernhard
Cangialosi Salvatore
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
LandOfFree
Terminal for digital mobile radio and method for evaluating... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Terminal for digital mobile radio and method for evaluating..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Terminal for digital mobile radio and method for evaluating... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3353212