Apparatus and method for use in paging mode in wireless communications systems
View Patent ↗Latency in receiving and detecting paging messages at a wireless terminal is reduced by employing a unique “super” paging time slot format. A paging super time slot includes a plurality of prescribed time slots. Each wireless terminal is associated with cyclically recurring super time slots. A super slot is associated with one or more wireless terminals. A base station always selects the first available time slot in a super time slot to transmit a paging message to a wireless terminal that is associated with the super time slot. Each wireless terminal monitors every time slot in the associated super time slot until either detecting reception of its associated paging message or detecting an empty time slot. In another embodiment of the invention, a unique partially overlapping super time slot format is employed in which a super time slot has at least one time slot common to its adjacent super time slots. This allows wireless terminals associated with adjacent super time slots to share the common at least one time slot. In turn, this results in balanced traffic loads, smoothed traffic fluctuation and reduced congestion.
1. Apparatus for use in a wireless terminal of a wireless communications system to receive paging messages comprising:
a controller for controllably maintaining said wireless terminal in a standby mode of operation;
a receiver for receiving a super time slot format including a plurality of cyclically recurring super time slots to transport paging messages to one or more wireless terminals, wherein each of said plurality of super time slots includes a plurality of time slots, each time slot intended to transport a wireless terminal paging message;
wherein said controller controllably causes said wireless terminal to enter into a monitor mode for monitoring at least a portion of a received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal for a paging message intended for said wireless terminal and otherwise returning to said standby mode of operation,
wherein the super time slot format allows the paging message intended for said wireless terminal to be included in any one of the plurality of time slots of the received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal,
wherein power consumption is reduced,
wherein said controller causes said wireless terminal to enter said standby mode responsive to determining that:
a given time slot in said portion of said received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal does not include any message; and
no time slot preceding said given time slot in said portion of said received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal, and
wherein said portion of said received super time slot comprises two or more time slots.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said controller determines whether said super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said wireless terminal includes a transmitter and said controller controls said wireless terminal to transmit a paging response message via said transmitter when it is determined that said super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said controller causes said wireless terminal to enter said standby mode when it is determined that said super time slot does not include a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
5. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said controller is equipped to determine when a time slot in said super time slot does not include any message and further causes said wireless terminal to be in said standby mode upon detecting that at least one time slot does not include a message.
6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of time slots is non-overlapping.
7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein adjacent ones of said super time slots have one or more time slots in common.
8. A method for use in a wireless terminal of a wireless communications system to receive paging messages comprising the steps of:
maintaining said wireless terminal in a standby mode of operation;
receiving a super time slot format including a plurality of cyclically recurring super time slots to transport paging messages to one or more wireless terminals, wherein each of said plurality of super time slots includes a plurality of time slots, each time slot intended to transport a wireless terminal paging message; and
monitoring at least a portion of a received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal for a paging message intended for said wireless terminal and otherwise returning to said standby mode of operation,
wherein the super time slot format allows the paging message intended for said wireless terminal to be included in any one of the plurality of time slots of the received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal,
wherein power consumption is reduced,
wherein said step of monitoring includes a step of returning to said standby mode of operation responsive to determining that:
a given time slot in said portion of said received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal does not include any message; and
no time slot preceding said given time slot in said portion of said received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal, and
wherein said portion of said received super time slot comprises two or more time slots.
9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein said step of monitoring includes a step of determining whether said super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
10. The method as defined in claim 9 further including a step of transmitting a paging response message when it is determined that said super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
11. The method as defined in claim 9 further including a step of causing said wireless terminal to enter said standby mode when it is determined that said super time slot does not include a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
12. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said step of monitoring includes a step of determining when a time slot in said super time slot does not include any message and further causes said wireless terminal to be in said standby mode upon detecting that at least one time slot does not include a message.
13. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein said plurality of time slots is non-overlapping.
14. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein adjacent ones of said super time slots have one or more time slots in common.
15. Apparatus for use in a wireless terminal of a wireless communications system to receive paging messages comprising:
means for controllably maintaining said wireless terminal in a standby mode of operation;
means for receiving a super time slot format including a plurality of cyclically recurring super time slots to transport paging messages to one or more wireless terminals, wherein each of said plurality of super time slots includes a plurality of time slots, each time slot intended to transport a wireless terminal paging message;
means for monitoring at least a portion of a received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal for a paging message intended for said wireless terminal, wherein the super time slot format allows the paging message intended for said wireless terminal to be included in any one of the plurality of time slots of the received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal, and wherein power consumption is reduced; and
means for returning said wireless terminal to said standby mode responsive to determining that:
a given time slot in said portion of said received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal does not include any message; and
no time slot preceding said given time slot in said portion of said received super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal and
wherein said portion of said received super time slot comprises two or more time slots.
16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 further including means for determining whether said super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 further including means for transmitting a paging response message when it is determined that said super time slot associated with said wireless terminal includes a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
18. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said means for controllably maintaining said wireless terminal in a standby mode of operation causes said wireless terminal to enter said standby mode when it is determined that said super time slot does not include a paging message intended for said wireless terminal.
19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said plurality of time slots is non-overlapping.
20. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein adjacent ones of said super time slots have one or more time slots in common.