Granted Patent B2

US 8,447,316 · App. 13/251,685 · Granted May 21, 2013

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A method comprising:

causing sending of a message, to a device of a cell, comprising data indicating one or more items of system information relating to a number of communication channel resources associated with a first type of resource;

receiving a response message from the device indicating that the device supports communication channel resources associated with a second type of resource;

determining, via a processor, a set of communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by a network device to enable sending of the set of communication channel resources to the device in a reply message in response to the indication by the device that the device supports the communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource; and

receiving an indication of a selection, by the device, of at least one of the communication channel resources of the set, wherein

the first type of resource comprises a first timing parameter, the second type of resource comprises a second timing parameter,

the second timing parameter comprises a 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval, and the set of communication channel resources corresponds to 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval resources, and

the first timing parameter comprises a 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval, and the number of communication channel resources corresponds to 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval resources.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the network device comprises common enhanced dedicated channel resources and wherein the method further comprises:

restricting the common enhanced dedicated channel resources from being provided to other devices of the cell.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein causing the sending of the message comprises sending the message comprising the number of communication channel resources associated with the first type of resource to the device via a broadcast control channel.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

replacing the number of communication channel resources associated with the first type of resource communicated to the device via the broadcast control channel with the set of resources associated with the second type of resource supported by the network device.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising adding the set of resources corresponding to the communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource supported by the network device, that are stored, with the number of communication channel resources in the response message provided to the device via the broadcast channel.

6. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

cause sending of a message, to a device of a cell, comprising data indicating one or more items of system information relating to a number of communication channel resources associated with a first type of resource;

receive a response message from the device indicating that the device supports communication channel resources associated with a second type of resource;

determine a set of communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the apparatus to enable sending of the set of communication channel resources to the device in a reply message in response to the indication by the device that the device supports the communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource; and

receive an indication of a selection, by the device, of at least one of the communication channel resources of the set, wherein

the first type of resource comprises a first timing parameter, the second type of resource comprises a second timing parameter,

the second timing parameter comprises a 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval, and the set of communication channel resources corresponds to 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval resources, and

the first timing parameter comprises a 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval, and the number of communication channel resources corresponds to 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval resources.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the set of communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the network device comprises common enhanced dedicated channel resources and the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

restrict the common enhanced dedicated channel resources from being provided to other devices of the cell.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause the sending of the message by sending the message comprising the number of communication channel resources associated with the first type of resource to the device via a broadcast control channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

replace the number of communication channel resources associated with the first type of resource communicated to the device via the broadcast control channel with the set of resources associated with the second type of resource supported by the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

add the set of resources corresponding to the communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource supported by the apparatus, that are stored, with the number of communication channel resources in the response message provided to the device via the broadcast channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a base station or a radio network controller.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a message, from a network device of a cell, comprising data indicating one or more items of system information relating to a number of communication channel resources associated with a first type of resource;

determining, via a processor, that a device supports communication channel resources associated with a second type of resource to enable sending of the reply message, to the network device, indicating that the device supports the communication channel resources;

receiving, in a response message, a set of determined communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the network device in response to the indication that the device supports the communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource; and

causing sending of an indication of a selection, of at least one of the communication channel resources of the set, to the network device, wherein

the first type of resource comprises a first timing parameter, the second type of resource comprises a second timing parameter,

the second timing parameter comprises a 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval, and the set of communication channel resources corresponds to 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval resources, and

the first timing parameter comprises a 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval, and the number of communication channel resources corresponds to 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval resources.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the set of communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the network device comprises common enhanced dedicated channel resources that are only received by the device, from the network device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, from another network device, additional system information identifying a plurality of communication channel resources in response to clearing the set of communication channel resources based in part on a selection of a new cell to provide communication services to the device.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

causing sending of another indication that the device supports communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource in response to the receipt of the additional system information.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive a message, from a network device of a cell, comprising data indicating one or more items of system information relating to a number of communication channel resources associated with a first type of resource;

determine that the apparatus supports communication channel resources associated with a second type of resource to enable sending of a reply message, to the network device, indicating that the apparatus supports the communication channel resources;

receive, in a response message, a set of determined communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the network device in response to the indication that the apparatus supports the communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource; and

cause sending of an indication of a selection, of at least one of the communication channel resources of the set, to the network device, wherein

the first type of resource comprises a first timing parameter, the second type of resource comprises a second timing parameter,

the second timing parameter comprises a 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval, and the set of communication channel resources corresponds to 2 millisecond enhanced transmission time interval resources, and

the first timing parameter comprises a 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval, and the number of communication channel resources corresponds to 10 millisecond common enhanced dedicated channel transmission time interval resources.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the set of communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource that are supported by the network device comprises common enhanced dedicated channel resources that are only received by the apparatus, from the network device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive additional system information identifying a plurality of communication channel resources from a network device in response to the apparatus clearing the set of communication channel resources based in part on a selection of a new cell to provide communication services to the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause sending of another indication that the apparatus supports communication channel resources associated with the second type of resource in response to the receipt of the additional system information.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile terminal.

Assignments (9)