Method and apparatus in mobile telecommunications system user equipment for managing congestion within the mobile telecommunications system
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for handling congestion in a mobile telecommunications system is described, the method comprising, at the user equipment monitoring messages from a cell for an indication of congestion and handing the congestion in a battery and signaling efficient manner. By one approach this comprises sending a first message to a cell, receiving a rejection (or failing to receive an acknowledgement of the message) within a period and in response, monitoring messages from the cell for an indication of congestion.
1. A method in a user equipment, the method comprising, at the user equipment:
sending a first message to a cell;
receiving a rejection, or failing to receive an acknowledgement, of the first message within a period and in response:
monitoring individual messages from the cell addressed to other individual user equipment devices for an indication of congestion; and
sending a second message, related to the first message, if a criterion is satisfied dependent on the indication.
2. The method of claim 1 , where sending the second message comprises re-sending the first message.
3. The method of claim 1 , in which the first message comprises an
rrcConnectionRequest message,
or a cellUpdate message.
4. The method of claim 1 , in which
monitoring the individual messages comprises monitoring a common channel.
5. The method of claim 1 , in which
monitoring the individual messages comprises monitoring a common channel; and
wherein the channel comprises a Secondary Common Control Physical Channel, SCCPCH.
6. The method of claim 1 , in which the criterion comprises
receiving a response to the first message within a threshold time after sending;
the indication of congestion being below a threshold;
the indication of congestion being such that a rejection is not received, or would not be expected in response to sending a second message, or the cell has not sent any rrcConnectionReject messages within a previous period and/or another UE has received an rrcConnectionSetup message.
7. The method of claim 1 , in which the congestion relates to the cell, or a network in which the cell is operable.
8. A method in a user equipment, the method comprising, at the user equipment:
sending a first message to a cell;
monitoring individual messages from the cell addressed to other individual user equipment devices for an indication of congestion related to the cell; and
receiving a rejection, or failing to receive an acknowledgement, of the first message within a period and in response:
monitoring the individual messages from the cell for the indication of congestion related to the cell; and
when a criterion is satisfied dependent on the indication;
moving to a radio off state.
9. The method of claim 8 , further including remaining in the radio off state:
until a second message is sent; or
until attempting to re-send the first message; or
for a predetermined time period indicated in the rejection.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second message relates to the first message.
11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , in which the individual messages monitored are on a common channel.
12. The method of claim 8 , in which the criterion comprises determining that the congestion is not associated with a low layer of the network.
13. The method of claim 8 , in which the criterion is dependent upon uplink interference, a retransmission scheme, or one or more DL messages.
14. The method of claim 8 , in which the congestion relates to the cell, or a network in which the cell is operable.
15. A wireless telecommunications device comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having stored therein one or more routines executable by the processor, the one or more routines being adapted to operate to
send a first message to a cell;
receive a rejection, or failing to receive an acknowledgement, of the first message within a period and in response:
monitor individual messages from the cell addressed to other individual wireless telecommunications devices for an indication of congestion; and
send a second message, related to the first message, if a criterion is satisfied dependent on the indication.
16. The wireless telecommunications device of claim 15 , where sending the second message comprises re-sending the first message.
17. The wireless telecommunications device of claim 15 , in which the first message comprises an rrcConnectionRequest message, or a cellUpdate message.
18. The wireless telecommunications device of claim 15 , in which
monitoring the individual messages comprises monitoring a common channel.
19. The wireless telecommunications device of claim 15 , in which
monitoring the individual messages comprises monitoring a common channel; and
wherein where the channel comprises a Secondary Common Control Physical Channel, SCCPCH.
20. The wireless telecommunications device of claim 15 , in which the criterion comprises
receiving a response to the first message within a threshold time after sending;
the indication of congestion being below a threshold;
the indication of congestion being such that a rejection is not received, or would not be expected in response to sending a second message, or the cell has not sent any rrcConnectionReject messages within a previous period and/or another UE has received an rrcConnectionSetup message.
21. A computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions adapted to cause a user equipment device to:
send a first message to a cell;
receive a rejection, or failing to receive an acknowledgement, of the first message within a period and in response:
monitor individual messages from the cell addressed to other individual user equipment devices for an indication of congestion; and
send a second message, related to the first message, if a criterion is satisfied dependent on the indication.