Methods, systems and devices for improving discontinuous reception in wideband wireless networks
View Patent ↗Methods, systems and devices for improving discontinuous reception (DRX) in wireless telecommunication networks are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a retransmission buffer status report (BSR) timer is implemented in a user equipment (UE) as an attribute that is configurable for each logical channel of the UE. According to another embodiment, a data flush token is implemented as a logical channel attribute in a UE in order to expedite emptying of the UE's uplink buffer. According to another embodiment, improvements are provided to the manner in which a UE determines to cancel regular BSRs. According to other embodiments, features are implemented at a base station such as an E-UTRAN Node B (eNB) to improve downlink and uplink transmission scheduling between the base station and a UE. According to further embodiments, improved methods of detecting and handling late and delayed BSRs are implemented at a base station. The disclosed embodiments promote improved battery life of a UE as well as improved network data performance.
1. A method for conserving power of a user device in a telecommunication network, the method comprising:
setting a data flush token to a value depending on a priority assigned to a logical channel, the value indicating a number of requests permitted for triggering an irregular, regular buffer status report;
determining that the user device has data in an uplink buffer for transmission on the logical channel and that a regular buffer status report previously generated by the user device for the logical channel is not pending; and
based on the determination, and that a current value of the data flush token is greater than a reference value, triggering an irregular, regular buffer status report.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising: repeating said determining step.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising resetting the value of the data flush token to an initial value based on a determination that a retransmission buffer status report timer is started or restarted by the user device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication protocol stack is a long-term evolution communication protocol stack.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
triggering a regular buffer status report indicating an amount of data available for transmission in the uplink buffer of the user device; and
canceling the regular buffer status report after determining that the user device receives a positive acknowledgement on a downlink to an uplink transmission carrying the regular buffer status report.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising,
setting a plurality of retransmission buffer status report timers for a corresponding plurality of logical channels in a communication protocol stack of the user device, the plurality of retransmission buffer status report timers independently configurable and indicating a time delay for retransmission of a buffer status report by the user device on a respective one of the plurality of logical channels.
7. A user device for a telecommunication network, comprising:
a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to:
a) set a data flush token to a value depending on a priority assigned to a logical channel, the value indicating a number of requests permitted for triggering an irregular, regular buffer status report; and
b) determine that the user device has data in an uplink buffer for transmission on the logical channel and that a regular buffer status report previously generated by the user device for the logical channel is not pending; and
c) based on the determination, and that a current value of the data flush token is greater than a reference value, trigger an irregular, regular buffer status report.
8. The user device of claim 7 , wherein the user device is operable to d) repeat step c).
9. The user device of claim 7 further operable to reset the data flush token to an initial value based upon a determination that a retransmission buffer status report timer is started or restarted by the user device.
10. The user device of claim 7 , wherein the communication protocol stack is a long-term evolution communication protocol stack.
11. The user device of claim 7 further operable to:
generate an independently configurable retransmission buffer status report timer for each logical channel in the communication protocol stack of the user device, and
configure the retransmission buffer status report timer to set a time delay for retransmission of a buffer status report by the user device,
insert the retransmission buffer status report timer in a LogicalChannelConfig information element generated by a radio resource control layer of the communication protocol stack,
wherein the buffer status report indicates an amount of data available for transmission in the uplink buffer of the user device.
12. The user device as in claim 11 further operable to insert the retransmission buffer status report timer in a LogicalChannelConfig information element generated by a radio resource control layer of the communication protocol stack.
13. The user device as in claim 7 further operable to:
trigger a regular buffer status report indicating an amount of data available for transmission in the uplink buffer of the user device; and
cancel the regular buffer status report after determining that the user device receives a positive acknowledgement on a downlink to an uplink transmission carrying the regular buffer status report.