Direct transition to CELL DCH
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for reducing the time delay associated with the initialisation of a data transfer in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN). A Radio Network Controller (RNC) initiates a data transfer by transmitting a downlink paging message to a User Equipment (UE), wherein the UE is capable of being in the states URA PCH, CELL PCH or CELL DCH. The paging message comprises information for transferring the UE from the URA PCH or the CELL PCH state directly to the CELL DCH state by means of delay reducing information indicated in the paging message.
1. A method in a User Equipment (UE) comprising the steps of:
determining a traffic volume of data to be transmitted;
introducing, into an uplink cell update message, information indicating the determined traffic volume is above a pre-configured threshold;
transmitting the uplink cell update message;
receiving, from a Radio Network Controller (RNC), a cell update confirm message; and
transferring, based at least in part on the received cell update confirm message, to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Cell Dedicated Channel (CELL DCH) state; and
wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above a pre-configured threshold is delay reducing information.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the uplink cell update message is a data transfer initiating message.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above a pre-configured threshold does not explicitly indicate said traffic volume of the data to be transmitted.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cell update confirm message comprises information to cause the UE to transfer directly to the CELL DCH state.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cell update confirm message comprises information to cause the UE to transfer to the CELL DCH state from an UTRAN Registration Area Paging Channel (URA PCH) state or a Cell Paging Channel (CELL PCH) state.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the UE transfers to the CELL DCH state without exchanging messages with the RNC while in a Cell Forward Access Channel (CELL FACH) state, the CELL FACH state being between: the URA PCH state and the CELL DCH state; or the CELL PCH state and the CELL DCH state.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the uplink cell update message further comprises information indicating whether the data to be transmitted is available on a user bearer or on a signalling bearer.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above a pre-configured threshold is indicated in an extension of the uplink cell update message.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the extension comprises at least one dedicated flag.
10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the extension comprises currently reserved code points comprising spare values in the existing uplink cell update message.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to receiving the cell update confirm message, transmitting a Radio Bearer configuration complete message.
12. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit an uplink cell update message, wherein the uplink cell update message includes information determined by the UE, the information indicating the traffic volume of data to be transmitted is above a pre-configured threshold; and
a receiver configured to receive, from a Radio Network Controller (RNC), a cell update confirm message;
wherein the UE is configured to transfer, based at least in part on the received cell update confirm message, to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Cell Dedicated Channel (CELL DCH) state and
wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above pre-configured threshold is delay reducing information.
13. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the uplink cell update message is a data transfer initiating message.
14. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above a pre-configured threshold does not explicitly indicate said traffic volume of the data to be transmitted.
15. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the cell update confirm message comprises information to cause the UE to transfer directly to the CELL DCH state.
16. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the cell update confirm message comprises information to cause the UE to transfer to the CELL DCH state from a URA PCH state or a CELL PCH state.
17. The UE according to claim 16 , wherein the UE transfers to the CELL DCH state without exchanging messages with the RNC while in a Cell Forward Access Channel (CELL FACH) state, the CELL FACH state being between: the URA PCH state and the CELL DCH state; or the CELL PCH state and the CELL DCH state.
18. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the uplink cell update message further comprises information indicating whether the data to be transmitted is available on a user bearer or on a signalling bearer.
19. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above a pre-configured threshold is indicated in an extension of the uplink cell update message.
20. The UE according to claim 19 , wherein the extension comprises at least one dedicated flag.
21. The UE according to claim 19 , wherein the extension comprises currently reserved code points comprising spare values in the existing uplink cell update message.
22. The UE according to claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a Radio Bearer configuration complete message.
23. A method in a radio network controller (RNC) comprising the steps of:
receiving, from a User Equipment (UE), an uplink cell update message comprising information indicating that a traffic volume of data to be transmitted by the UE is above a pre-configured threshold; and
based at least in part on the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above the pre-configured threshold, sending a cell update confirm message to cause the UE to transfer to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Cell Dedicated Channel (CELL DCH) state, and
wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted by the UE is above pre-configured threshold is delay reducing information.
24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the uplink cell update message further comprises information indicating whether the data to be transmitted is available on a user bearer or on a signalling bearer.
25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the cell update confirm message to cause the UE to transfer to the CELL DCH state is not sent in the event that the uplink cell update message indicates that the data to be transmitted is available on a signalling bearer.
26. Apparatus forming part of a radio network controller (RNC), the apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving, from a User Equipment (UE), an uplink cell update message comprising information indicating that a traffic volume of data to be transmitted by the UE is above a pre-configured threshold;
the apparatus being configured to send, based at least in part on the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above the pre-configured threshold, a cell update confirm message to cause the UE to transfer to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Cell Dedicated Channel (CELL DCH) state; and
wherein the information indicating the traffic volume of the data to be transmitted is above pre-configured threshold is delay reducing information.
27. The apparatus according to claim 26 , wherein the uplink cell update message further comprises information indicating whether the data to be transmitted is available on a user bearer or on a signalling bearer.
28. The apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein the cell update confirm message to cause the UE to transfer to the CELL DCH state is not sent in the event that the uplink cell update message indicates that the data to be transmitted is available on a signalling bearer.