Management of resource allocation in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus to help manage allocation of resources in a wireless communication system. A base station dynamically decides based on a type of bearer communication in which a user equipment device (UE) is engaged whether the base station will apply a buffer status report (BSR) process or a non-BSR process. In the BSR process, the base station responds to a scheduling request from the UE by allocating uplink resources for the UE to transmit a BSR to the base station, and the base station then receives the BSR and uses it as a basis to then allocate uplink resources for the UE to transmit bearer data to the base station. In a non-BSR process, the base station forgoes receipt and use of a BSR and instead responds to the scheduling request by allocating uplink resources for the UE to transmit bearer data to the base station.
1. A base station configured to serve a user equipment device (UE) over an air interface, wherein the base station comprises:
a wireless communication interface, wherein the air interface defines an uplink control channel and further defines an uplink shared channel, the base station being configured to receive from the UE on the uplink control channel a scheduling request (SR) defining a request from the UE for uplink shared channel resource allocation,
wherein the base station has a buffer status report (BSR) mode of operation in which the base station responds to the SR received from the UE on the uplink control channel at least in part by (i) allocating to the UE a first extent of uplink shared channel resources for use to carry from the UE to the base station a BSR indicating a quantity of bearer data to be transmitted from the UE to the base station, (ii) receiving the BSR from the UE on the allocated first extent of uplink shared channel resources, and (iii) in accordance with the received BSR, allocating to the UE further uplink shared channel resources for bearer data communication from the UE to the base station,
wherein the base station has a non-BSR mode of operation in which the base station responds to the SR received from the UE on the uplink control channel by allocating to the UE a second extent of uplink control channel resources for bearer data communication from the UE to the base station without first receiving from the UE a BSR for the bearer data communication, the second extent being greater than the first extent, and
wherein the base station is configured to selectively operate in either the BSR mode or the non-BSR mode based on a type of bearer data the UE is communicating.
2. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the received SR does not indicate the quantity of the bearer data to be transmitted from the UE to the base station.
3. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to determine the type of bearer data the UE is communicating, to then decide whether to operate in the BSR mode or rather in the non-BSR mode, and to operate accordingly.
4. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to determine the type of bearer data the UE is communicating without any consideration of content of the received SR.
5. The base station of claim 3 , wherein the base station is configured to determine the type of bearer data the UE is communicating at least in part by using deep packet inspection to evaluate packet traffic communicated to or from the UE.
6. The base station of claim 3 , wherein the base station is configured to determine the type of bearer data the UE is communicating based at least in part on a quality of service class identifier (QCI) of a bearer connection on which the UE is communicating.
7. The base station of claim 3 , wherein the base station is configured to determine the type of bearer data the UE is communicating based at least in part on (i) a factor selected from the group consisting of time of day and location and (ii) historical data indicating type of bearer communication by the UE in correspondence with the factor.