Wireless telecommunications methods and apparatus with automatic broadcast after update of system information
Method and apparatus use a value tag in conjunction with transmission and/or processing of system information in a wireless communication network, especially in conjunction with second type system information or non-essentially type system information. In certain example embodiment and modes, an access node ( 22 ) may initiate broadcasting second type system information when its content gets updated, in order to avoid many on-demand delivery requests from wireless terminals. In certain example implementations, the access node ( 22 ) may compress second type system information to be delivered by broadcast.
1. An access node of a radio access network that communicates over a radio interface with a wireless terminal, the access node comprising:
processor circuitry configured:
to include, in a first type system information message, one or more indications, each of the indications indicating whether one or more associated second type system information blocks are broadcasted or to be provided on-demand, the first type system information message comprising first type system information, the first type system information being required for the wireless terminal to perform an initial access to the radio access network, and;
upon a change of content of a second type system information block whose associated indication indicating that the second type system information block was provided on-demand before the change, to include in the first type system information message an indication associated with the second type system information block indicating that the second type system information block is broadcast;
transmitter circuitry configured to periodically transmit, over the radio interface, the first type system information message and to transmit the second type system information block.
2. The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, to limit broadcasts of the second system information block over the radio interface for a predetermined time.
3. The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, to generate the broadcast of the second type system information block in a compressed format, the second type system information block in the compressed format comprising differences between the changed content of the second type system information block and the content of the second type system information block transmitted prior to the change of content.
4. The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured, upon the change of the content of the second type system information block, to generate the broadcast of the second type system information block, the broadcast of the second type system information block comprising an association of a group of second type system information blocks with a same value tag.
5. The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured the broadcast of the second type system information block to comprise a value tag.
6. The access node of claim 1 , wherein prior to the change of content of the second type system information block the transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit a separate signaling that triggers the wireless terminal to receive the first type system information.
7. The access node of claim 1 , wherein the second type system information block is further associated with a value tag, the value tag being included in the first type system information and being updated upon the change of content.
8. A method in an access node of a radio access network comprising:
including, in a first type system information, one or more indications, each of the indications indicating whether one or more associated second type system information blocks are broadcasted or to be provided on-demand, the first type system information comprising information required for the wireless terminal to perform an initial access to the radio access network;
periodically transmitting, over the radio interface, the first type system information message;
upon a change of content of a second type system information block whose associated indication indicating that the second type system information block was provided on-demand before the change, using processor circuitry to include, in the first type system information message, the indication associated with the second type system information block indicating that the second type system information block is broadcasted; and
transmitting, over the radio interface, the second type system information block.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, limiting broadcasts of the second type system information block over the radio interface for a predetermined time.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, generating the broadcast of the second type system information block in a compressed format, the second type system information block in the compressed format comprising differences between the changed content of the second type system information block and the content of the second type system information block transmitted prior to the change of content.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, generating the broadcast of the second type system information block comprising an association of a group of second type system information blocks with a same value tag.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the processor circuitry including a value tag in the broadcast of the second type system information block.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising associating the second type system information block with a value tag, the value tag being included in the first type system information and being updated upon the change of content.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, prior to the change of content of the second type system information block, transmitting a separate signaling that triggers the wireless terminal to receive the first type system information.
15. A wireless terminal of a radio access network that communicates over the radio interface with an access node of the radio access network comprising:
receiver circuitry configured to receive first type system information comprising one or more indications and one or more value tags, each of the indications indicating whether one or more associated second type system information blocks are broadcasted or to be provided on-demand, each of the one or more value tags being updated upon a change of content on at least one corresponding second type system information block, the first type system information being used to perform an initial access to the radio access network; and
processor circuitry configured to:
receive a second type system information block based on the indication associated with the second type system information block, in a case that the value tag corresponding to the second type system information block is updated.
16. The wireless terminal of claim 15 , wherein prior to the change of content of the second type system information block, the receiver circuitry is configured to receive a separate signaling that triggers reception of the first type system information.
17. The wireless terminal of claim 15 , wherein the receiver circuitry is further configured, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, to receive the second system information block in a compressed format, the second type system information block in the compressed format comprising differences between the changed content of the second type system information block and the content of the second type system information block transmitted prior to the change of content.
18. A method in a wireless terminal which communicates over a radio interface with an access node of a radio access network the method comprising:
receiving first type system information comprising one or more indications and one or more value tags, each of the indications indicating whether one or more associated second type system information blocks are broadcasted or to be provided on-demand, each of the one or more value tags being updated upon a change of content on at least one corresponding second type system information block, the first type system information being used to perform an initial access to the radio access network;
using processor circuitry to receive a second type system information block based on the indication associated with the second type system information block, in a case that the value tag corresponding to the second type system information block is updated.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, prior to the change of content of the second type system information block, receiving a separate signaling that triggers reception of the first type system information.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, upon the change of content of the second type system information block, receiving the second system information block in a compressed format, the second type system information block in the compressed format comprising differences between the changed content of the second type system information block and the content of the second type system information block transmitted prior to the change of content.