Methods and apparatus for reducing the likelihood of deadlock in a wireless communication system

1. A method for reducing the likelihood of deadlock in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining that user equipment has data to transmit, wherein the data corresponds to a scheduled flow, and wherein the scheduled flow comprises a flow other than a non-scheduled flow that is delay sensitive;

determining that a scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit (PDU), wherein the scheduled grant comprises a dynamic resource allocation to the scheduled flow, and wherein the determining that the scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient comprises comparing a fixed size of the at least one PDU with the scheduled grant; and

transmitting an insufficiency indicator, in response to determining that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit, to a scheduler at least once to reduce the likelihood of deadlock, wherein the at least once transmitted insufficiency indicator comprises an indication that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted repeatedly until the user equipment determines that the scheduled grant is no longer insufficient to transmit the at least one protocol data unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system is configured in accordance with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted on an Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) Dedicated Physical Control Channel (E-DPCCH), and wherein the data is transmitted on an E-DCH Dedicated Physical Data Channel (E-DPDCH).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insufficiency indicator comprises an Enhanced Dedicated Channel Transport Format Combination Indicator (E-TFCI) that is set equal to zero.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insufficiency indicator comprises a happy bit that is set to a value of unhappy.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising starting a deadlock avoidance timer in response to determining that the scheduled grant is insufficient, and wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted whenever the deadlock avoidance timer expires as long as the scheduled grant is still insufficient.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is periodic.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is non-periodic.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is set equal to a T_SIG timer.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is set equal to a T_SING timer.

11. User equipment that is configured for reducing the likelihood of deadlock in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to:

determine that user equipment has data to transmit, wherein the data corresponds to a scheduled flow, and wherein the scheduled flow comprises a flow other than a non-scheduled flow that is delay sensitive;

determine that a scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit (PDU) by comparing a fixed size of the at least one PDU with the scheduled grant, wherein the scheduled grant comprises a dynamic resource allocation to the scheduled flow; and

transmit an insufficiency indicator, in response to having determined that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit, to a scheduler at least once to reduce the likelihood of deadlock, wherein the at least once transmitted insufficiency indicator comprises an indication that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit.

12. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted repeatedly until the user equipment determines that the scheduled grant is no longer insufficient to transmit the at least one protocol data unit.

13. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communication system is configured in accordance with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted on an Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) Dedicated Physical Control Channel (E-DPCCH), and wherein the data is transmitted on an E-DCH Dedicated Physical Data Channel (E-DPDCH).

14. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the insufficiency indicator comprises an Enhanced Dedicated Channel Transport Format Combination Indicator (E-TFCI) that is set equal to zero.

15. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the insufficiency indicator comprises a happy bit that is set to a value of unhappy.

16. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are also executable to start a deadlock avoidance timer in response to determining that the scheduled grant is insufficient, and wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted whenever the deadlock avoidance timer expires as long as the scheduled grant is still insufficient.

17. The user equipment of claim 16 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is periodic.

18. The user equipment of claim 16 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is non-periodic.

19. The user equipment of claim 16 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is set equal to a T_SIG timer.

20. The user equipment of claim 16 , wherein the deadlock avoidance timer is set equal to a T_SING timer.

21. An apparatus for reducing the likelihood of deadlock in a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for determining that user equipment has data to transmit, wherein the data corresponds to a scheduled flow, and wherein the scheduled flow comprises a flow other than a non-scheduled flow that is delay sensitive;

means for determining that a scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit (PDU), wherein the scheduled grant comprises a dynamic resource allocation to the scheduled flow, and wherein the means for determining that the scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient comprises means for comparing a fixed size of the at least one PDU with the scheduled grant; and

means for transmitting an insufficiency indicator, in response to the determination by the means for determining that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit, to a scheduler at least once to reduce the likelihood of deadlock, wherein the at least once transmitted insufficiency indicator comprises an indication that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the insufficiency indicator comprises:

an Enhanced Dedicated Channel Transport Format Combination Indicator (E-TFCI) that is set equal to zero; and

a happy bit that is set to a value of unhappy.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising means for starting a deadlock avoidance timer in response to determining that the scheduled grant is insufficient, and wherein the insufficiency indicator is transmitted whenever the deadlock avoidance timer expires as long as the scheduled grant is still insufficient.

24. A computer-program product for reducing the likelihood of deadlock in a wireless communication system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for determining that user equipment has data to transmit, wherein the data corresponds to a scheduled flow, and wherein the scheduled flow comprises a flow other than a non-scheduled flow that is delay sensitive;

code for determining that a scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit (PDU), wherein the scheduled grant comprises a dynamic resource allocation to the scheduled flow, and wherein the code for determining that the scheduled grant corresponding to the scheduled flow is insufficient comprises code for comparing a fixed size of the at least one PDU with the scheduled grant; and

code for transmitting an insufficiency indicator, in response to the determination by the code for determining that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit, to a scheduler at least once to reduce the likelihood of deadlock, wherein the at least once transmitted insufficiency indicator comprises an indication that the scheduled grant is insufficient to transmit at least one protocol data unit.

25. The computer-program product of claim 24 , wherein the insufficiency indicator comprises:

an Enhanced Dedicated Channel Transport Format Combination Indicator (E-TFCI) that is set equal to zero; and

a happy bit that is set to a value of unhappy.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one entire PDU is to be transmitted in no more than one wireless transmission.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the insufficiency indicator comprises transmitting scheduling information that includes the fixed size of the at least one PDU.