DISABLING A LOW POWER MODE TO IMPROVE THE RECEPTION OF HIGH PRIORITY MESSAGES

Embodiments of a wireless user equipment device are disclosed that may allow for the detection of radio frequency conditions. The device may be configured to determine message priorities and control the activation of a connected mode discontinuous reception in response to the message priorities.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Acronyms

The following acronyms are used in the present patent application:

LTE: Long Term Evolution

UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

GSM: Global System for Mobile communications

C-DRX: Connected mode Disconnected Reception

Terms

FIG. 1illustrates an embodiment of a wireless communication system. It is noted that the system ofFIG. 1is merely one example of a possible system, and embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented in any of various systems, as desired.

The illustrated embodiment includes a base station102which communicates over a transmission medium with one or more User Equipment (UE) (or “UE devices”)106A through106N.

The base station102may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cell site, and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with the UEs106A through106N. The base station102may also be equipped to communicate with a network100. Thus, the base station102may facilitate communication between the UEs and/or between the UEs and the network100. The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station may be referred to as a “cell.” The base station102and the UEs may be configured to communicate over the transmission medium using any of various wireless communication technologies such as LTE, UMTS, GSM, CDMA, WLL, WAN, WiFi, WiMAX, etc.

FIG. 2illustrates UE106(e.g., one of the devices106A through106N) in communication with the base station102. The UE106may be a device with wireless network connectivity such as a mobile phone, a hand-held device, a computer or a tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device. The UE106may include a processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE may perform any of the embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. In some embodiments, the UE may include a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) that is configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

In some embodiments, the UE106may be configured to recover uplink synchronization with the network100after a timing alignment failure, for example as further described subsequently herein.

FIG. 3illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of user equipment. As shown, the UE106may include a system on chip (SOC)200, which may include portions for various purposes. For example, as shown, the SOC200may include processor(s)202which may execute program instructions for the UE106and display circuitry204which may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to the display240. The processor(s)202may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU)240, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s)202and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory206, read only memory (ROM)250, NAND flash memory210) and/or to other circuits or devices, such as the display circuitry204, radio230, connector I/F220, and/or display240. The MMU240may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU240may be included as a portion of the processor(s)202.

As also shown, the SOC200may be coupled to various other circuits of the UE106. For example, the UE106may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash210), a connector interface220(e.g., for coupling to the computer system), the display240, and wireless communication circuitry230(e.g., for LTE, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.) which may use antenna235to perform the wireless communication. Some or all of the hardware and/or software components of the UE106may be configured for detecting radio frequency conditions and radio link failures.

FIG. 4illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a base station. It is noted that the base station ofFIG. 4is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station102may include processor(s)304which may execute program instructions for the base station102. The processor(s)102may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU)340, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s)102and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory360and read only memory (ROM)350) or to other circuits or devices.

The base station102may include at least one antenna334. The at least one antenna334may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE devices106via radio330. The antenna334communicates with the radio330via communication chain332. Communication chain332may be a receive chain, a transmit chain or both. The radio330may be configured to communicate via various wireless telecommunication standards, including, but not limited to, LTE, CDMA, etc.

The processor304of the base station102may be configured to implement part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor304may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof.

Turning toFIG. 5a flow chart depicting an example method operating a UE is illustrated. The method begins in block501with the UE automatically determining the conditions of RF signal it is currently receiving. The determination may be made counting the number of received data packets, or in some embodiments, the UE may measure the RTT of a message and compare the measured RTT against a pre-determined threshold value. The operation then depends on the state of the RF conditions (block502). When the RF conditions are not bad, the UE continues to check to the RF conditions (block501).

When the RF conditions are bad, such as when the UE is moving away from a BS, the priority of outgoing messages may be examined (block503). In some embodiments, messages such as a measurement report are of higher priority to the proper operation of the UE in the network than other messages such as, e.g., data packets. The method then depends on the determined priority of the message (block504). When a message that does not have high priority is detected, the UE may enter C-DRX mode (block508).

When a high priority message is detected, the UE may then waits for a response to the message (block505). The operation then depends on the whether or not a response is received. When a response is not received, the UE may enter C-DRX mode (block508) and the method concludes. When a response is received, the method then depends on value of the current delay in receiving a response (block506). When the current delay is less than or equal to a threshold value, the UE may continue to monitor the response time for high priority messages (block505). When the current delay is greater than the threshold value, the UE does not enter C-DRX mode (block507). In some embodiments, the threshold value may be dependent upon the specified DRX start period as defined in the 3GPP standards. In other embodiments, a weight factor may be applied to the specified DRX start period to determine the threshold value.

It is noted that the operations illustrated in the method depicted inFIG. 5are shown as being executed sequentially. In other embodiments, some or all of the illustrated operations may be performed in parallel or in a different order than what is depicted inFIG. 5.

An alternative embodiment of a method of operating a UE connected to a network is illustrated inFIG. 6. The method begins, as described in more detail above in reference toFIG. 5, with the UE detecting the RF conditions (block601). The operation then depends on the detected RF conditions (block602). When the RF conditions are acceptable, the UE continues to detect the RF conditions (block601).

When the RF conditions are not good, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal being received by the UE is checked against a pre-determined threshold (block603). When the SNR is greater than the pre-determined threshold, the UE enters C-DRX mode (block606). When the SNR is less than or equal to the pre-determined threshold, the reference signal received power (RSRP) is checked against another pre-determined threshold (block604). When the RSRP is greater than the pre-determined threshold, the UE enters C-DRX mode (block606). When the RSRP is less than or equal to the pre-determined threshold, the UE does not enter C-DRX mode (block605). In some embodiments, the pre-determined threshold values for the SNR and RSRP checks may be dependent upon a characterization of the network.

It is noted that the flowchart illustrated inFIG. 6is merely an example. In other embodiments, different operations and different order of operations are possible and contemplated.

Turning toFIG. 7, an embodiment of a method for operating a UE connected to a network is illustrated. The method begins with the UE checking current RF conditions as described in more detail in reference toFIG. 5(block701). The method then depends on the results of the check of RF conditions (block702). When the RF conditions are acceptable, the UE continues to check the conditions (block701).

When the RF conditions are not good, the UE may then check the number of measurement reports (block703). In some embodiments, a measurement report may include intra-frequency measurement results, inter-frequency measurement results, and the like. The method then depends on the number of measurement reports (block704).

When the number of measurement reports is greater than a pre-determined threshold value, the UE may enter C-DRX mode (block706). When the number of measurement reports is less than or equal to the pre-determined threshold, the UE may not enter C-DRX mode (block705). It is noted that in method of operating a UE illustrated inFIG. 7is merely an example. In other embodiments, additional operations may be employed, and the execution order of the various operations may be different.

Another embodiment of a method of operating a UE connected to a network is illustrated inFIG. 8. As described above in more detail with reference toFIG. 5, the method begins with the UE detecting its current RF conditions (block801). The operation is then dependent on the result of the RF condition check (block802). When the RF conditions are not bad, the RF condition check continues (block801).

When the RF conditions are poor, the UE checks the status of the radio link failure (RLF) counter (block803). The operation is then dependent upon the result of the value currently stored in the RLF counter (block804). When the value currently stored in the RLF counter is greater than a pre-determined threshold value, the UE enters C-DRX mode (block806).

When the currently stored value in the RLF counter is less than or equal to the pre-determined threshold, the UE does not enter C-DRX mode (block805). In some embodiments, the value stored in the RLF counter may be incremented dependent upon successive receipt of “out of sync” messages.

The method illustrated inFIG. 8is merely an example. In other embodiments, additional operations, and different order or operations may be possible.

Turning toFIG. 9, an embodiment of a method of operating a UE connected to a network is illustrated. In block901, the UE determines the current RF conditions as described in more detail above in reference toFIG. 5. The operation then depends on the determined RF conditions (block902). When the current RF conditions are acceptable, the monitoring of RF conditions continues (block901).

When the current RF conditions are poor, the mobility state is determined (block903). In some embodiments, the mobility states may include states such as, e.g., detached, idle, or active, while in other embodiments, the mobility state may include a measure of how quickly the RF conditions are degrading. The operation then depends on the determined mobility state (block904).

When the mobility state is determined to not be high, the UE may enter C-DRX mode (block906). When the mobility state is determined to be high, the UE may not enter C-DRX mode (block905). It is noted that in the method illustrated inFIG. 9, the operations are depicted as occurring in a sequential fashion. In other embodiments, some or all of the operations may occur in parallel or in a different order than illustrated inFIG. 9.

An alternative embodiment of a method of operating a UE connected to a network is illustrated inFIG. 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the method begins with the UE checking current RF conditions as described above in more detail in reference toFIG. 5(block1001). The method then depends on the determined RF conditions (block102). When the RF conditions are acceptable, the UE continues to check the current RF conditions (block1001).

When the current RF conditions are degrading, the signal strength to nearby base stations may be checked (block1003). In some embodiments, the RSRP of a base station may be compared against a pre-determined threshold value to determine signal strength. The method is then dependent on the number of base stations with signal strength above a pre-determined threshold (block1004). When at least one base station has a signal strength above the pre-determined threshold value, then the UE enters C-DRX mode (block1006). When no nearby base stations have a signal strength above the pre-determined threshold value, the UE does not enter C-DRX mode (block1005).

It is noted that the method illustrated inFIG. 10is merely an example. In other embodiments, different operations may be included in the method, and other operations may be omitted.

Turning toFIG. 11, an embodiment of a method for operating a UE connected to a network is illustrated. As described above in more detail in reference toFIG. 5, the operation begins with the UE checking current RF conditions (block1101). The method is then dependent upon the result of the RF condition check (block1102). When the RF conditions are acceptable, the UE continues to check the RF conditions (block1101).

The method then depends on whether or not measurement gaps have been enabled (block1103). In some embodiments, measurement gaps may be enabled to provide a period of time when the UE is not sending or receiving data from the network in order to allow it a period of time to try alternative channels or frequencies searching for a better connection to the network.

When measurement gaps are not enabled, the UE enters C-DRX mode (block1105). When measurement gaps are enabled, the UE may not enter C-DRX mode (block1104). It is noted that the method illustrated inFIG. 11is merely an example. In other embodiments, different operations and different orders of operations are possible and contemplated.