EP 1 180 907 A2 Europdisches Patentamt European Patent Office (12) Office européen des brevets, (43) Date of publication 20.02.2002 Bulletin 2002/08 (21) Application number: 01305495.2 (22) Date of fing: 25.08.2001 a EP 1 180 907 A2 EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION 1) invci7: HO4Q 7/38 (84) Designated Contracting States: AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GRIE/TLILU MC NL PTSETR Designated Extension States: ALLTLV MK RO SI (80) Prionty: 16.08.2000 US 641696 (71) Applicant: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. Murray Hil, New Jersey 07974-0636 (US) (72) lnventors: * Laroia, Rajiv Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920 (US) * Li, Junyi Matawan, New Jersey 07747 (US) + Uppala, Sathyadev Venkata Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076 (US) (74) Representative Watts, Christopher Malcolm Kelway, Dr. et al Lucent Technologies NS UK Limited, 5 Mornington Road Woodford Green Essex, IG8 OTU (GB) 64) system (87) Uplink trafic channel allocation is realized by Uutlizing a dedicated control channel in which a pre: scribed portion ofthe control channel resource, forex: ‘ample, frequency, ime slot or the ike, is reserved for transporting the uplink rafic channel requests. Both the base station and the particular mobile unitknow the pre scribed portion ofthe control channel resource a prior Consequently, when the particular mobile unt transmits ‘an uplink traffic channel request via the presorioed por: tion ofthe control channel resource there is no need for ‘adding any control header information, thereby minimiz: Ing overhead, Furthermore, the length of the uplink tra fic channel requests can be optimally chosen without constraints imposed by other control message schemes, Reduced overhead coupled with the pro ‘Apparatus and method for acquiring an uplink traffic channel in a wireless communications scribed portion ofthe control channel resource arriving quite frequently reduces latency inthe particular mobile nit acquiring an uplink trafic channel. In one example, dolivery of adequate uplink trafic channel request infor ‘mation tothe base station, while minimizing the adverse impact of losing requests, is ensured by persistently transmiting the requests. Specifically, after the mobile Unt transmis a frst request, it vansmits a second or ‘even a third request instead of walting to receive a re sponse message from the base station and/or waiting for a timer to time out. By the mobile unit using such a persistent request transmission scheme, the base sta- lion can readily determine the true value of the received request by eliminating the transmission loop delay ef- fect, thereby allowing a sensible assignment decision to bbe made, FIG. 3 DEDICATED FOR REQUESTS } DEDICATED CONTROL a USED aY OTHER CONTROL. MESSAGES $3 SA CHANNEL1 EP 1 180 907 A2 2 Description Technical Field [0001] This invention relates to wireless communica: tions eystems and, more particulary, to wireless com: ‘munications between mobile units and base stations Background of the Invention [0002] The basiemechanism in wireless communica: tion systems for acquiring an uplink trafic channel ba: ‘ween a base station and one or more mobile units to transmit data isto provide each mobile unit with a ded: cated control channel for exchanging control messag: 8, One such wireless system is the Orthogonal Fre- {queney Division Muttplex (OFDM) based spread spec: trum mutiple access systam. A reprasentation ofa oa: cated control channel including messages transported Cn it is shown in FIG. 1. Fixed langth control messages fare used and a so-called one size fits all approach is utlized to determine the length of control messages. Consequently, the length of the control messages cor: responds to the longest message that has to be trans: ported on the dedicated control channel, Ono such con trolmessage is @ requestor a trafic channel thats typ ically shorter than the longest control message. These Control messages also have headers that indicate the structure and ype of control message. Since the ro: {quest messages have tobe packaged into the standard fixed length control message there is overhead. Addi tionally, ifthe request messages have to be transmitted frequently tocompensate for changingrnobile unitratic requirements andito reduce the adverse impact of losing trafic requests, the wireless system incurs a significant ‘amount of overhead and becomes quite inoficient. The length of the fixed control message also increases la tency in conveying the requests to the base station and receiving responses from the base station ‘Summary of the Invention [0003] Problems and limitations of prior uplink trafic channel allocation arrangements are addressed by ut: lizing a dedicated control channel in which a prescribed portion ofthe control channel resource, for example, tre: quency, time slot ortho ik, is reserved for transporting the uplink tratfie channel requests. Both the base station ‘and the particular mobile unit know the prescribed por: tion of the control channel resource a priori, Conse: quently, when the particular mobile uit transmits an up- link trafic channel request via the prescribed portion of the control channel resource there is na need for adcing ‘any control header information, thereby minimizing overtiead. Furthermore, the length of the uplink trafic channel requests can be optimally chosen without con straints imposed by other control message schemes, Reduced overhead coupled with the preseribed portion Cf the control channel resource arriving quite frequently reduces latency in the particular mobile unit acquiring fan uplink trafic channel [0004] In one example, delivery of adequate uplink trafic channel request information to the base station, hile minimizing the adverse impact of losing requests, Is ensured by persistently transmiting the requests. Specially, alter the mobile unit transmits a first re- quest, it transmits @ second or even a third request in- stead of wailing to receive a response message from the base station andlor wating for a timer to time ou, [0005] By the mobile unt using such a persistont ro {quest transmission schemo, the base station can readlly determine the tre value of the raceived request by lim inating the transmission loop delay effec, thereby allow- Ing a seneible assignment decision to be made, Brief Description of the Drawing [0006] FIG. 1 graphically Ilustrates the use of a dedicated Control channel for transmitting uplink tafe chan: nel requests in prior known systems FIG. 2 shows, in simpltied black diagram form, de tails of abase station and a plurality of mobile units in which the invention may be employed: FIG. 3 graphically Ilustrates the use of a dedicated Control channel and a proscribed format for trans: ‘iting uplink traffic channel requests in accord ‘ance wit the invention: FIG. 4isa graphical representation ofthe transmis- sion of uplink trafic channel requests and downlink response messages useful in describing an aspect ‘ofthe invention FIG. Sis. graphical representation of abase station process in assignment of trafic channels in re sponse to persistent request transmission from a ‘mobile unit FIG, Gisa graphicalilustation of aprocessinwhich ‘a mobile unit requests a trafic channel in terms of tho rate of transmission ofthe data; FIG. 7isa graphicalilustration of aprocassin which ‘a mobile unit requests a traffic channel in terms of the number of frames required for transmission of the data: FIG, 8 is a flow chart illustrating the stops in the process of a mobile unit transmiting trafic channel requests; and FIG. 9's a flow chart ilustrating the steps in the process of a base station processing the mobile unit requests in the assignment ofa tratfie channel. Detailed Description [0007] As indicated above, FIG. 1 graphically lus rales the use of a dedicated control channel for trans: mitting uplink traffic channel requests in prior known3 EP 1 180 907 A2 4 systems. Mobile units, for example, 202-1 through 202-Y of FIG. 2, have @ dedicated control channel (OCCH) that is used for exchanging various kinds of Control messages. Control messages are transmitted ‘over atixed length frame, The length ofthe control mes: ‘sage frames is determined with a one size ft all ap proach in order thal various types of control messages can be fitted into the common control message frame. (One ofthe messages that is transmitted over this dedi ‘cated channel is a request fora trafic channel by a mo- bile unit. When such a control message is transmitted the mobile unit typicaly waits for a response control ‘message from the base station, for examplo, 201 FIG. 2, and incase there is no response in a prescribed time Interval, the mobile unt “times out” and retransmits the request control message. Upon receipt of a response ‘message the mobile unit ean then transmit data to the base station using the granted traf channel [0008] In this prior arrangement, the control messag: es have afxed length, which is determined by he length ofthe largest message that needs to be conveyed on the DCCH. This length is typically much longer than is needed for request control messages. They also have headers that incicate the structure and type af the con trol message. Since the requests have to be packaged into the standard control message frame there is over head. If these messages have to be transmitted tre quently to allow for changing mobile unit tratfic needs, thisprior system incurs significant amount of overhoad and becomes quite ineficient. Moreover, because of the length of the control massage there is also an increase in latency in conveying the requests and getting ro- sponses, [0009] FIG, 2shows, n simplified block diagram form, dotails of wireless mobile communications system in cluding base station 201 and a number of mobile units 202-4 through 202-Y in which the invention may be ad: vantageously employed. In this example, base station 201 includes transmitter 208, receiver 204 and contro: [er 205 tor ransmiting and receiving wireless messages Via antenna 206. Controller 205 is employed to control ‘operation of transmitter 208 and receiver 204, in accord: ‘ance with the invention. Similaty, inthis example, each ‘of mobile units 202-1 through 202-Y includes transmitter 207, receiver 208 and controller209forransmiting and ‘receiving wireless messages via antenna 210. Control: lor 209 is employed to control oporation of transmittor 207 and receiver 208, in aocordance with the invention, (One such wireless system that may be employed for system 200 is the Orthogonal Frequency Division Mul: tiplex (OFDM) based spread spectrum multiple access system, [0010] FIG. 3 graphicaly iustrates the use of a ded: ‘cated control channel anda prescribed format for rans: ‘iting uplink trafic channel requests, in accordance with the invention. The uplink traffic channe! requests ‘are transmitted on a dedicated resource of the control channel, for example, time slots $1, S2, $3, and $4, hile other control messages are conveyedwith the rest ‘ofthe control channel resource. In ather words, the ded- Icated control channelis used exclusively by apartioular fone of mobile units 202-1 through 202-¥ with a pre- serlbed portion ofthe control channel resouree being re- served exclusively for conveying the uplink traffic chan ‘ol requests from that particular mobile unit Ths is re alized by transmitter 207 under contro of controller 208 generating the contralchannelon which the uplink trafic channel requests are transported, in this example, on the preseribed portion of the contrel channel resource, The uplink traffic channel requests are typically formed from a group of contiguous bis in a prescribed portion ‘ofthe control channel. For example, time slots $1, S2, '$3.and 84, each including a set of contiguous bits could convey separate uplink traffic channel requests, Anoth ‘ermechanism that could be adoptedis to convey uplink trafic channel requests using groups of contiguous bits. For example, timo slots S 1 and S2 could be used to gether to convey an uplink trafic channel request and lime slots $3 and $4 could be used together to convey ‘another uplink traffic channel request. Additionally, oth- cer control messages may be transmitted in bit postions bbotween the time slots for example, the bit positions be- tween time slots S1 and $2, between time slots S2 and ‘83, botwoen time slots $3 and $4, otc [0011] An advantage of using the prescribed dedicat ‘ed control channel resource for conveying uplink trafic channel requests is that overhead has been eliminated from the control message. That is, headers othe like ‘are not required. This is because both the base station 201 and the particular mobile unit 202 know a priori where the time slots are located in the control channel Moreover, the number of bits In each of tie slots S 1 through $4 can be reduced to just the number of bits ‘needed to convey the uplink trafic channel requests. The transmission of uplink traffic channel requests from the particular mobile unit 202 can be made persistently Ln the base station responds. This in tur eliminates lateney related tothe timing out of timers used in prior ‘mobile units, [0012] It should be noted that in general, the dedicat: (ed control channels @ low-rate channel. Moreover, the dedicated control channel has to be partitioned to con- vey requests and other control messages. Thus, the bandiwlath of transmitting requests is very limited. On the other hand, in ordar to minimize the latency of trans: rmtting requests, the dedicated resource of conveying requests should be available in a perioccally recurring ‘manner with the inter-arrval times being kept smal Hence, the size of a request is small. As a result, the ‘mobile unit 202-1 may not be able to convey much in- formation in a request. In action, as there may not be ‘much coding gain to combat a hostte wiroless channel the probabiity of request being lost is high. Therefore, in orderto ensure adequate request information can be collectively delivered the base station 20% and o min- Imize the adverse impact of losing requests, the mobile5 EP 1 180 907 A2 6 nit 202 persistently transmits requests, That is, after the first request is transmitted, the mobile unit 202-1 continues to transmit the second and even third re quests instead of waiting for responses from the base station 201 and/or waiting for a timer expiration, This ‘compares with prior arrangements in which the mooilo nit 202-1 sets up a timer and waits for a response from base station 20 after transmitting an uplink traffic chan nel request [0013] FIG. 4 is @ graphical representation of the transmission of uplink traffic channel requests and downlink response messages usaful in describing an ‘aspoct ofthe invention. Specially, FIG. 4ilustratos tho dynamic flow ofthe uplink trafic channel request trans: mmission process. To this end, two contiguous bit blocks ‘are grouped inthis example, in groups Gt through G3 ‘Specially, in this example, group Gt includes time slots $1 and $2 andthe intarvening bit psitions, group G2 includes time slots $3 and $4 and the intervening bit positions, Group G3 includes time slots $5 and SB ‘and the intervening bit positions, ete. As shown, the re sponse to uplink traffle channel request 1 transmitted from mobile unit 202-1 in group Gt is transmitted from base station 201 betwaen time slots S2 and $3 and ro Clved betwaen time slots S4 and SS. Instead of walting for this response from base station 201, mobile unit 202-4 retransmits uplink trafic channel request 1 in group G2. Mobile unit 202-1 then receives a response from the base station 201, Mobile unit 202-1 then could transmit an uplink trafic channel request 2 in group G3. Depending on the type of uplink trafic channel requests that are boing transmitted there may be no need to transmit an uplink traffic channel request in group G3. The uplink vattic channel requests couldbe used t con vey rate requests, In such an instance, once mobile unit 202-1 receives a response from the base station 201 there is nothing else transmitted in group G3. The ro quests could also be used to convey the stalus of a queue in mobile unit202-1 tothe base station 201. Upon receiving a response from base station 201, the mobile Unit 202-1 transmits an updated queue status, [0014] FIG. Sis a graphical representation of a base Station 201 process in assignment of uplink traffic chan nels in response to persistent uplink trafic channel re quest transmission from @ mobile unit 202. Given the scheme employed in the mobile units 202, and in this ‘example mobile unit 202-1, of persistently transmitting uplink trafic channel requests for traffic channels, the base station 201 has to employ an appropriate strategy ta determine how to respond othe uplink ratfic channel requests. A response transmitted rom base station 201 Via transmitter 203 under control of controller 208 and rocoWved by mobile unit 202-1 via receiver 208 under contr of controlar 208 contains the assignment of a prescribed dedicated traffic channel resource. [0015] Given the persistent transmission scheme Used in the mobile units 202, the base station 201 do- termines the true value of uplink trafic channel requests from the mobile units 202 by eliminating th delay oop ctfloct existing in any practical systom, so that a sensible assignment decision can be made. Broly, when a mo- bile unit 202 tranemits an uplink rai channel request to base station 201, the parteular mobile unt 202 isnot ‘aware ofall the rasponses that have beon transmitted by baso station 201 within the dolay loop. Theso ro sponses may include certain trafic channel assign ments, The so-called "rue value" ofthe uplink trafic channel request is defined as the amount ofthe tat channel resource that the particular mobile unit 202 would have requested if the particular mebilo unit 202 had boon aware of all the responses that had beon transmitted by base station 201 within the delay loop. [0016] Itcan be seen that if there was no delay, ie 8 dolay of 070, rom the timo instant when the base sa- tion 204 tranemits back a response to the mobile unit 202-1 basedn a previous uplnktrafc channel request tothotimoinetantwhonthe mobile unt 202-1 pracessos that response and transmits anothor uplink trafic chan nel request, tothe time instant when that uplink Wratfic channel request is received by the base station 201, than the strategy is vry simple. Basically the base sta: tion 201 colects the requirements of th traffic channols fromallthe actve mobile units 202, andthen detormines the channel assignment basod on some prescribed scheduling policy. For example, the scheduling policy could such that the trafic channel requests rom mo- bile units 202 having a higher priorty ro always sats fied betore the trafic channel requests of mobile units 202 that havea lower priory. However, n reality, aro sponse noods sometime intrva tobe transmitted rom base station 201 and reach the particular mobile unit 202-1, and the particular mobile unt 202-1 needs some time inirval to decode tho response and to determine and ransmita new uplink afc channel roquost. Final ly that now uplink trafic channel request noeds some lime intorval o roach and be decoded by ho baso sta- tion201. As shown in FIG 5, when the base station 201 receives uplink trate channel request A at time 10, be- ceauso of tho above procossing/transmission/propaga: tion delays, that uplink trafic channel request indood does not reflect afew responses that were transmited from base station 201 in the time interval of 12,10). The reason is that when uplink traffic channel request Awas transmitted from the mobile unt 202-4 at time 1, the ‘mobile unit 202-1 had not boon aware of those respons: transmitted from base sation 201 in time intowval (2 10) and was thus unable o adjust the uplink traffic chan nel request accordingly. [0017] For any upink trafic channel request, we de- fine the delay oop tobe the time interval rom when the lest response, of which the uplink tafe channel re «questi indopondent, was transmited to wien the up- linktrafic channel requests received. As shownin FIG. 5, for uplink trafic channel request A, the oldest re- sponse of which upink atic channel request As inde- pendent is response Z, which was Wansmtted at time7 EP 1 180 907 A2 8 12, Therefore, the delay loop is from £20 10, The delay loop depends on several factors such as the transmis: sion rates of the mobile unit 202 uplink trafic channel requests, the base slalion 201 responses, and the processing capabilty of the mobile unit 202 and the base station 201. However in general the dolay loop is ‘asyslom parameter, which isthe same forall uplink ra fie channel requests [0018] The strategy used in the base station 201 is to determine the "rue" value of the uplink trafic channel request of mobile unit 202-1 from the received uplink trafic channel request in the fist step and to then do: termine the traffic assignment in the Seoond step. Tho dolay loop affects the first step. Specifically, the “tuo value of the uplink trafic channe! request of mobile unit 202-4 isthe value ofthe received uplink tafe channel request subtracted by the value of the total amount of trafic resource that has been assignedin the delay loop, ‘Once the "true" value of the uplink traffic channel ra: quest of mobile unit 202-1 is determined, the effct of the delay oop is eliminated, and the second steps quite straightforward as discussed previously for the case where the delay is zero, [0019] Ingeneral, dependingon how assignments are ‘mada inthe responses of base station 201, responses ‘may not have a one-lo-one mapping relation to uplink trafic channel requests. For example, there could be ‘more than one response corresponding toa single up- link taic channol request, Thus, the number of assign ‘ments in the delay loop may also vary. [0020] FIG. 6 ie graphical illustration ofa process in which a mobile unit 202 requests a traffic channel in terms ofthe rate of transmission ofthe data, As shown In FIG. 6, this example illustrates an example In which the uplink traffic channel requests of mobile unit 202-1 and the corresponding assignments made by base sta tion 201 are given in torms of rates. Speoticaly, at 10, uplink trafic arrives atthe mobile unit202-1. The mobile ‘uni 202-1 transmits uplink trafic channel request A, Which requests a tratfle channel with a prescribed rate sultable to transmit the traffic, At time #7, uplink traffic channel request Ais received by the base station 201 The base station 201 decides to assign a traffic channel {as requested and transmits back to mobile unit 202-1 a response Z containing the assignment at time 12. How: ‘ever, before mobile unit 202-1 receives response Z, the ‘mobile unt 202-4 transmits another uplink trafic chan nol request B at time 18, which contains the same rate request. Uplink traffic channel request & reaches the base station 201 al time 15. The base station 201 deter: ‘mines thatthe "true* value of uplink trafic channel re quest Bis zero, as response Zis transmitted within the dolay loop and the amount of traffic resource assigned in response Z exactly cancels out the amount of trafic resource that uplink trafic channel request B has ro: quested, Hence, the base station 201 simply discards uplink traffic channel request Band takes no further ao- tion. After the mobile unit 202-1 receives response Zat time t4, the mobile unit 202-1 stops transmitting any ‘more uplink traffic channel requests. [0021] FIG. 7 isa graphical illustration ofa process in which a mobile unit 202 requests a traffic channel in terms ofthe number of frames requiced for ransmission (ofthe data, As show in FIG, 7, an example is llustrated where the uplink wale channel requests of mole unit 202-4 and the assignments made by base station 201 are given in terms of frames. Specifically, at 10, uplink trafic artves at the mobile unit 202-4. Suppose the taf- fie requires 8 trames of traffic channel resource to be transmitted. Thus, the mobile unit 202-1 tranemits uplink traffic channel request A at time f0, which requests 8 frames. At time 11, uplink traffic channel request Ais re- Celved by the base station 201. The base station 201 dotermines fo assign 8 frames as requested, However, ‘assume that because of a certain structure of transmit ting traffic assignments, responses are not transmitted ‘xpi, Instead, the base station 201 broadcasts the assignments, one for each frame. In other words, the ‘assignments of the 8 frames are transmitted one-by- ‘one. Furthermore, the number of trac trames that can bbe assigned to the mobile unit 202-1 is limited by the trafic channel resource availabilty of te system and the tranamission/processing capabilty of the mobile unt 202-4. Therefore, the base station 201 may not bo able to assign 8 trafic trames at one time [0022] Suppose attime 12, the base station 201 trans- mits @ response Z assigning 2 frames, which reaches the mobile 202-1 at imo 4. Meanwhile, unaware of the Incoming assignments, the mobile unit202-1 persistent: ly transmits another uplink trafic channel request B of B frames at time 13, which reaches the base station 201 at time 15. AS response Z's within the loop delay, the base station 201 subtracts the 2 assigned frames from uplink traffic channel request B and determines thatthe "true" value of uplink traffic channel request Bis actually 6 frames. Suppose the base station 201 transmits a re- sponse Y assigning $ frames at time 16, which reaches the mobile unit 202-1 attime t& Meanwhile after recel Ing response Z,thamnobile unit202-t transmits an uplink trafic channel request C of 6 frames at time 17, which reaches the base station 201 at time 19. After receiving uplink trafic channel request C, the base station 201 determines thatthe "rue" value of uplink traffi channel request Cis actually frames. Suppose the base station 201 transmits rasponso X assigning 2 frames at time 110, which reaches the mobile unit 202-1 at timo 112, [Now suppose tr time 17, a portion of remaining trafic (e.g.2 frames) drops at the mobile 202-1, eg., because itis realtime traffic and misses the deadine. Conse- quently, the mobile unit 202-1 has only 1 frame to be transmitted. The mobile unt 202-1 then transmits uplink trafic channel request D for 1 frame at time t1, which roaches the base station 201 at time 143. At time £12, the mobile unit 202-1 transmits the last frame in one of the wo assigned frame resources and then stops trans: ritting any more uplink vaffie channel requests, After