The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled” as used herein, are defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “processor” can include any component or group of components, including any relevant hardware and/or software, that can carry out the functions described in relation to the inventive arrangements herein. The term “order” or “ordering” can mean the arrangement of any suitable form of information in accordance with a predefined protocol or set of rules.
The invention concerns a method and system for setting a paging indication sequence in paging messages. In one arrangement, the method can include the steps of—in a mixed media environment—receiving incoming traffic designated for one or more MSSs in a paging group in which the MSSs are capable of operating time-critical applications and ordering the paging indication sequence of the paging messages. The ordering can be performed such that higher priority identifiers associated with the time-critical applications are positioned in front of lower priority identifiers. This process can reduce the connection set-up time for the time-critical applications of the MSSs. As an example, the time-critical applications may be real-time applications, and the lower priority identifiers may be associated with non-real-time applications. For example, the real-time applications may include PTT calls and VOIP calls, and the non-real-time applications may include e-mail and Web browsing.
Referring to
The network 100 may also include one or more paging controllers 116. The paging controller 116 may be a stand-alone unit that is hard-wired or wirelessly coupled to the BSs 110. Alternatively, one or more of the BSs 110 may include the paging controller 116. As will be further explained below, the paging controller 116 may receive incoming traffic and can order paging indication sequences of paging messages in a manner that reduces the connection set-up time for certain applications of the MSSs 112. In one embodiment, the paging controller 116 can include a buffer 118 that can receive and buffer the incoming traffic. The incoming traffic can be for voice and/or data connections from any number of various sources, such as the Internet or some other communication network. In addition, the incoming traffic may be referred to as or comprised of session initiation messages, although the invention is not so limited.
As an example, the communication network 100 can be a network that operates in accordance with the IEEE standard 802.16e. As such, the network 100 may operate in a mixed media environment. A mixed media environment can be any setting where the exchange of any suitable data and voice is capable between mobile units and fixed network equipment. Examples include PTT or interconnect calls, short messaging service (SMS) applications, VOIP calls, e-mail and Internet or Web browsing. Of course, the invention is not limited to any of these particular examples.
Referring to
At step 210, in a mixed media environment, incoming traffic (such as session initiation messages) designated for one or more MSSs in a paging group can be received. At step 212, the incoming traffic designated for the MSSs can be buffered. A priority of the incoming traffic can be determined, as shown at step 214. To further describe these processes, reference will be made to
As is known in the art, the MSSs 112 may enter an idle mode to conserve battery life. For purposes of the invention, the term idle mode can refer to a mobile unit being de-registered from a communications network. During the idle mode, however, the MSSs 112 may still need to continue to periodically monitor for transmissions from the BSs 110. As such, a BS 110 can assign one or more of the MSSs 112 to a paging group having a predetermined paging cycle and listening interval.
An example of a paging cycle 300 is shown in
As noted earlier, the duration of a particular paging cycle 300 may depend on the applications or functions performed by the MSSs 112. In this example, the MSSs 112 can support dispatch communications, which can require a relatively short paging cycle 300 to reduce the set-up time for a PTT call. As such, this paging cycle 300 may be roughly 300 ms long, although it is understood that the paging cycle 300 can be of any other suitable duration. Also, the frames 312 may be of any suitable duration, although for purposes of this example, they may be considered 5 ms long and both the listening interval 310 and the paging cycle 300 may have a duration that is an integer multiple of the length of the frames 312. Additionally, the frames 312 may be considered orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frames, although the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment.
Because the MSSs 112 only periodically monitor transmissions from the BSs 110 in idle mode, incoming traffic intended for the MSSs 112 can be received by the paging controller 116 and temporarily stored in the buffer 118. The MSSs 112 are capable of operating both time-critical and non-time-critical applications. As an example, a time-critical application can be a real-time application, like a PTT or VOIP call. Conversely, a non-time-critical application can be a non-real-time application, such as e-mail or Internet/Web browsing. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to these particular examples. In fact, a time-critical application can be defined as any application where connection set-up time is deemed as a priority. In contrast, a non-time-critical application can mean any application where connection set-up time is not a priority and a relatively longer delay in initiating the application is acceptable.
In view of the capabilities of the MSSs 112, the incoming traffic may be associated with various types of voice and data connections. Because some applications require a faster connection set-up time than others, the paging controller 116 may determine a priority of the incoming traffic. This determination may also occur when the incoming traffic is buffered in the buffer 118.
Referring to
Referring back to
As noted earlier, the paging controller 116 can identify the priority of incoming traffic. The paging controller 116 can then signal the BSs 110 with such information. In response, the BSs 110 can order a paging indication sequence 512 of the paging message 510, which can be according to a predefined protocol or set of rules.
As an example, the paging indication sequence 512 can include higher priority identifiers 514 and lower priority identifiers 516. In one embodiment, the higher priority identifiers 514 may be associated with time-critical applications, and the lower priority identifiers 516 may be associated with non-real-time applications, examples of which were presented above. In one specific example but without limitation, the higher priority identifiers 514 and the lower priority identifiers 516 may be medium access control (MAC) address hashes. As is known in the art, an MSS 112 that operates in an 802.16e network can rely on these MAC address hashes to determine whether a paging message 510 is carrying information designated for that particular MSS 112. Once the order of the paging indication sequence 512 is set, the BS 110 can then transmit the paging messages 510 over the listening interval 310 of the paging cycle 300.
For purposes of the invention, a higher priority identifier can be defined as a form of data that can be processed by a mobile unit for informing the mobile unit of pending traffic and which is classified as important relative to other identifiers of a paging indication sequence. Conversely, a lower priority identifier can be defined as a form of data that can be processed by a mobile unit for informing the mobile unit of pending traffic and which is classified as less important relative to other identifiers (particularly, high priority identifiers) of a paging indication sequence. Moreover, a paging indication sequence can be defined as an arrangement of identifiers that inform mobile units of pending traffic, which includes higher priority identifiers and lower priority identifiers.
In one arrangement, the BSs 110 can position the higher priority identifiers 514 in front of the lower priority identifiers 516. Looking at the paging indication sequence 512, one can see that such a positioning scheme has been carried out here. As an example, the higher priority identifiers 514 may be associated with PTT or VOIP calls, and the lower priority identifiers 516 may be associated with e-mail or Web browsing. As a demonstration, the application with which the identifiers 514 and 516 are associated has been positioned on them in
Because the higher priority identifiers 514 are positioned in front of the lower priority identifiers 516, the paging messages 510 containing the higher priority identifiers 514 can reach the MSSs 112 before the paging messages 510 that include the lower priority identifiers 516. This process can reduce the connection set-up time for time-critical applications of the MSSs 112. For example, if a PTT call is to be initiated with an MSS 112, the higher priority identifier 514 associated with this PTT call can reach the appropriate MSS 112 before a lower priority identifier 516 associated with, for instance, an e-mail transmission reaches another MSS 112 on the same paging group. It must be noted that the invention is not limited to this particular example, as the type of applications that the MSSs 112 can operate are numerous and can be expanded, given the advance of technology. Moreover, the priority of these applications can be modified at any time by changing the set of rules or protocol for ordering the paging indication sequences 512.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.