Patent Application
20080020808
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 “transceiver” can include any component that is capable of receiving and/or transmitting wireless signals.
The present invention concerns a method and system for supporting fast connection set-up in a communication network. The method can include the steps of—in a mobile station that is capable of operating in at least two separate power saving modes, a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode, entering an operational state associated with the second power saving mode and staying in the first power saving mode. Such a process can enable the mobile station to avoid entry into the second power saving mode during the operational state.
In the first power saving mode, the mobile station may remain registered with a communication network. Additionally, in the second power saving mode, the mobile station may be de-registered from the communication network. As an example, the first power saving mode can be a sleep mode, and the second power saving mode can be an idle mode. By maintaining the mobile station in the sleep mode, the mobile station can have faster connection set-up for applications that it runs. For example, the initial set-up time for a push-to-talk call can be reduced in this arrangement.
Referring to
In one arrangement, the MS 114 may include a user interface 116, a processor 118 and a transceiver 120. Additionally, the processor 118 may be coupled to and control the operation of the user interface 116 and the transceiver 120. Through the transceiver 120, the MS 114 is able to exchange voice and/or data with the network 110. A user may enter information into and receive information from the MS 114, such as data and/or voice, through the user interface 116. The MS 114 can be designed to support various applications. In one particular embodiment, the MS 114 can support dispatch or push-to-talk communications. To do so, the MS 114 can include a PTT button 122, which may be part of the user interface 116.
As is known in the art, it is desirable to have fast connection set-up in PTT communications. In fact, there is an effort in the industry to reduce PTT connection set-up time to around or even below 600 milliseconds (ms). A connection set-up or connection set-up time in the PTT context can be the time that it takes for the network 110 to establish the proper signaling connections with the MS 114 to enable a user to transmit or receive voice or data to or from the network 110. It is understood, however, that a PTT application is not the only application that the MS 114 may support, or for that matter, the only application for which the MS 114 seeks to reduce a connection set-up time.
Referring to
At step 210, a mobile station in a communication network can be operated, where the mobile station may operate in at least two power saving modes—a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode. At step 212, the mobile station can enter an operational state associated with the second power saving mode. The mobile station may stay in the first power saving mode, thereby avoiding entry into the second power saving mode during the operational state, as shown at step 214.
For example, referring to
To enter the sleep mode or the idle mode, the MS 114 signals the relevant BS 112 of the network 110, and the MS 114 and the BS 112 follow standard procedures to carry out the particular request. As is also known in the art, the MS 114 may enter a sleep mode when the MS 114 is running an application, such as a PTT call. During the sleep mode, certain portions of the MS 114, like the receiver or transmitter portion of the transceiver 120, may be temporarily shut down to preserve battery life. If the MS 114 is not currently running an application, the MS 114 may enter the idle mode and de-register from the network 110 to prolong the charge on the battery. This transition to the idle mode may also depend on whether the MS 114 is presently moving, as little or no movement of the MS 114 would favor entering the idle mode.
The MS 114 may eventually enter an operational state associated with the second power saving mode, e.g., the idle mode. The term “operational state associated with the second power saving mode” may refer to any condition of the MS 114 that would typically cause the MS 114 to enter the second power saving mode. For example, the MS 114 may not be currently running an application and may be stationary or moving very little.
In one arrangement, the processor 118 may be programmed to keep the MS 114 in the first power saving mode, which, in this example, is the sleep mode, during the operational state. Maintaining the MS 114 in the sleep mode can be performed instead of causing the MS 114 to enter the idle mode. As such, the MS 114 can maintain its signaling connections with the network 110 and can remain registered with the network 110.
Thus, because it may remain registered with the network 110, the MS 114 can reduce the connection set-up time associated with one or more applications that it may run. For example, the initial set-up time for a PTT call, whether the MS 114 is the originating device or the called device, may be decreased, as the MS 114 does not have to go through the process of re-registering with the network 110. In addition, because the BS 112 does not reserve bandwidth for the signaling connections in sleep mode, there is no overall effect on the ability of the network 110 to transmit data to the MSs 114. Moreover, if the network 110 is, for example, an 802.16e network, the BS 112 can easily maintain connection identifications (CID) for the signaling connections, as the BS 112 can store a significant number of these CDs. Implementation of this process into the system 100 does not require any protocol changes, either.
While improving connection set-up for applications on the MS 114, keeping the MS 114 in the sleep mode may consume resources of the network 110 because the MS 114 remains registered with the BS 112. Also, the MS 114 may continue to perform handover while it is in sleep mode. Accordingly, it may be desirable to base the process of maintaining the MS 114 in the first power saving mode during the operational state on predefined criteria. As an example, the predefined criteria may be a type of subscription for the MS 114, a time of day, a geographic location or the second power saving mode being incompatible with an application of the MS 114.
In particular, a wireless carrier may charge a premium to allow a user of the MS 114 to subscribe to the feature described above. Also, the process of maintaining the MS 114 in the first power saving mode may only be performed during a certain time of day, such as during business hours when certain applications are more likely to be running on the MS 114. The MS 114 being in a particular geographic location, such as a workplace, may also trigger this feature.
As is known in the art, in the idle mode, the MS 114 may subscribe to a particular paging cycle set by the BS 112. In some cases, a paging cycle may be too long (temporally) for suitable operation of an application. For example, a long paging cycle may be ill-suited for setting up PTT calls, because it increases the initial set-up time. In this scenario, the process of keeping the MS 114 in the first power saving mode may be executed to avoid the lengthy paging cycle.
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.
