US 2001/0026546 A1 · Subscriber terminal, network controller and communication system for performing packet data transfer with reduced delay

Abstract

In a communication system (SYS) in which a packet data transfer is performed between the network side (NS) and the subscriber terminal side (SS) a physical connection (LC) is maintained during the data packet transfer. An active period detector (AP-DET) detects an active period of data packet generation by evaluating the inter-arrival time (TDIFF) between successively arriving data packets (DP). If the inter-arrival time (TDIFF) falls within a predetermined range a physical connection maintaining device (LC-MAIN) maintains the physical connection (LC) even if a transmitter queue (TR-QUE) temporarily becomes empty. Therefore, within the active period (AP) the transmitter (NS-TR; SS-TR) indicates a non-empty queue. The invention finds particular application in the GPRS/(E)GPRS/GSM environment.

Claims31

Dependent claims

Subscriber terminal (SS) of a communication system (SYS) for performing packet data transfer on a connection (UL, DL) between the subscriber terminal (SS) side and a network side (NS), wherein during a data packet transfer a physical connection (TBF) is maintained which indicates in the subscriber terminal (SS) and the network side (NS) that the subscriber terminal (SS) and the network side (NS) are valid for performing said packet data transfer, comprising

a) a transmission detector (TDET1) including an active period detector (AP-DET) for monitoring, during a data packet transfer from said subscriber terminal side (SS) to said network side (NS), the inter-arrival time (TDIFF) of data packets (DP) and for determining as an active period (AP) the period from a first data packet (DP1) to a last data packet (DPn) for which each monitored inter-arrival time (TDIFF) falls in a predetermined range (TPA);
and
b) a physical connection controller (LC-CTRL) including a physical connection maintaining device (LC-MAIN) for maintaining said physical connection between said subscriber terminal (SS) side and said network side (NS) in said active period (AP).

A network controller (NC) of a communication system (SYS) for performing packet data transfer on a connection (UL, DL) between a subscriber terminal (SS) side and a network side (NS), wherein during a data packet transfer a physical connection (TBF) is maintained which indicates in the subscriber terminal (SS) and the network side (NS) that the subscriber terminal (SS) and the network side (NS) are valid for performing said packet data transfer, comprising

a) a transmission detector (TDET1) including an active period detector (AP-DET) for monitoring, during a data packet transfer from said network side (NS) to said subscriber terminal side (NS), the inter-arrival time (TDIFF) of data packets (DP) and for determining as an active period (AP) the period from a first data packet (DP1) to a last data packet (DPn) for which each monitored inter-arrival time (TDIFF) falls in a predetermined range (TRA);
and
b) a physical connection controller (LC-CTRL) including a physical connection maintaining device (LC-MAIN) for maintaining said physical connection between said subscriber terminal (SS) side and said network side (NS) in said active period (AP).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Subscriber terminal, network controller and communication system for performing packet data transfer with reduced delay

Life of this patent

Subscriber terminal, network controller and communication system for performing packet data transfer with reduced delay

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31