Radio communication system
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsTimothy J. Moulsley, Paul Bucknell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radio communication system has means for enabling the control channels associated with a data channel transmitting packet data with a low duty cycle to be switched to a dormant state or interrupted entirely. This reduces the excessive overhead that such control channels represent on a data channel only using a small proportion of the available channel capacity.
Claims20
A radio communication system comprising:
- a primary station,
- a plurality of secondary stations,
- a communication channel between the primary station and a secondary station, the communication channel comprising an uplink control channel and a downlink control channel for the transmission of control information between the primary and secondary stations, and
- a data channel for the transmission of data packets,
- each of the primary and secondary stations having traffic reduction means for reducing traffic in the uplink and downlink control channels, and control means for activating the traffic reduction means,
- the control means activating the traffic reduction means after a first data transmission on the data channel to cause the uplink and downlink control channels to enter into a dormant state during which control information is transmitted on the uplink and downlink control channels,
- the traffic reduction means being arranged to cause transmission of a reduced amount of control information on the uplink and downlink control channels while the uplink and downlink control channels are in the dormant state than the amount of control information transmitted on the uplink and downlink control channels during transmission of data packets on the data channel.
A primary station for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel between the primary station and a secondary station, the communication channel comprising an uplink and a downlink control channel for the transmission of control information between the primary station and the secondary station, and a data channel for the transmission of data packets, the primary station comprising:
- traffic reduction means for reducing traffic in the downlink control channel, and
- control means for activating the traffic reduction means,
- the control means activating the traffic reduction means after a first data transmission on the data channel to cause the uplink and downlink control channels to enter into a dormant state during which control information is transmitted on the uplink and downlink control channels,
- the traffic reduction means being arranged to cause transmission of a reduced amount of control information on the uplink and downlink control channels while the uplink and downlink control channels are in the dormant state than the amount of control information transmitted on the uplink and downlink control channels during transmission of data packets on the data channel.
A secondary station for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel between the secondary station and a primary station, the communication channel comprising an uplink and a downlink control channel for the transmission of control information between the primary station and the secondary station, and a data channel for the transmission of data packets, the secondary station comprising:
- traffic reduction means for reducing traffic in the uplink control channel, and
- control means for activating the traffic reduction means,
- the control means activating the traffic reduction means after a first data transmission on the data channel to cause the uplink and downlink control channels to enter into a dormant state during which control information is transmitted on the uplink and downlink control channels,
- the traffic reduction means being arranged to cause transmission of a reduced amount of control information on the uplink and downlink control channels while the uplink and downlink control channels are in the dormant state than the amount of control information transmitted on the up link and downlink control channels during transmission of data packets on the data channel.
A method of operating a radio communication system comprising a primary station and a plurality of secondary stations, the system having a communication channel between the primary station and a secondary station, the communication channel comprising an uplink and a downlink control channel for the transmission of control information between the primary station and the secondary station, and a data channel for the transmission of data packets, the method comprising:
- entering the uplink and downlink control channel into a dormant state after a first data transmission on the data channel;
- transmitting control information on the uplink and downlink control channels during transmission of data packets;
- and
- transmitting an amount of control information the uplink and downlink control channels while the uplink and downlink control channels are in the dormant state which is less than the amount of control information transmitted on the uplink and downlink control channels during transmission of data packets on the data channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.