Method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving control information of user equipment for uplink data transmission

A method of receiving control information of a User Equipment (UE) for uplink data transmission, comprising:

• receiving control information comprising a happy bit associated with transmission of the uplink data from the UE;
• storing the happy bit comprised in the control information with respect to a process in which the uplink data has been received, the happy bit taking on either an unhappy state value or a happy state value, each state value indicating respectively whether the UE is able to use more resources or not, the happy bit being set to “unhappy” if all of a predetermined criteria are met;
• determining an allowed maximum data rate and a number of active processes using happy bits stored with respect to a plurality of processes with the UE;
• and
• scheduling uplink data transmission for the UE according to the determined allowed maximum data rate and the determined number of active processes, and transmitting a scheduling grant indicating a scheduling result to the UE,
• wherein, if the process corresponding to the happy bit is active, the predetermined criteria include (i) the UE has adequate power available to transmit at a higher data rate than a current data rate, (ii) a total buffer status in the UE indicates that the UE requires more than a predetermined time delay to transmit data in the buffer, and (iii) the UE is transmitting Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) data at an allowed maximum data rate indicated by a serving grant, and
• if the process corresponding to the happy bit is inactive, the predetermined criteria include (iv) the UE has adequate power available to transmit at a higher data rate than a current data rate, (v) a total buffer status in the UE indicates that the UE requires more than a predetermined time delay to transmit data in the buffer, and (vi) a condition of the UE transmitting Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) data at an allowed maximum data rate indicated by a serving grant is always true.

An apparatus for transmitting control information for uplink data transmission in a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

• an active process controller for determining whether status of a current process to deliver uplink data on an Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) is set as one of active and inactive;
• a controller information decider for determining whether the current process meets a set of predetermined criteria in order to set a happy bit, and for setting the happy bit to “unhappy”, if all of the predetermined criteria are met, the happy bit taking on either an unhappy state value or a happy state value, each state value indicating respectively whether the UE is able to use more resources or not;
• a data channel transmitter comprising a plurality of processes for transmitting uplink data on the E-DCH, for transmitting the uplink data on an Enhanced-Dedicated Physical Data Channel (E-DPDCH);
• and
• a control channel transmitter for transmitting control information comprising the happy bit to a Node B on an Enhanced-Dedicated Physical Control Channel (E-DPCCH) associated with an Enhanced-Dedicated Physical Data Channel (E-DPDCH),
• wherein, if the current process is active, the set of predetermined criteria includes (i) the UE has adequate power available to transmit at a higher data rate than a current data rate, (ii) a total buffer status in the UE indicates that the UE requires more than a predetermined time delay to transmit data in the buffer, and (iii) the UE is transmitting E-DCH data at an allowed maximum data rate indicated by a serving grant, and
• if the current process is inactive, the set of predetermined criteria includes (iv) the UE has adequate power available to transmit at a higher data rate than a current data rate, (v) a total buffer status in the UE indicates that the UE requires more than a predetermined time delay to transmit data in the buffer, and (vi) a condition of the UE, transmitting E-DCH data at an allowed maximum data rate indicated by a serving want is always true.

An apparatus for receiving control information of a User Equipment (UE) for uplink data transmission in a Node B, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving control information comprising a happy bit associated with transmission of the uplink data from the UE;
• a memory for storing the happy bit comprised in the control information with respect to a process in which the uplink data has been received, the happy bit taking on either an unhappy state value or a happy state value, each state value indicating respectively whether the UE is able to use more resources or not, the happy bit being set to “unhappy” if all of a predetermined criteria are met;
• a UE status decider for determining an allowed maximum data rate and a number of active processes using happy bits stored with respect to a plurality of processes with the UE;
• a scheduling grant generator for scheduling uplink data transmission for the UE according to the determined allowed maximum data rate and the determined number of active processes, and generating a scheduling grant indicating a scheduling result;
• and
• a transmitter for transmitting the scheduling grant to the UE,
• wherein, if the process corresponding to the happy bit is active, the predetermined criteria include (i) the UE has adequate power available to transmit at a higher data rate than a current data rate, (ii) a total buffer status in the UE indicates that the UE requires more than a predetermined time delay to transmit data in the buffer, and (iii) the UE is transmitting Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) data at an allowed maximum data rate indicated by a serving grant, and
• if the process corresponding to the happy bit is inactive, the predetermined criteria include (iv) the UE has adequate power available to transmit at a higher data rate than a current data rate, (v) a total buffer status in the UE indicates that the UE requires more than a predetermined time delay to transmit data in the buffer, and (vi) a condition of the UE transmitting Enhanced Uplink Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) data at an allowed maximum data rate indicated by a serving grant is always true.