Initial connection establishment in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A method, user equipment, network equipment and a system for initiating a wireless connection and subsequent communication over a shared physical resource in a wireless communication system between user equipment and network equipment comprising: processing a UE-derived temporary identifier; communicating the temporary identifier as an identifier to the network equipment; communicating a downlink message conveying the temporary identifier and a description of a scheduled resource on a shared channel, the scheduled resource comprising a resource allocated to the user equipment by the network equipment; and communicating data on the scheduled resource in response to the downlink message.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates generally to wireless communication technology, and more particularly to an initial connection procedure between user equipment and network equipment in a wireless communication system. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In wireless communication systems there is the need for a logical connection between a mobile station (also referred to as user equipment (UE), a user terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless data terminal and a cellular phone) and radio access network. The radio access network may comprise one or more base stations (also referred to as a Node B, for example in 3GPP nomenclature) together with one or more radio network controllers (RNCs). The logical connection provides a context for a particular network to UE communication link over which data may be transferred without miscommunication of the d...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a prompt establishment of a layer 2 shared channel context by allowing the UE to derive its own layer 2 address as a temporary identifier until the network decides to replace the UE-derived temporary identifier with a network selected identifier. This enables the system to utilize shared channels in lieu of common channels at a very early stage of the connection establishment and thus minimizes the volume of traffic carried on common channels.

[0022] Some embodiments of the present invention provide for forming the temporary identifier from a portion of a network-known UE identifier such as from a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI), an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), or an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI). Some embodiments of the present invention provide selecting the temporary identifier from a plurality of temporary identifiers. Some embodiments of the present invention provide for deriving the temporary identifier based on a time parameter. Some embodiments of the present invention provide communicating an indication of the plurality of temporary identifiers to the UE from the network equipment, for example, via a broadcast channel (BCH). Some embodiments of the present invention provide saving the plurality of temporary identifiers in non-volatile memory.

Problems solved by technology

In this instance, the communication reliability of both transmissions may be compromised due to the mutual logical or actual interference the uplink messages generate at the receiving base station.

In contrast, if for example we assign one traffic type exclusively to common channels and another traffic type exclusively to shared channels, then variations in the traffic loads offered by each traffic type cannot be accommodated without reconfiguring the respective portions of the total radio resource space assigned firstly to common and secondly to shared channels.

This reconfiguration of radio resources is typically a slow process and the system is therefore unresponsive to fast variations in load.

In addition, known wireless communication systems expend a substantial amount of time and exchange a number of signaling messages on unshared and common channels to establish an initial layer 2 context for shared channel operations and this can contribute to communication delay.

Furthermore, the existence of a plurality of channel types and associated protocols, procedures and attributes can significantly increase system implementation complexity.

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