Abstract: The exemplary embodiments of this invention include apparatus, methods and computer program products that provide a signaling scheme that enables the execution of an uplink gating feature. In one non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, the signaling scheme is an Iub/Iur signaling scheme and the uplink gating feature is an uplink dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) gating feature, for example, as may be utilized within a wideband code divisional multiple access (WCDMA) communication network. In one non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, a method includes: sending a first message from a base station towards a network element in a communications network, wherein the first message includes a first parameter that is indicative of a capability for supporting uplink gating in a cell under the base station; and sending a second message from the network element towards the base station, wherein the second message includes an instruction for uplink gating in the cell.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for defining parameters for a control signal (e.g., discontinuous signal) for an uplink control channel using a predetermined criterion depending on a maximum allowed data rate and/or an actual data rate of a data signal on an uplink data channel. The parameters can comprise at least one of: a preamble length of a preamble of the control signal, a gap length of inactive transmission period, and/or a burst length of an active transmission period of the control signal. The uplink control channel can be an uplink dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) and the data channel can be an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH).

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and software product are for masking a subframe of a shared control channel. A first part of the subframe is masked in a way specific to a user equipment, while using an identification of the user equipment. A remaining part of the subframe is masked using a second level masking operation, or at least using one other identification of the user equipment. This allows addition of more signaling information on an existing shared control channel, for example in the context of high speed downlink packet access.

Abstract: User equipment for communicating data in a communications system comprising a set of user equipment; comprising: a transceiver arranged to receive at least one data packet over a communications channel, wherein the data packet comprises an identifier; and a processor arranged to determine from the identifier if the said user equipment is one of the a subset of user equipment, wherein the processor is arranged to determine if the first identifier is one of the subset of user equipment when the identifier matches a first value if the communications channel is a common channel or a second value if the communications channel is a dedicated channel.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for defining an adaptive preamble length of a preamble for a continuous connectivity transmission using a control channel, e.g., a UL (uplink) dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), for transmitting the preamble. Such a preamble would reduce the accuracy requirement for the initial power setting after a transmission gap and also help the channel estimation and the synchronization of a data channel, e.g., an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH). The preamble length can be optimized and defined using a predetermined criterion depending on: a) a degree of fading of a multipath channel which is used for transmitting data on the data channel and/or b) a throughput relative to a nominal throughput in the data channel.

Abstract: The invention describes user equipment for communicating data in a communications system comprising a set of user equipment; comprising a transceiver arranged to receive a first data packet over a communications data channel and an associated second data packet over a communications control channel. The second data packet comprises a first identifier arranged to identify a subset of the set of user equipment and the first data packet comprises a second identifier arranged to identify at least one of the subset of user equipment. The user equipment further comprising a processor arranged to determine from the second data packet first identifier if the said user equipment is one of the said subset of user equipment and from the second identifier if the said user equipment is said the at least one of the subset of user equipment.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for providing combining capability information of a Node B (supporting a cell to which a user equipment is set-up) to radio network controllers as related to HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access). The Node B can support among others, e.g., incremental redundancy (IR) combining and/or Chase combining. Furthermore, the combining capability information of the node B can be, e.g., for combining data received on an uplink enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH).

Abstract: A method and equipment by which a radio access network (e.g. UTRAN) of a wireless network (e.g. UMTS) communicates to a user equipment wireless communication device (e.g. a mobile station) an indication that the user equipment is to flush one or more send buffers, e.g. buffers used by HARQ processes, such as for HSUPA. A flag is included in a message to indicate that the one or more send buffers are to be flushed. The message is for example a message indicating reconfiguration is to be performed, and the flag (if set) is to be interpreted by the user equipment as indicating that the one or more send buffers are to be flushed prior to performing the reconfiguration. A corresponding method and equipment for a user equipment wireless communication device are also provided.

Abstract: A method includes, in response to selection of a transport block to be transmitted through a wireless channel at a current data rate, performing at least the following: selecting a size for a data unit that can be scheduled for transmission; identifying one of a number of potential transport blocks, the identified potential transport block having a corresponding transport block size large enough to hold at least the selected size of the data unit and the transport block size of the currently selected transport block; determining whether the identified potential transport block is available for transmission; and transmitting a request for an increase in the current data rate in response to the identified potential transport block being available for transmission.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for coordinating gating of an uplink (UL) control channel, e.g., a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), with UL reporting in regard to a downlink channel using, e.g., high speed uplink packet access (HSDPA) channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for defining a preamble length of a preamble (e.g., a power control preamble) for a discontinuous control channel transmission using, e.g., a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) for transmitting the preamble. The preamble length can be optimized using a predetermined criterion depending on a transmission gap length (which can be variable) in the discontinuous control signal (e.g., transmitted on the DPCCH) or in a discontinuous data signal, e.g., transmitted on an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH), and/or on a length of a transmission timing interval (TTI) of the discontinuous data. Furthermore, a power in the preamble can be changed in time using a further predetermined criterion.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for dynamic gating of an uplink (UL) control channel, e.g., dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) for increasing capacity of communications, e.g., wireless communications, wherein said gating is defined, using a predetermined criterion, by instructions provided by a network and by a transmission gap in a discontinuous data signal, e.g., transmitted on an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH).

Abstract: A network schedules a mobile station for an uplink packet transmission on a data channel, receives from a mobile station an uplink message on a control channel, determines from the uplink message a desired power for the mobile station to transmit on the data channel, and thereafter transmits to the mobile station a power control message that commands either a zero power allocation or a full power allocation for the scheduled uplink packet transmission. The mobile station receives from the network the power control message, then determines from the power control message whether zero or full power is allocated. If zero power, then the mobile station suspends its transmissions on the data channel until receiving a new power control command for uplink transmissions on the data channel. If full power, the mobile station transmits user data on the data channel without regard to power on a control channel.

Abstract: A set of power control step size increments are determined such that at least two step size increments differ from one another. The set is sent to a Mobile Station MS. A first power command to the MS informs of a first power for a uplink data transmission on a radio resource (E-DPDCH). To change power on the same radio resource, an offset is computed, the set of step size increments is accessed to determine which one, or combination of them, yield the offset, and the MS is informed of the second power by a second message that identifies those elements of the set that alone or in combination yield the offset. The MS determines the second power as a function of the first power and the step size increment(s) from the second message.

Abstract: A method and corresponding equipment for communicating from a Node B (10) to a UE device (11) a data rate pointer (11a) value indicating a new maximum allowed data rate in case of a current low value for the data rate pointer (11a), based on predetermined rules governing signaling to change the data rate pointer and used by the Node B (10) in responding to a change request from the UE device (11), rules that differ for different current values of the data rate pointer (11a), and in particular rules that allow for a fast ramp up in case of a current value of zero or less than a threshold.

Abstract: To handover a mobile terminal from a serving base station BTS to a target BTS, a radio network controller RNC: 1) informs the mobile terminal of the pending handover so it can preconfigure to communicate with the target BTS; 2) indicates to the serving BTS which will be the last data packet prior to handover; and 3) informs the target BTS of the pending handover and the mobile terminal's identity. The serving BTS indicates which is the last data packet and sends it to the mobile terminal. Upon receiving an acknowledgement, the serving BTS informs the RNC. The BTS automatically switches to the target BTS after receiving the last data packet from the serving BTS, informs the target BTS that it is ready to receive data from it by a handover confirmation message, and the target 1) schedules the mobile terminal to receive data; and 2) informs the RNC that the mobile terminal is handed over.

Abstract: This invention relates to signalling of control information related to retransmissions in a wireless communication network. According to one aspect of the invention, a method for controlling transmission over a wireless communication link is provided. The method comprises the step of indicating on a transmission resource control channel whether a HARQ retransmission process in a mobile station should be activated or deactivated.

Abstract: A communication flow for HSUPA is shown that allows a NodeB to measure the thermal plus background noise level (Prx—noise), and at the same time which also allows the RNC, according to its own (centralized) strategy, to overwrite the very same value that is then used in NodeB (de-centralized) scheduling.

Abstract: To prevent oscillation in load levels on radio interfaces between one or more user equipment devices and neighboring base stations after the base stations have reduced the data rates of the one or more user equipment devices connected thereto over said radio interfaces, one or more radio network controllers select appropriate delay periods for each neighboring base station so that each base station waits for a different recovery period after a maximum or target load level has been exceeded before increasing loading.

Abstract: A method and corresponding equipment by which a service access point (SAP) of a radio access network is able to trigger a user equipment (UE) terminal to send scheduling information to the SAP for use by the SAP in scheduling/allocating resources for packet uplink from the UE to the SAP. The method uses an AG (absolute grant) or RG (relative grant) rate control/scheduling message as the trigger. The scheduling information is then sent by the UE via a MAC-e (medium access control-extended) PDU (protocol data unit).