Abstract: A fast ARQ mechanism operated inside 3GPP GERAN mobile radio systems uses short bitmaps, spanning only few octets, in the header of a RLC/MAC block conveying relevant ACK/NACK signalling that is transmitted either in the uplink or downlink direction, indifferently. This short bitmap which may request synchronization between transmitting and receiving frames, is encoded together with the header using coding which is more robust than that used for payload. Correct retransmission of badly received radio blocks is based on the number of RLC/MAC block periods between the instant of transmission of a radio block and the instant of reception of the short bitmap. In addition, the short bitmap is allocated in a new zone placed immediately after the header of the RLC/MAC blocks, and encoded independently of the payload using a more robust coding against the errors than the robustness of the MCS used in the payload data part.

Abstract: A mobile station operating in EGPRS mode needs to the early establishment of an uplink TBF although has not data to send, at the only precautionary purpose of preventing an intolerable latency negatively affecting the subsequent delay-sensitive transmissions. To this aim, the mobile sends a Packet Channel Request message in one phase access mode including a new establishment cause called “Early TBF establishment”. The network establishes an uplink TBF indicating the requester and assigns a radio resource on one PDCH channel or more. Then the network schedules the transmission from the mobile station also when it does not have data to transmit other than dummy packets. This is performed through the USF flags in the usual manner. As soon as actual data become available for transmission, the mobile send them instead of dummy packets. In an alternative embodiment the mobile sends the Packet Channel Request message in two phase access mode.

Abstract: Real-time media or multimedia services in 3GPP GSM/EDGE-compliant mobile radio networks call for reducing the actual latency of transmissions. Resources are assigned by the network to set up or reconfigure a TBF associated to the uplink/downlink transmission of radio blocks from/to an MS. A 5-bit “Coding” field is configured in the header of the involved RLC/MAC messages to select the transmitting/receiving window size. An additional signaling bit, also called scaling bit, is asserted/negated according to two opportunities offered by the new MAC protocol to properly select the window size. Thanks to the introduction of the scaling bit a subdivision of the time windows for type of services is made possible. Non real-time services, e.g. file transfer, all of standard window sizes for MSs with multistat capability, as reported in 3GPP TS 44.060, V7.3.0 (2006 February), Release 7, subclause 9.1.9, for EGPRS TBFs. Delay-sensitive services, e.g.

Abstract: A method of allocating uplink radio resources to a mobile device, in which uplink and downlink timeslots are allocated, and the sum of the allocated uplink timeslots and the allocated downlink timeslots within a predetermined period is less than the total number of assigned time slots and does not exceed a predetermined maximum. The resources are allocated in a reduced transmission time interval configuration, in which an indication of the uplink timeslot allocation is received from the network in a downlink timeslot, or downlink timeslot pair, directing the mobile device to transmit only in one uplink timeslot pair.

Abstract: To perform link adaptation at radio interfaces of an enhanced packet data cellular network the system behavior is simulated for different C/I conditions. Two sets of tables are obtained, each table including upgrade and downgrade thresholds expressed in terms of Block Error Rate (BLER). The tables are specialized for taking into account EGPRS type II hybrid ARQ, Incremental Redundancy (IR). Transmitted blocks are checked for FEC and results are sent to the network that continuously updates BLER. A reliability filter output is used to decide the weight between new and old measurements. IR efficiency is tested for each incoming block and an indicative variable IR_status is filtered. Each threshold of BLER to be used is obtained by linear interpolation between the tabulated threshold without IR and with perfect IR, both weighed with filtered IR_status. Filtered BLER is compared with interpolated thresholds for testing the incoming of a MCS switching condition.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method to perform downlink Power Control in packet switching cellular systems with dynamic allocation of the RF channel, such as GPRS/EGPRS. The performances concern a scenario in which a radio block transmitted from the Base Station (BTS) on a downlink channel has to be received from at least two MSs simultaneously, a first MS being the addressee of the data/control packet on the downlink TBF while the second MS being the addressee of the Uplink State Flag (USF) for scheduling transmission of the next data/control packet from an uplink TBF to an uplink shared channel. First MS transmits to the BTS a first measurement report including measures of BCCH level and interference level on all the timeslots, while the second MS transmits a NC report including measures of BCCH level only, that because detailed interference measure on the downlink channel are prevented due the absence of a concurrent downlink TBF.

Abstract: Method to perform link adaptation at the radio interfaces of an enhanced packet data cellular network handling several Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS) for maximizing data throughput. In a preliminary off-line step the system behavior, in terms of net throughput of the various available MCSs, is simulated for different C/I conditions. From the simulation two sets of tables are obtained, each table including upgrade and downgrade thresholds expressed in terms of Block Error Rate (BLER). Thresholds correspond to switching points from an MCS to the two available MCSs having the immediate less or more protection. The two sets of tables are referred to higher or lower diversity RF environments and are further specialized for taking into account EGPRS type II hybrid ARQ, namely Incremental Redundancy (IR). During transmission the transmitted blocks are checked for FEC and the results are sent to the network. The network continuously updates BLER using exponential smoothing.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method to perform downlink Power Control in packet switching cellular systems with dynamic allocation of the RF channel, such as GPRS/EGPRS. The performances concern a scenario in which a radio block transmitted from the Base Station (BTS) on a downlink channel has to be received from at least two MSs simultaneously, a first MS being the addressee of the data/control packet on the downlink TBF while the second MS being the addressee of the Uplink State Flag (USF) for scheduling transmission of the next data/control packet from an uplink TBF to an uplink shared channel. First MS transmits to the BTS a first measurement report including measures of BCCH level and interference level on all the timeslots, while the second MS transmits a NC report including measures of BCCH level only, that because detailed interference measure on the downlink channel are prevented due the absence of a concurrent downlink TBF.