A Network Node and Mobile Device for Use in a Communication Network, Method of Operating the Same and Computer Program Products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249404-A1
Application number	US-201414384544-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 4, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one aspect, there is provided a method of operating a network node ( 10 ) in a communication network ( 2 ) to provide timing information for a mobile device ( 12 ), the network ( 2 ) defining an extended period that is longer than a predefined period in the network ( 2 ), the predefined period in the network ( 2 ) corresponding to the time taken to transmit a predefined plurality of frames, the method comprising broadcasting ( 101 ) a plurality of information blocks, IBs, to the mobile device ( 12 ), each IB indicating a current frame number in the predefined plurality of frames and a time reference bit, the time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is a particular one of a number of predefined periods in the extended period.

First claim

1 - 62 . (canceled)

63 . A method of operating a network node in a communication network to provide timing information for a mobile device, the network defining an extended period that is longer than a predefined period in the network, the predefined period in the network corresponding to the time taken to transmit a predefined plurality of frames, the method comprising:
broadcasting a plurality of information blocks, IBs, to the mobile device, each IB indicating a current frame number in the predefined plurality of frames and a time reference bit, the time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is a particular one of a number of predefined periods in the extended period.

64 . The method of claim 63 , wherein the predefined periods in the network are system frame number, SFN, periods and the frame number is an SFN.

65 . The method of claim 63 , wherein the one or more IBs are master information blocks, MIBs.

66 . The method of claim 63 , wherein the method further comprises:
in the event that the current frame number is equal to the number of frames in the predefined plurality, setting the current frame number for the next IB to an initial value and determining the value for the time reference bit in the next IB according to whether the next predefined period is the particular one of the predefined periods in the extended period.

67 . The method of claim 63 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting an indication of the number of predefined periods until the time reference bit is set to a mobile device.

68 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the step of transmitting the indication of the number of predefined periods is performed during setup of a mobile device or during handover of a mobile device from another network node.

69 . The method of claim 63 , the method further comprising the step of:
broadcasting an index bit for each IB that indicates whether the current predefined period is in a first portion or a second portion of the extended period.

70 . The method of claim 69 , wherein the step of broadcasting comprises:
broadcasting the plurality of IBs with the time reference bit set in a particular one of the predefined periods in the first portion and a particular one of the predefined periods in the second portion.

71 . The method of claim 63 , wherein the step of broadcasting further comprises broadcasting each IB with a second time reference bit, the second time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is another particular one of the number of predefined periods in the extended period.

72 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable code, the execution which by processing circuitry of a network node in a communication network configures the network node to provide timing information for a mobile device, wherein the network defines an extended period that is longer than a predefined period in the network, the predefined period in the network corresponding to the time taken to transmit a predefined plurality of frames, said computer readable code including code to configure the processing circuitry to:
broadcast a plurality of information blocks, IBs, to the mobile device, each IB indicating a current frame number in the predefined plurality of frames and a time reference bit, the time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is a particular one of a number of predefined periods in the extended period.

73 . A network node for use in a communication network to provide timing information for a mobile device, the network defining an extended period that is longer than a predefined period in the network, the predefined period in the network corresponding to the time taken to transmit a predefined plurality of frames, the network node being adapted to:
broadcast a plurality of information blocks, IBs, to the mobile device, each IB indicating a current frame number in the predefined plurality of frames and a time reference bit, the time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is a particular one of a number of predefined periods in the extended period.

74 . The network node of claim 73 , wherein the predefined periods in the network are system frame number, SFN, periods and the frame number is an SFN.

75 . The network node of claim 73 , wherein the one or more IBs are master information blocks, MIBs.

76 . The network node of claim 73 , wherein the network node is adapted to set the current frame number for the next IB to an initial value in the event that the current frame number is equal to the number of frames in the predefined plurality, and determine the value for the time reference bit in the next IB according to whether the next predefined period is the particular one of the predefined periods in the extended period.

77 . The network node of claim 73 , wherein the network node is further adapted to transmit an indication of the number of predefined periods until the time reference bit is set to a mobile device.

78 . The network node of claim 77 , wherein the network node is adapted to transmit the indication of the number of predefined periods during setup of a mobile device or during handover of a mobile device from another network node.

79 . The network node of claim 73 , wherein the network node is further adapted to broadcast an index bit for each IB that indicates whether the current predefined period is in a first portion or a second portion of the extended period.

80 . The network node of claim 79 , wherein the network node is adapted to broadcast the plurality of IBs with the time reference bit set in a particular one of the predefined periods in the first portion and a particular one of the predefined periods in the second portion.

81 . The network node of claim 73 , wherein the network node is adapted to broadcast each IB with a second time reference bit, the second time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is another particular one of the number of predefined periods in the extended period.

82 . A method of operating a mobile device in a communication network, the network defining an extended period that is longer than a predefined period in the network, the predefined period in the network corresponding to the time taken to transmit a predefined plurality of frames, the method comprising:
operating a receiver in the mobile device to receive one or more information blocks, IBs, broadcast by a network node in the communication network, each IB indicating a respective current frame number in the predefined plurality of frames and a time reference bit, the time reference bit indicating whether the current predefined period is a particular one of a number of predefined periods in the extended period; and after receiving an IB with a time reference bit indicating that the current predefined period is the particular one of the number of predefined periods in the extended period, processing the current frame number in said IB to determine the current frame number in the extended period.

83 . The method of claim 82 , the method further comprising the step of operating the mobile device in a discontinuous reception, DRX, mode, with a maximum DRX cycle period for the mobile device corresponding to the length of the extended period.

84 . The method of claim 83 , wherein the step of operating the mobile device in a DRX mode comprises operating the mobile device with a selected

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Höglund Andreas

Classifications

• H04W52/0209

  in terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W76/048 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/06

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title

• H04W76/02

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W36/16

  Performing reselection for specific purposes · CPC title