Wireless telecommunications methods and apparatus comprising advance notification of change of system information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018167918-A1
Application number	US-201715839468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Jun 14, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An access node ( 22 ) comprising processor circuitry ( 30 ) and transmitter circuitry ( 34 ). The processor circuitry ( 30 ) is configured to generate system information messages which comprise content of system information blocks and to generate a notification message configured to prospectively indicate a change of the content of at least one of the system information blocks. The transmitter circuitry ( 34 ) is configured to transmit the system information messages and the notification message over an air interface to the one or more wireless terminals. A wireless terminal ( 26 ) comprises receiver circuitry ( 46 ) and processor circuitry ( 40 ). The receiver circuitry ( 46 ) is configured to receive messages over an air interface from an access node. The messages include a system information message which comprises content of system information block and a notification message configured to prospectively indicate of a change of content of at least one of the system information blocks. The processor circuitry ( 40 ) is configured to use the notification message to make a determination regarding acquisition of the content of at least one system information block.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An access node comprising:
processor circuitry configured to:
generate system information messages which comprise content of system information blocks;
generate a notification message configured to prospectively indicate a change of the content of at least one of the system information blocks;
transmitter circuitry configured to transmit the system information messages and the notification message over an air interface to the one or more wireless terminals.

2 . The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to generate the notification message for transmission by the transmitter circuitry in advance of a predetermined modification period boundary; and
wherein the predetermined modification period boundary marks a beginning of a period in which the content of the at least one of the system information blocks changes from a previous modification period.

3 . The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to generate the notification message as comprising a paging message.

4 . The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured:
to generate a first set of system information blocks which are provided by the access node in a broadcast mode and a second set of system information blocks which are provided to a wireless terminal using an on-demand delivery mode; to generate the notification message to prospectively indicate which of one or more of the first set of system information blocks and the second set of system information blocks will include a system information block comprising changed content.

5 . The access node of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured:
to generate the system information messages to associate a value tag with a system information block or group of system information blocks; to generate the notification message to comprise ordered information for a system information block(s) or group of system information blocks, the ordered information of the notification message being formatted in accordance with an order in which the value tags for the system information block(s) or group of system information blocks appear in the system information messages, the ordered information indicating whether the system information block(s) or group of system information blocks associated with the respective value tag will have changed content.

6 . A method in an access node comprising:
using processor circuitry to:
generate system information messages which comprise content of system information blocks;
generate a notification message configured to prospectively indicate a change of the content of at least one of the system information blocks;
transmitting the system information messages and the notification message over an air interface to the one or more wireless terminals.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising using the processor circuitry to generate the notification message for transmission by the transmitter circuitry in advance of a predetermined modification period boundary; and wherein the predetermined modification period boundary marks a beginning of a period in which the content of the at least one of the system information blocks changes from a previous modification period.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising using the processor circuitry to generate the notification message as comprising a paging message.

9 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising using the processor circuitry:
to generate a first set of system information blocks which are provided by the access node in a broadcast mode and a second set of system information blocks which are provided to a wireless terminal using an on-demand delivery mode; to generate the notification message to prospectively indicate which of one or more of the first set of system information blocks and the second set of system information blocks will include a system information block comprising changed content.

10 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising using the processor circuitry:
to generate the system information message to associate a value tag with a system information block or group of system information blocks; to generate the notification message to comprise ordered information for a system information block(s) or group of system information blocks, the ordered information of the notification message being formatted in accordance with an order in which the value tags for the system information block(s) or group of system information blocks appear in the system information messages, the ordered information indicating whether the system information block(s) or group of system information blocks associated with the respective value tag will have changed content.

11 . A wireless terminal comprising:
receiver circuitry configured to receive messages over an air interface from an access node, the messages including:
a system information message which comprises content of system information blocks;
a notification message configured to prospectively indicate of a change of content of at least one of the system information blocks;
processor circuitry configured to use the notification message to make a determination regarding acquisition of the content of at least one system information block.

12 . The wireless terminal of claim 11 , wherein the processor circuitry is configured to make the determination to acquire the content of the at least one system information block upon occurrence of the predetermined modification period boundary provided that the at least one system information block has an updated value tag.

13 . The wireless terminal of claim 11 , wherein the receiver circuitry is further configured to receive the notification message as comprising a paging message.

14 . The wireless terminal of claim 11 , wherein the receiver circuitry is further configured:
to obtain from the access node a first set of system information blocks which are provided by the access node in a broadcast mode; to obtain from the access node an indication of system information blocks of a second set of system information blocks which are provided to a wireless terminal using an on-demand delivery mode; and wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to obtain from the notification message a prospective indication that one or more of the first set of system information blocks will include a system information block comprising changed content and a prospective indication that one or more of the second set of system information blocks will include a system information block comprising changed content.

15 . The wireless terminal of claim 11 , wherein the processor circuitry is further configured:
to obtain from the system information message a value tag associated with a system information block or group of system information blocks; to obtain from the notification message ordered information for a system information block(s) or group of system information blocks, the ordered information of the notification message being formatted in accordance with an order in which the value tags for the system information block(s) or group of system information blocks appear in the system information messages, the ordered information indicating whether the system information block(s) or group of system information blocks associated with the respective value tag will have changed content.

16 . A method in a wireless terminal comprising:
receiving messages over an air interface from an access node; the messages including:
a syst

Assignees

• Sharp Laboratories America Inc

Inventors

• Ishii Atsushi

Classifications

• H04W72/23 Primary

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W48/12 Primary

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04W68/00

  User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like · CPC title

• H04W74/006

  in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal · CPC title

• H04W72/0446

  Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames · CPC title