Method and Arrangement in a Telecommunications System

Abstract

A mobile station for use with a mobile network, and being arranged to be assigned one or more Temporary Block Flows, TBFs, by the mobile network, and to receive RLC/MAC Blocks from the mobile network, each of which RLC/MAC Blocks is associated with one of said TBFs, and to identify a received RLC/MAC Block by means of a Temporary Flow Identity, TFI, which has been assigned by the mobile network to the TBF with which the RLC/MAC Block is associated. The mobile station is arranged to recognize TFIs which belong to a first group of TFIs as well as TFIs which belong to a second group of TFIs, with a TFI in the second group comprising a TFI in the first group of TFIs together with additional information in the received RLC/MAC block.

1 . A mobile station for use with a mobile network, the mobile station comprising:
 a processor and a memory, said memory containing code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is configured to:
 receive RLC/MAC (Radio Link Control/Medium Access Control) Blocks from the mobile network, each received RLC/MAC Block associated with one of one or more Temporary Block Flows (TBFs) assigned to the mobile station by the mobile network; and 
 identify a received RLC/MAC Block by a Temporary Flow Identity (TFI) that has been assigned by the mobile network to the TBF with which the RLC/MAC Block is associated and that, as recognized by the mobile station, belongs to either a first group of TFIs or a second group of TFIs, wherein a TFI in the second group comprises a TFI in the first group together with additional information in the received RLC/MAC block 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile station of  claim 1 , wherein said memory contains code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is further configured to transmit an RLC/MAC Block to the mobile network on a TBF, and associate the transmitted RLC/MAC Block with a TBF using a TFI which belongs to either the first group of TFIs or to the second group of TFIs. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile station of  claim 1 , wherein said memory contains code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is further configured to:
 inform the mobile network of its ability to recognize TFIs which belong to the second group of TFIs;   associate transmitted RLC/MAC Blocks with a TBF using a TFI which belongs to the second group of TFIs; or   both.   
     
     
         4 . The mobile station of  claim 3 , wherein said memory contains code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is further configured to inform the mobile network of said ability using one bit of the Information Element MS Radio Access Capability. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile station of  claim 3 , wherein said memory contains code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is further configured to inform the mobile network of said ability using an access burst. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile station of  claim 5 , wherein said access burst is a binary value in the message EGPRS PACKET CHANNEL REQUEST. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile station of  claim 5 , wherein said access burst is a training sequence that the mobile station uses when transmitting the message EGPRS PACKET CHANNEL REQUEST. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile station of  claim 1 , wherein said memory contains code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is further configured to receive information from the mobile network that directs the mobile station to use information in at least some of the first group of TFIs together with information in an RLC/MAC Block in order to identify a TFI which belongs to the second group of TFIs. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile station of  claim 8 , wherein said memory contains code executable by said processor whereby said mobile station is further configured to receive said information from the mobile network upon assignment of a TBF to the mobile station by the mobile network or upon reconfiguration of a TBF by the mobile network. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile station of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile station is for use in a GERAN (GSM EDGE Radio Access Network) mobile network. 
     
     
         11 . A method implemented by a mobile station configured for use with a mobile network, the method comprising:
 receiving RLC/MAC (Radio Link Control/Medium Access Control) Blocks from the mobile network, each received RLC/MAC Block associated with one of one or more Temporary Block Flows (TBFs) assigned to the mobile station by the mobile network; and   identifying a received RLC/MAC Block by a Temporary Flow Identity (TFI) that has been assigned by the mobile network to the TBF with which the RLC/MAC Block is associated and that, as recognized by the mobile station, belongs to either a first group of TFIs or a second group of TFIs, wherein a TFI in the second group comprises a TFI in the first group together with additional information in the received RLC/MAC block   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising informing the mobile network that the mobile station can at least one of:
 recognize TFIs which belong to the second group of TFIs; and   associate a transmitted RLC/MAC Block with a TBF using a TFI which belongs to the second group of TFIs.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said informing comprises transmitting to the mobile network one bit of the Information Element MS Radio Access. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said informing comprises transmitting an access burst to the mobile network. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said access burst is a binary value in the message EGPRS PACKET CHANNEL REQUEST. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said access burst is a training sequence that the mobile station uses when transmitting the message EGPRS PACKET CHANNEL REQUEST. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving information from the mobile network that directs the mobile station to use information in at least some of the first group of TFIs together with information in an RLC/MAC header in order to form a TFI which belongs to the second group of TFIs. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving said information from the mobile network upon assignment of a new TBF to the mobile station or reconfiguration of a TBF by the mobile network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving said information in an RLC/MAC header in the Length Indicator in an RLC data block. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile station is configured for use with a GERAN (GSM EDGE Radio Access Network) mobile network.