Method and Mobile Terminal Providing Priority-Based Uplink Scheduling Information

Abstract

A method and mobile terminal for providing uplink scheduling information to a scheduler in a wireless telecommunication system. When a logical channel having data available to transmit triggers a buffer status report, the mobile terminal determines whether a priority level associated with the logical channel exceeds a predefined threshold. If so, the mobile terminal performs a scheduling request procedure with the scheduler. If not, the mobile terminal delays the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred. The predefined timing event may be at least one of expiration of a timer, a radio bearer associated with the logical channel becoming active, and if the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access, contention resolution succeeding for the mobile terminal.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method in a mobile terminal for providing uplink scheduling information to a scheduler in a wireless telecommunication system, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving information regarding a logical channel group having a logical channel that has triggered a buffer status report, the logical channel having a priority level associated therewith and having data available for transmission;   determining whether the priority level associated with the logical channel exceeds a predefined threshold;   upon determining that the priority level exceeds the predefined threshold, performing a scheduling request procedure with the scheduler; and   upon determining that the priority level does not exceed the predefined threshold, delaying the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the scheduling request procedure includes transmitting the buffer status report. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the step of delaying the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred includes delaying the scheduling request procedure until radio bearers associated with the logical channel group are active. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access, and the step of delaying the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred includes delaying the transmission of the buffer status report until contention resolution has succeeded for the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         5 . A method in a mobile terminal for providing uplink scheduling information to a scheduler in a wireless telecommunication system, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving information regarding a logical channel group having a logical channel that has triggered a buffer status report;   determining whether a radio bearer associated with the logical channel is active or suspended;   upon determining that the radio bearer associated with the logical channel is active, performing a scheduling request procedure with the scheduler; and   upon determining that the radio bearer associated with the logical channel is suspended, delaying the scheduling request procedure until the radio bearer becomes active.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the scheduling request procedure includes transmitting the buffer status report. 
     
     
         7 . A method in a mobile terminal for providing uplink scheduling information to a scheduler in a wireless telecommunication system, said method comprising the steps of:
 determining that a logical channel in a logical channel group has triggered a scheduling request procedure;   determining whether the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access;   upon determining that the scheduling request procedure is not being performed using a contention-based random access, performing the scheduling request procedure with the scheduler, wherein the scheduling request procedure includes transmitting buffer status reporting information;   upon determining that the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access, determining whether contention resolution has succeeded for the mobile terminal; and   upon determining that contention resolution has not succeeded for the mobile terminal, performing the scheduling request procedure without transmitting the buffer status reporting information.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising, upon determining that contention resolution has succeeded for the mobile terminal, the step of transmitting the buffer status reporting information. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile terminal for providing uplink scheduling information to scheduler a wireless telecommunication system, said mobile terminal comprising:
 a memory for storing instructions and a processor for executing instructions stored on the memory, the mobile terminal configured to:
 determine a priority level associated with a logical channel of a logical channel group, wherein the logical channel has triggered a buffer status report; 
 determine whether the priority level associated with the logical channel exceeds a predefined threshold; 
 perform a scheduling request procedure with the scheduler whenever the priority level exceeds the predefined threshold; and 
 delay the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred whenever the priority level does not exceed the predefined threshold. 
   
     
     
         10 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , wherein the scheduling request procedure includes transmitting the buffer status report. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , the mobile terminal further configured to:
 determine whether a radio bearer associated with the logical channel is active, wherein the scheduling request procedure is performed only if the radio bearer associated with the logical channel is active.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , the mobile terminal further configured to:
 determine whether the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access; and   transmit the buffer status report whenever the scheduling request procedure is not being performed using a contention-based random access.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , the mobile terminal further configured to:
 determine whether the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access;   determine whether contention resolution has succeeded for the mobile terminal whenever the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access; and   perform the scheduling request procedure without transmitting the buffer status report whenever contention resolution has not succeeded for the mobile terminal.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , wherein delaying the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred includes delaying the scheduling request procedure until at least one of the following events has occurred:
 expiration of a timer;   a radio bearer associated with the logical channel becomes active; and   contention resolution has succeeded for the mobile terminal whenever the scheduling request procedure is being performed using a contention-based random access.   
     
     
         15 . A method in a mobile terminal for providing uplink scheduling information to a scheduler in a wireless telecommunication system, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving information regarding a logical channel group that has triggered a buffer status report, the logical channel group having a priority level associated therewith and having data available for transmission;   determining whether the priority level associated with the logical channel group exceeds a predefined threshold;   upon determining that the priority level exceeds the predefined threshold, performing a scheduling request procedure with the scheduler; and   upon determining that the priority level does not exceed the predefined threshold, delaying the scheduling request procedure until a predefined timing event has occurred.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the priority of the logical channel group is equal to the priority of the highest priority logical channel within the logical channel group. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the priority of the logical channel group is assigned independent of the priorities of logical channels within the logical channel group.