Methods and apparatus for selecting between a plurality of dictionaries

Abstract

A plurality of report dictionaries, e.g., uplink transmission backlog request report dictionaries, are supported in a wireless communications system. Each report dictionary provides bit mapping definition information corresponding to a set of fixed bit size request reports. Different report dictionaries are structured to accommodate different reporting conditions, needs, and/or requirements. A communications device selects a report dictionary, e.g., on a per connection basis, to be used in communicating transmission backlog information, from among the plurality of possible report dictionaries. Information characterizing active traffic flows such as the number of distinct quality of service profiles and/or the current mixture of best effort and latency constrained traffic flows is used in performing the selection of a report dictionary. The selected report dictionary is subsequently utilized to generate reports and interpret information communicated in those generated reports.

1 . A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising: 
 selecting a report definition set to be used in communicating backlog information from a plurality of alternative report definition sets, alternative report definition sets providing alternative mappings of report bits to information to be communicated for at least one report type; and    performing one of: 
 i) generating a report using an information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set and  
 ii) processing a received report to recover information included in the received report in accordance with the information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 identifying active traffic flows; and    wherein said selection is performed as a function of traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 determining QoS profiles corresponding to at least some identified active traffic flows, said determined QoS profiles being traffic flow information; and    wherein said selection includes using said QoS profiles to select a report definition set.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein using said QoS profiles to select a report definition set includes: 
 determining the number of distinct determined QoS profiles; and    selecting the report definition set as a function of the number of distinct determined QoS profiles.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows indicates a traffic flow type for at least some of said identified active traffic flows.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the traffic flow type indicates one of: a best effort traffic flow and a latency constrained traffic flow.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein selecting a report definition set includes selecting a first report definition set when only best effort traffic flows are active and selecting another report definition set when at least one non-best effort traffic flow is active.  
     
     
         8 . The methods of  claim 6 , wherein traffic flow type information for different latency constrained traffic flows indicates different types of latency reporting to be used; and 
 wherein selecting a report definition set includes selecting a report definition set as a function of the type of latency reporting to be used.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said selected report definition set includes at least two different fixed size request report definitions corresponding to reports of different bit sizes.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said report definition sets are uplink request report definition sets which are used to define uplink reports requesting allocation of uplink traffic resources in a system using a dedicated control channel for communicating reports including said uplink reports.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said selection is performed as a function of a number of request groups on which information is to be reported.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said selecting is performed by one of a wireless terminal and a base station.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said selecting is performed as part of a traffic flow admission control operation.  
     
     
         14 . A communications device, comprising: 
 a report definition set selection module for selecting a report definition set to be used in communicating backlog information from a plurality of alternative report definition sets, alternative report definition sets providing alternative mappings of report bits to information to be communicated for at least one report type; and    at least one of: 
 i) a report generation module for generating a report using an information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set; and  
 ii) a report processing module for processing a received report to recover information included in the received report in accordance with the information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set.  
   
     
     
         15 . The communications device of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a traffic monitoring module for identifying active traffic flows; and    wherein said selection module performs said selection as a function of traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows.    
     
     
         16 . The communications device of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a QoS profile determination module for determining QoS profiles corresponding to at least some identified active traffic flows, said determined QoS profiles being traffic flow information; and    wherein said selection module uses QoS profiles to select a report definition set.    
     
     
         17 . The communications device of  claim 16 , wherein said report definition set selection module includes: 
 a QoS counting module for determining the number of distinct determined QoS profiles; and    a QoS based selection module for selecting the report definition set as a function of the number of distinct determined QoS profiles.    
     
     
         18 . The communications device of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a traffic flow type determination module for determining traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows indicates a traffic flow type for at least some of said identified active traffic flows.    
     
     
         19 . The communications device of  claim 18 , wherein the traffic flow type indicates one of: a best effort traffic flow and a latency constrained traffic flow.  
     
     
         20 . The communications device of  claim 19 , wherein said report definition set selection module includes: 
 a traffic type based report selection module for selecting a first report definition set when only best effort traffic flows are active and selecting another report definition set when at least one non-best effort traffic flow is active.    
     
     
         21 . The communications device of  claim 19 , 
 wherein traffic flow type information for different latency constrained traffic flows indicates different types of latency reporting to be used; and    wherein said report definition set selection module includes:    a traffic type based report selection module for selecting a report definition set as a function of the type of latency reporting to be used.    
     
     
         22 . The communications device of  claim 15  wherein said selected report definition set includes at least two different fixed size request report definitions corresponding to reports of different bit sizes.  
     
     
         23 . The communications device of  claim 22  wherein said report definition sets are uplink request report definition sets which are used to define uplink reports requesting allocation of uplink traffic resources in a system using a dedicated control channel for communicating reports including said uplink reports.  
     
     
         24 . The communications device of  claim 15 , further comprising memory including a plurality of stored report definition sets.  
     
     
         25 . The communications device of  claim 24 , wherein said communications device is a base station.  
     
     
         26 . The communications device of  claim 24 , wherein said communications device is a wireless terminal.  
     
     
         27 . A communications device, comprising: 
 means for selecting a report definition set to be used in communicating backlog information from a plurality of alternative report definition sets, alternative report definition sets providing alternative mappings of report bits to information to be communicated for at least one report type; and    at least one of: 
 i) means for generating a report using an information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set; and  
 ii) means for processing a received report to recover information included in the received report in accordance with the information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set.  
   
     
     
         28 . The communications device of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 means for monitoring traffic for identifying active traffic flows; and    wherein said means for selecting performs said selection as a function of traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows.    
     
     
         29 . The communications device of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 means for determining QoS profiles corresponding to at least some identified active traffic flows, said determined QoS profiles being traffic flow information; and    wherein said means for selecting uses QoS profiles to select a report definition set.    
     
     
         30 . The communications device of  claim 29 , wherein said means for selecting a report definition set includes: 
 means for determining the number of distinct determined QoS profiles; and    means for selecting the report definition set as a function of the number of distinct determined QoS profiles.    
     
     
         31 . The communications device of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 means for determining traffic flow type information corresponding to at least some of said identified active traffic flows, said traffic flow type information being included in said traffic flow information used by said means for selecting a report definition set.    
     
     
         32 . The communications device of  claim 31 , wherein the traffic flow type information corresponding to a traffic flow indicates one of: a best effort traffic flow and a latency constrained traffic flow.  
     
     
         33 . A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instruction for controlling a communications device to implement a method, the method comprising: 
 selecting a report definition set to be used in communicating backlog information from a plurality of alternative report definition sets, alternative report definition sets providing alternative mappings of report bits to information to be communicated for at least one report type; and    performing one of: 
 i) generating a report using an information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set and  
 ii) processing a received report to recover information included in the received report in accordance with the information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set.  
   
     
     
         34 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , further embodying machine executable instructions for controlling the communications device to: 
 identify active traffic flows; and    wherein said selecting is performed as a function of traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows.    
     
     
         35 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , further embodying machine executable instructions for controlling the communications device to: 
 determine QoS profiles corresponding to at least some identified active traffic flows, said determined QoS profiles being traffic flow information; and    wherein said selecting includes using said QoS profiles to select a report definition set.    
     
     
         36 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35 , further embodying machine executable instructions for controlling the communications device to: 
 determine the number of distinct determined QoS profiles; and    select the report definition set as a function of the number of distinct determined QoS profiles, as part of said step of using said QoS profiles to select a report definition.    
     
     
         37 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows indicates a traffic flow type for at least some of said identified active traffic flows.  
     
     
         38 . The computer readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the traffic flow type corresponding to a traffic flow indicates one of: a best effort traffic flow and a latency constrained traffic flow.  
     
     
         39 . A communications device comprising: 
 a processor configured to: 
 select a report definition set to be used in communicating backlog information from a plurality of alternative report definition sets, alternative report definition sets providing alternative mappings of report bits to information to be communicated for at least one report type; and 
 perform one of: 
 i) generating a report using an information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set and  
 ii) processing a received report to recover information included in the received report in accordance with the information to report bit mapping specified by the selected report definition set.  
 
 
   
     
     
         40 . The communications device of  claim 39 , wherein said processor is further configured to: 
 identify active traffic flows; and    wherein said selection is performed as a function of traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows.    
     
     
         41 . The communications device of  claim 40 , wherein said processor is further configured to: 
 determine QoS profiles corresponding to at least some identified active traffic flows, said determined QoS profiles being traffic flow information; and    wherein said selection includes using said QoS profiles to select a report definition set.    
     
     
         42 . The communications device of  claim 41 , wherein said processor is further configured to: 
 determine the number of distinct determined QoS profiles; and    select the report definition set as a function of the number of distinct determined QoS profiles, as part of said step of using said QoS profiles to select a report definition set.    
     
     
         43 . The communications device of  claim 40 , wherein the traffic flow information corresponding to said identified active traffic flows indicates a traffic flow type for at least some of said identified active traffic flows.  
     
     
         44 . The communications device of  claim 43 , wherein the traffic flow type for a traffic flow indicates one of: a best effort traffic flow and a latency constrained traffic flow.