Method and apparatus for synchronizing changes in power saving procedures

Abstract

A method and devices are provided for use in a wireless communications network for affecting changes in a power saving class (PSC) associated with a subscriber terminal. The method comprises the steps of: providing at least one PSC for use by said subscriber terminal; at each of said subscriber terminal and said corresponding base station, setting a counting value for said at least one PSCs to be equal to a pre-defined initial value; and upon transmitting or receiving at either one of said subscriber terminal and said base station a message identifying a change in said at least one PSC, updating operating parameters associated with said at least one PSC and increasing at the respective subscriber terminal or base station, the counting value of the corresponding one or more of said at least one PSC by a pre-determined value. Preferably, the method further comprises transmitting a message which comprises a request to affect a change in power saving status of said subscriber terminal, wherein the message comprises an indication of the counting value associated with a PSC currently available at the side transmitting said message; and upon receiving the message comprising the request to affect a change in the power saving status, determining whether the counting value comprised in the message matches the counting value at the side transmitting that message, and if in the affirmative, evaluating whether the requested change may be carried out.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A subscriber terminal adapted to operate in a wireless network which comprising:
 an interface operative to allow exchange of communications between said subscriber terminal and a base station;   at least one radio transceiver operative to transmit communication traffic towards said base station and receive communication traffic therefrom;   at least one processor adapted to:
 set a known counting value for at least one Power Saving Class (PSC) to be equal to a pre-defined initial value, such that said counting value corresponds to a specific PSC that is currently being used; 
 exchange messages with said base station for synchronizing changes of the specific PSC from among said at least PSC associated with said subscriber terminal, whether these changes were affected in either one of the subscriber terminal or the base station, or both; 
 update one or more operating parameters associated with said specific PSC at the subscriber terminal and change the counting value of the corresponding specific PSC by a pre determined value so that the counting values at both the BS and the subscriber terminal are associated with the same definitions of the specific PSC; and 
   a power controller operative to affect a reduction in the power of the at least one radio transceiver for the duration of time periods during which no communications will be exchanged between said base station and said subscriber terminal.   
     
     
         2 . The subscriber terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further adapted:
 to derive from a message transmitted by said base station, indication of a counting value associated with that PSC currently available at said base station; and   to determine whether the counting value currently available at said base station matches that at the subscriber terminal, and initiate a change in that PSC based upon said determination.   
     
     
         3 . The subscriber terminal according to  claim 2 , operative in accordance with at least two different power saving classes (PSCs), each of which is associated with respective traffic related characteristics.