Methods and Apparatuses in a Mobile Communication Network

Abstract

Techniques for supporting concurrent deployment of 2-millisecond and 10-millisecond TTI for E-DCH transmissions in CELL_FACH state and Idle Mode are disclosed. One example method comprises receiving a transport block from a mobile terminal, wherein said transport block is transmitted using either a 10-millisecond or 2-millisecond TTI, and sending, to an RNC, an indication of whether data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI. In some embodiments, the indication is sent in a user plane frame sent over a base-station-to-RNC interface. A spare bit in an uplink data frame sent to the RNC may be used, for example.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method, in a base station of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving a transport block from a mobile terminal, wherein said transport block is transmitted using either a 10-millisecond or 2-millisecond transmit time interval (TTI); and   sending, to a Radio Network Controller (RNC), an indication of whether data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein sending the indication comprises sending the indication in a user plane frame sent over a base-station-to-RNC interface. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein sending the indication in a user plane frame comprises using at least one spare bit in an uplink data frame sent to the RNC. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein sending the indication comprises sending the indication in an uplink control frame that is transmitted before transmitting data corresponding to the transport block to the RNC. 
     
     
         35 . A method, in a Radio Network Controller (RNC) of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving data from a transport block transmitted to a base station by a mobile terminal, wherein said transport block was transmitted using either a 10-millisecond or 2-millisecond transmit time interval (TTI); and   receiving an indication of whether the data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving the indication in a user plane frame sent to the RNC by another RNC, over an RNC-to-RNC interface. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein receiving the indication in a user plane frame comprises receiving the indication in at least one spare bit of an uplink data frame sent to the RNC. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving the indication in a user plane frame sent to the RNC by the base station, over a base-station-to-RNC interface. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein receiving the indication in a user plane frame comprises receiving the indication in at least one spare bit of an uplink data frame sent to the RNC. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising
 forwarding, to a second Radio Network Controller (RNC), the indication of whether data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI.   
     
     
         41 . A base station apparatus for use in a mobile communication network, the base station apparatus comprising:
 radio communications circuitry adapted to receive a transport block from a mobile terminal, wherein said transport block is transmitted using either a 10-millisecond or 2-millisecond transmit time interval (TTI);   an input/output interface circuit; and   a processing circuit operatively coupled to the radio communications circuitry and the input/output interface circuit and adapted to send to a Radio Network Controller (RNC), via the input/output interface circuit, an indication of whether data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI.   
     
     
         42 . The base station apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to send the indication in a user plane frame sent over a base-station-to-RNC interface. 
     
     
         43 . The base station apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to send the indication in the user plane frame by using at least one spare bit in an uplink data frame sent to the RNC. 
     
     
         44 . The base station apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to send the indication in an uplink control frame that is transmitted before transmitting data corresponding to the transport block to the RNC. 
     
     
         45 . A Radio Network Controller (RNC) apparatus for use in a mobile communication network, the RNC apparatus comprising:
 an input/output interface circuit adapted for communications with other nodes in the wireless communication network; and   a processing circuit operatively coupled to the input/output interface circuit and adapted to receive data from a transport block transmitted to a base station by a mobile terminal, wherein said transport block was transmitted using either a 10-millisecond or 2-millisecond transmit time interval (TTI);   
       wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to:
 receive, via the input/output interface circuit, an indication of whether the data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI. 
 
     
     
         46 . The RNC apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to receive the indication in a user plane frame sent to the RNC apparatus by the base station, over a base-station-to-RNC interface. 
     
     
         47 . The RNC apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to receive the indication in at least one spare bit of an uplink data frame 
     
     
         48 . The RNC apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to receive the indication in a user plane frame sent to the RNC apparatus by another RNC, over an RNC-to-RNC interface. 
     
     
         49 . The RNC apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the processing circuit is adapted to receive the indication in at least one spare bit of an uplink data frame. 
     
     
         50 . The RNC apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to forward, to a second RNC, the indication of whether data carried by the transport block was transmitted using the 10-millisecond TTI or the 2-millisecond TTI.