Informing network about amount of data to be transferred

Abstract

When uplink signalling radio bearers steal capacity from a user bearer, at least the amount of data waiting for transmission on a TBF established for the user bearer should be informed to the network. This can be done by using separate countdown values for each radio bearer, using a first countdown value for the bearer the TBF was established for and a second countdown value which indicates the total amount of data on stealing bearers, or by calculating a common countdown value indicating the total amount of data on all bearers using the TBF.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for informing a network side about an amount of data to be transferred by means of data blocks in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
 allocating, at a mobile station, a first wireless uplink bearer for a connection between a mobile station and a network, the first wireless uplink bearer being allocated for user data transfer; 
 establishing, at the mobile station, a first temporary block flow (TBF) for the first wireless uplink bearer for data block transfer; 
 allocating, at the mobile station, a second wireless uplink bearer for a connection between the mobile station and the network, the second wireless uplink bearer being a bearer using the first TBF for data block transfer; 
 adding to a data block, at the mobile station, a countdown value indicating the amount of data waiting for transmission using the first TBF for both the first wireless uplink bearer and the second wireless uplink bearer. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless uplink bearer is a user radio bearer and the second wireless uplink bearer is a signalling radio bearer, the method further comprising scheduling a resource allocation of the first TBF at least on the basis of countdown value defined for the different kinds of bearers. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the countdown value comprises a first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and a second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the countdown value comprises a sum of a first countdown value and a second countdown value, the first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer, and the second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       7. A mobile station in a wireless communication system where data is transmitted by means of data blocks on radio bearers, the mobile station comprising:
 a communication interface, the communication interface configured to send a data block; 
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein which are programmed to allocate a first radio bearer for a connection between a mobile station and a network; establish a first temporary block flow (TBF) for the first radio bearer; allocate a second bearer for the connection, the second bearer being a bearer using the first TBF for data block transfer; calculate a countdown value, the countdown value indicating an amount of data waiting for transmission on the first radio bearer and the second bearer using the first TBF; add the calculated countdown value to the data block; and 
 a processor, the processor coupled to the communication interface and to the computer-readable medium and configured to execute the instructions. 
 
     
     
       8. The mobile station of  claim 7 , wherein the countdown value comprises a first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and a second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       9. The mobile station of  claim 8 , wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       10. The mobile station of  claim 7 , wherein the countdown value comprises a sum of a first countdown value and a second countdown value, the first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer, and the second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       11. The mobile station of  claim 10 , wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       12. A network node in a wireless communication system where data is transmitted by means of data blocks on radio bearers, the network node comprising:
 a communication interface, the communication interface configured to receive a data block; 
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein which are programmed to receive the data block on a first temporary block flow (TBF) established for a first radio bearer and allocated to a second bearer, the data block comprising a countdown value indicating an amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and the second bearer; identify the radio bearer the data block belongs to and maintain information on the countdown value. 
 
     
     
       13. The network node of  claim 12 , further comprising instructions programmed to modify a resource allocation of the first TBF at least on the basis of the countdown value of the first TBF. 
     
     
       14. The network node of  claim 12 , wherein the countdown value comprises a first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and a second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       15. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       16. The network node of  claim 12 , wherein the countdown value comprises a sum of a first countdown value and a second countdown value, the first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer, and the second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       17. The network node of  claim 16 , wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       18. A method for a network node, comprising:
 receiving, at a network node, a data block on a first temporary block flow (TBF) established for a first radio bearer and allocated to a second bearer, the data block comprising a countdown value indicating an amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and the second bearer; and   identifying, at the network node, the radio bearer to which the data block belongs and maintaining information on the countdown value.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18, further comprising modifying a resource allocation of the first TBF at least on the basis of the countdown value of the first TBF. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 18, wherein the countdown value comprises a first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and a second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 18, wherein the countdown value comprises a sum of a first countdown value and a second countdown value, the first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer, and the second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, upon execution by a processor, cause the implementation of a set of operations for a mobile station, the operations comprising:
 allocating a first radio bearer for a connection between the mobile station and a network;   establishing a first temporary block flow (TBF) for the first radio bearer, to transfer data blocks;   allocating a second bearer for the connection, the second bearer using the first TBF for data block transfer;   calculating a countdown value indicating an amount of data waiting for transmission on the first radio bearer and the second bearer using the TBF; and   adding the countdown value to a data block to be transmitted.   
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the countdown value comprises a first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and a second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the countdown value comprises a sum of a first countdown value and a second countdown value, the first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer, and the second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, upon execution by a processor, cause the implementation of operations for a network node of a communication system, the operations comprising:
 receiving a data block on a first temporary block flow (TBF) established for a first radio bearer and allocated to a second bearer, the data block comprising a countdown value indicating an amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and the second bearer; and   identifying the radio bearer to which the data block belongs and maintaining information on the countdown value.   
     
     
       30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the operations further comprise modifying a resource allocation of the first TBF at least on the basis of the countdown value of the first TBF. 
     
     
       31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the countdown value comprises a first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer and a second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers. 
     
     
       33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the countdown value comprises a sum of a first countdown value and a second countdown value, the first countdown value indicating a first amount of data waiting for transmission on the first bearer, and the second countdown value indicating a second amount of data waiting for transmission on the second bearer. 
     
     
       34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the second countdown value includes data waiting for transmission on a plurality of second bearers.