Method and arrangement for choosing a channel coding and interleaving scheme for certain types of packet data connections

Abstract

A method for choosing channel coding and/or interleaving scheme is applied in a communication connection over a radio interface between a terminal and a base station of a cellular packet radio system. A certain decision-making device allocates channel coding and/or interleaving schemes to communication connections. A request message is communicated (to the decision-making device, indicating a certain set of Quality of Service parameters associated with a certain first communication connection. The set of Quality of Service parameters is mapped to a certain first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme as a part of the channel coding and/or interleaving scheme allocation made by the decision-making device. The first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme is communicated to the base station and the terminal for them to apply said first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme in the first communication connection.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving a request for a specific communication connection over a radio interface between a mobile station and a base station of a cellular packet radio system; 
 as part of said requesting a specific communication connection, receiving a request message, said request message indicating a need for setting up a new radio bearer between the mobile station and the base station or changing the characteristics of an existing radio bearer between the mobile station and the base station, said request message further indicating a certain set of desired Quality of Service parameters selected based on an expected use of said specific communication connection, to be associated with said requested specific communication connection, 
 allocating a channel coding and/or interleaving scheme for independent application to said specific communication connection based, at least in part, on said desired Quality of Service parameters; 
 mapping said desired set of Quality of Service parameters to said allocated channel coding and/or interleaving scheme as a part of the allocation of the channel coding and/or interleaving scheme; and 
 transmitting a communication of said allocated channel coding and/or interleaving scheme to the base station and the mobile station for them to independently apply said first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme for use in said specific communication connection. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising that the channel coding scheme is a combination of error detection, error correcting, and interleaving. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein communicating a request message is executed as a response to an observed need for setting up a new radio bearer between the mobile station and the base station. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  further comprising that the request message is communicated from a serving gateway. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein communicating a request message is executed as a response to an observed need for changing the characteristics of an existing radio bearer between the mobile station and the base station. 
     
     
       6. A method comprising:
 receiving a request message at a decision-making device that allocates channel coding and/or interleaving schemes to communication connections over a radio interface between mobile stations and base stations of a cellular packet radio system, said request message indicating a need for setting up a new radio bearer between a mobile station and a base station or changing the characteristics of an existing radio bearer between the mobile station and the base station and indicating a certain set of Quality of Service parameters associated with a certain first communication connection; 
 mapping said set of Quality of Service parameters to a certain first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme as a part of the connection-specific channel coding and/or interleaving scheme allocation made by the decision-making device; and 
 transmitting a communication of said first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme to the base station and the mobile station for them to apply said first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme in said first communication connection; 
 wherein the step of receiving a request message at the decision-making device further comprises:
 a1) receiving an indication, within said set of Quality of Service parameters, of high service precedence, short mean delay and short maximum delay when the request message concerns a certain communication connection for transmitting real-time speech and/or real-time video image, or 
 a2) receiving an indication, within said set of Quality of Service parameters, of low service precedence, long mean delay and long maximum delay when the request message concerns a certain communication connection for transmitting non-real time data; 
 
 and wherein mapping said set of Quality of Service parameters to a certain first channel coding and/or interleaving scheme comprises:
 b1) mapping the set of Quality of Service parameters indicating high service precedence, short mean delay and short maximum delay into a channel coding scheme with no retransmissions and a long interleaving length, or 
 b2) mapping the set of Quality of Service parameters indicating low service precedence, long mean delay and long maximum delay into a channel coding scheme with retransmissions and a short interleaving length. 
 
 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 6 , wherein b1) further comprises the feature of mapping said set of Quality of Service parameters indicating high service precedence, short mean delay and short maximum delay into a channel coding scheme which is optimized for speech. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus comprising:
 a decision-making device configured to allocate channel coding and/or interleaving schemes to communication connections; 
 a controller configured to receive requests for specific communication connections with base stations and mobile stations over a radio interface, said requests for specific communication connections including a request message to the decision-making device, said request message indicating a need for setting up a new radio bearer between a mobile station and a base station or changing the characteristics of an existing radio bearer between the mobile station and the base station, said request message further indicating a certain set of desired Quality of Service parameters based on an expected use of said specific communication connection, to be associated with said requested specific communication connection; 
 wherein the decision making device is configured to allocate a channel coding and/or interleaving scheme for independent application to said requested specific communication connection based, at least in part, on said desired Quality of Service parameters, and is further adapted to map said desired Quality of Service parameters to said allocated channel coding and/or interleaving scheme as a part of the allocation of the channel coding and/or interleaving scheme; and 
 wherein said controller is configured to transmit a communication of said allocated coding and/or interleaving scheme to the base station and the mobile station for them to independently apply said allocated channel coding and/or interleaving scheme for use in said specific communication connection. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises a network node of a wireless communications network. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the apparatus comprises a radio network controller. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the apparatus comprises a packet control unit. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the controller is configured to receive the request from serving gateways. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim  7  8 wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the QOS parameters to be negotiated between the mobile station and a SGSN. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the SGSN is configured to ask the decision making unit about allowing a certain QOS profile to be used, based on capacity and current traffic load. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim  7  8 wherein the decision-making device is further configured to identify QOS parameter values that indicate a bearer type that is not allocatable and to make a preliminary allocation of a pair that is close in type to the requested one. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one control processor;   and at least one computer program code, the at least one computer program code configured to be executed by the at least one control processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:   communicate a request message to a decision making device, said request message for requesting one of a communication connection to be established and an established communication connection to be changed, and indicating at least one requested quality of service parameter associated with the requested communication connection, said at least one requested quality of service parameter to be used for selecting a channel coding scheme;   receive from said decision making device a channel coding scheme corresponding to said at least one requested quality of service parameter; and   apply said channel coding scheme when one of said requested communication connection is established and said established communication connection is changed.   
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein
 said at least one requested quality of service parameter indicates at least one of high service precedence, short mean delay, and short maximum delay.   
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 16, the at least one control processor being configured to communicate a request message is further configured to
 communicate the request message to the decision making device as a response to a need for setting up a new radio bearer between said apparatus and a base station.   
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 16, the at least one control processor being configured to communicate a request message is further configured to
 communicate the request message to the decision making device as a response to a need for changing the characteristics of an existing radio bearer between said apparatus and a base station.   
     
     
       20. An apparatus comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit a request message for one of requesting a communication connection to be established and changing an established communication connection, and indicating at least one requested quality of service parameter associated with the requested communication connection to a network element, said at least one requested quality of service parameter to be used for selecting a channel coding scheme;   a receiver configured to receive from the network element, a channel coding scheme corresponding to said at least one requested quality of service parameter; and   a processor configured to apply said channel coding scheme when one of said requested communication connection is established and said established communication connection is changed.   
     
     
       21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein
 said at least one requested quality of service parameter indicates at least one of high service precedence, short mean delay, and short maximum delay.   
     
     
       22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor assembles the request message to set up a new radio bearer between said apparatus and a base station. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor assembles the request message to change characteristics of an existing radio bearer between said apparatus and a base station. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one control processor;   and at least one computer program code, the at least one computer program code configured to be executed by the at least one control processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:   communicate a request message to a decision making device, said request message indicating at least one quality of service parameter associated with a communication connection;   receive from said decision making device at least one of a channel coding and interleaving scheme corresponding to said at least one quality of service parameter; and   apply said at least one of channel coding and interleaving scheme in said communication connection;   wherein said at least one quality of service parameter indicates high service precedence, short mean delay and short maximum delay which correspond to a channel coding scheme optimized for speech.   
     
     
       25. A method comprising:
 sending, from a mobile device, a request message to a decision making device, said request message for one of requesting a communication connection to be established and changing an established communication connection, and indicating at least one requested quality of service parameter associated with the requested communication connection, said at least one requested quality of service parameter to be used for selecting a channel coding scheme;   receiving from said decision making device a channel coding scheme corresponding to said at least one requested quality of service parameter; and   applying, by the mobile device, said channel coding scheme when one of said requested communication connection is established and said established communication connection is changed.   
     
     
       26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said at least one requested quality of service parameter indicates at least one of high service precedence, short mean delay, and short maximum delay. 
     
     
       27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the request message is sent to the decision making device in response to a need for setting up a new radio bearer between said mobile device and a base station. 
     
     
       28. A method according to claim 25, further comprising sending a subsequent request message to the decision making device in a response to a need for changing the characteristics of an existing radio bearer between said mobile device and a base station.