초록 ▼

A wireless communication system (100) includes a network (102), one or more mobile stations (103), and a medium access control (MAC) protocol (201). The MAC protocol (201) includes a state transition design (400) and a control channel design (500). The state transition design (400) includes null (4

A wireless communication system (100) includes a network (102), one or more mobile stations (103), and a medium access control (MAC) protocol (201). The MAC protocol (201) includes a state transition design (400) and a control channel design (500). The state transition design (400) includes null (401), dormant (402), standby (403), and active states (404) for each mobile station (103). The control channel design (500) includes a common control channel (501), a slow control channel (502) and a fast control channel (503), and is adapted to control communications from the network to each mobile station.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of performing medium access control (MAC) to control communications from a network to at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and a

What is claimed is: 1. A method of performing medium access control (MAC) to control communications from a network to at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the method comprising: the network transmitting to each mobile station according to a control channel design, including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel; the network sending communications to each mobile station over the slow control channel when the mobile station is in the standby state to control a next state transition for the mobile station, the communications comprising: information identifying how many mobile stations are transitioning from the standby state to the active state; and information indicating occurrences of mobile stations that are transitioning from the standby state to the active state. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the network and the mobile station initiates a transition between the standby state and one of the null state, the dormant state and the active state. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition is from the standby state to the active state. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition is from the active state to the standby state. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition is from the standby state to the dormant state. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition is from the dormant state to the standby state. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition is from the standby state to the null state. 8. The method of claim 2, wherein the transition is from the null state to the standby state. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network sends communications to each mobile station over the common control channel when the mobile station is in one of the null state and the dormant state. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network sends communications to each mobile station over the fast control channel when the mobile station is in the active state. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications, having the information indicating occurrences of mobile stations that are transitioning from the standby state to the active state, comprise: a standby identification (ID); an active identification (ID); and a reverse link (RL) index. 12. A method of performing medium access control (MAC) to control communications from a network to at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the method comprising: the network transmitting to each mobile station according to a control channel design, including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel; the network sending communications to each mobile station over the slow control channel when the mobile station is in the standby state to control a next state transition for the mobile station; each mobile station monitoring the slow control channel when in the standby state according to a selected quality of service (QoS) level of a plurality of QoS levels, each QoS level having a respective periodicity for which the mobile station monitor the slow control channel. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the periodicity of each QoS level is an integer number times a communication cycle of the slow control channel. 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the periodicity of each QoS level is synchronized between the network and the mobile station. 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the QoS levels are independently selected for each mobile station. 16. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the network and the mobile station controls the QoS levels. 17. The method of claim 12 wherein each QoS level relates to a respective power consumption level in the mobile station. 18. A method of performing medium access control (MAC) to control communications between a network and at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the method comprising: for each mobile station, one of the network and the mobile station initiating a transition between the standby state and one of the null state, the dormant state and the active state, including at least one of: the transition from the standby state to the active state, the transition from the active state to the standby state, the transition from the standby state to the dormant state, the transition from the dormant state to the standby state, the transition from the standby state to the null state, and the transition from the null state to the standby state; and the network transmitting to each mobile station according to a control channel design including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel, wherein the network sends communications to the mobile station; over the common control channel when the mobile station is in one of the null state and the dormant state for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network, over the fast control channel when the mobile station is in the active state for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network, and over the slow control channel when the mobile station is in the standby state for controlling a next state transition for the mobile station; wherein the communications over the slow control channel comprises: information identifying how many mobile stations are transitioning from the standby state to the active state; and information indicating occurrences of mobile stations that are transitioning from the standby state to the active state. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communications, having the information indicating occurrences of mobile stations that are transitioning from the standby state to the active state, comprise: a standby identification (ID); an active identification (ID); and a reverse link (RL) index. 20. A method of performing medium access control (MAC) to control communications between a network and at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the method comprising: for each mobile station, one of the network and the mobile station initiating a transition between the standby state and one of the null state, the dormant state and the active state, including at least one of: the transition from the standby state to the active state, the transition from the active state to the standby state, the transition from the standby state to the dormant state, the transition from the dormant state to the standby state, the transition from the standby state to the null state, and the transition from the null state to the standby state; the network transmitting to each mobile station according to a control channel design including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel, wherein the network sends communications to the mobile station: over the common control channel when the mobile station is in one of the null state and the dormant state for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network, over the fast control channel when the mobile station is in the active state for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network, and over the slow control channel when the mobile station is in the standby state for controlling a next state transition for the mobile station; each mobile station monitoring the slow control channel when in the standby state according to a selected quality of service (QoS) level of a plurality of QoS levels, each QoS level having a respective periodicity for which the mobile station monitors the slow control channel; and wherein the periodicity of each QoS level is an integer number times a communication cycle of the slow control channel, wherein the periodicity of each QoS level is synchronized between the network and the mobile station, wherein the QoS levels are independently selected for each mobile station, wherein at least one of the network and the mobile station controls the QoS levels, and wherein each QoS level relates to a respective power consumption level in the mobile station. 21. A network, adapted to perform media access control (MAC) to control communications with at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the network comprising: a control channel design, including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel, the network being adapted to control communications to each mobile station according to the control channel design; wherein the network sends communications to each mobile station over the slow control channel when the mobile station is in the standby state for controlling a next state transition for the mobile station, the communications comprising: information identifying how many mobile stations are transitioning from the standby state to the active state; and information indicating occurrences of mobile stations that are transitioning from the standby state to the active state. 22. A method of performing medium access control (MAC), to control communications between a network and at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the method comprising: for each mobile station, one of the network and the mobile station initiating a transition between the standby state and one of the null state, the dormant state and the active state, including at least one of: the transition from the standby state to the active state, the transition from the active state to the standby state, the transition from the standby state to the dormant state, the transition from the dormant state to the standby state, the transition from the standby state to the null state, and the transition from the null state to the standby state; and the network transmitting to each mobile station according to a control channel design including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel, wherein the network sends communications to the mobile station: over the common control channel when the mobile station is in one of the null state and the dormant state for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network, over the fast control channel when the mobile station is in the active state for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network, and over the slow control channel when the mobile station is in the standby state for controlling a next state transition for the mobile station, wherein the slow control channel comprises a repeating pattern having an active period followed by a slow control channel inactive period and the fast control channel comprises a repeating pattern having an active period and a fast control channel inactive period, wherein the fast control inactive period is relatively short compared to the slow control channel inactive period. 23. A network, adapted to perform media access control (MAC) to control communications with at least one mobile station, each mobile station undergoing state transitions according to a state transition design, including a null state, a dormant state, a standby state, and an active state, the network comprising: a control channel design, including a common control channel, a slow control channel, and a fast control channel, the network being adapted to control communications to each mobile station according to the control channel design for controlling a next state transition for the mobile station, or for providing configuration information for use by the mobile station in obtaining service from the network; wherein the slow control channel comprises a repeating pattern having an active period followed by a slow control channel inactive period and the fast control channel comprises a repeating pattern having an active period and a fast control channel inactive period, wherein the fast control inactive period is relatively short compared to the slow control channel inactive period.