Method for reduced-overhead short message transmission

Abstract

For applications with very small data activities, connection of a UE to a wireless network for sending or receiving such small data traffic increments via conventional connection set-up processes is quite inefficient in terms of spectral resource utilization. The invention provides a new connectionless methodology for transmission of such small data increments between a UE and a serving eNB. In particular, the invention methodology contemplates identifying a set of preamble sequences among the pool of preamble sequences provided for access requests from a UE to an eNB via the Random Access Channel as corresponding to a request from the UE for access to transmit an increment of data smaller than a predetermined threshold data size. When a UE has data traffic to transmit of a size smaller than the predetermined threshold size, it selects one of the preamble sequences in the identified set and sends an access request, using the selected preamble sequence, to a serving eNB via the Random Access Channel. Upon receipt of the access request from the UE, the eNB determines an appropriate RF resource for the data increment sought to be transmitted by the UE, based on the use of the selected preamble sequence sent by the UE, and schedules an uplink connection for the transmission of that data increment by the UE.