3.4.3 Channel assignment procedure

3GPP44.018GSM/EDGE Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocolMobile radio interface Layer 3 specificationRelease 17TS

In dedicated mode, dual transfer mode or in group transmit mode, an intracell change of channel can be requested by upper layers for changing the channel type, or decided by the RR sublayer, e.g. for an internal handover. This change may be performed through the dedicated channel assignment procedure.

The purpose of the channel assignment procedure is to completely modify the physical channel configuration of the mobile station without frequency redefinition or change in synchronization while staying in the same cell.

This procedure shall not be used for changing between dependent configurations, i.e. those sharing Radio Resource for the main signalling link. An example of dependent channels is a full rate channel and one of the corresponding half rate channels. In multislot operation however, it is allowed to use the same timeslots before and after the assignment, as long as the main signalling link has been changed. The only procedures provided for changing between dependent configurations for the main signalling link are the additional assignment and the partial release procedures.

The channel assignment procedure happens only in dedicated mode, dual transfer mode and in group transmit mode. This procedure cannot be used in the idle mode; in this case the immediate assignment procedure is used.

The channel assignment procedure includes:

– the suspension of normal operation except for RR management (layer 3);

– the release of the main signalling link, and of the other data links as defined in sub-clause 3.1.4, the disconnection of TCHs if any, and the release of packet resources, if in dual transfer mode;

– the deactivation of previously assigned channels (layer 1);

– the activation of the new channels and their connection if applicable;

– the triggering of the establishment of the data link connections for SAPI = 0.

The channel assignment procedure is always initiated by the network.

3.4.3.1 Channel assignment initiation

The network initiates the channel assignment procedure by sending an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message to the mobile station on the main signalling link. It then starts timer T3107.

NOTE: The network should take into account limitations of certain mobile stations to understand formats used in the Frequency List IE and Cell Channel Description IE used in the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message, see sub-clause 10.5.2.13 and sub-clause 10.5.2.1b.

When sending this message on the network side, and when receiving it on the mobile station side, all transmission of signalling layer messages except for those RR messages needed for this procedure and for abnormal cases is suspended until resumption is indicated. These RR messages can be deduced from sub-clauses 3.4.3 and 8.8 Radio Resource management.

Upon receipt of the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message, the mobile station initiates a local end release of link layer connections and packet resources, if in dual transfer mode, disconnects the physical channels, commands the switching to the assigned channels and initiates the establishment of lower layer connections (this includes the activation of the channels, their connection and the establishment of the main signalling links).

The ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message contains the description of the new configuration, including for the multislot configuration and the TCH/H + TCH/H + ACCHs configuration, the exact ACCHs to be used and a power command. The power level defined in this power command shall be used by the mobile station for the initial power on the new channel(s). It shall not affect the power used on the old channel(s). The message may also contain definitions of the channel mode to be applied for one or several channel sets. If a previously undefined channel set is defined by the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message, a definition of the channel mode for the new channel set shall be included in the message.

If the channel mode to be applied corresponds to an initial assignment of a multi-rate speech codec, the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message shall contain the MultiRate Configuration IE, which defines the set of codec modes and related information to use on the new channel.

If the assignment is related to an intra-cell handover from a multi-rate speech codec to a multi-rate speech codec, the MultiRate Configuration IE shall be included in the case of full rate to half rate or in the case of a change of multi-rate speech version. If not included in those cases, the mobile station shall behave as if the MultiRate Configuration IE was inconsistent. If not included in other cases, the MS shall use on the new channel the AMR configuration it was using on the old channel when it received the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message.

An ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message may indicate a frequency change in progress, with a starting time and possibly alternative channel descriptions.

In the case of the reception of an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message which contains only the description of a channel to be used after the starting time, the mobile station shall wait up to the starting time before accessing the channel. If the starting time has already elapsed, the mobile shall access the channel as an immediate reaction to the reception of the message (see 3GPP TS 45.010 for the timing constraints).

If the message contains both the description of a channel to be used after the indicated time and of a channel to be used before, the mobile station accesses a channel as an immediate reaction to the reception of the message. If the moment the mobile station is ready to access is before the indicated time, the mobile station accesses the channels described for before the starting time. The mobile station then changes to the channel described for after the starting time at the indicated time. New parameters can be frequency list, MAIO and HSN. Other parameters describing the allocated channels must be identical to the parameters described for before the starting time. If the moment the mobile station is ready to access is after the starting time, the mobile station accesses the channel described for after the starting time.

If frequency hopping is applied, the cell allocation if present in the message is used to decode the mobile allocation. If the cell allocation is not included, the mobile station uses its current cell allocation, the current CA is the last CA received on the BCCH. Afterward, the current CA may be changed by some messages sent on the main signalling link containing a CA (the possible messages are: ASSIGNMENT COMMAND, HANDOVER COMMAND and FREQUENCY REDEFINITION). Note that there are cases in which the current CA is undefined, see sub-clause 3.4.3.3.

The ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message may contain a cipher mode setting IE. In that case, this ciphering mode has to be applied on the new channel. If no such information is present, the ciphering mode and the use of Selective Ciphering of Downlink SACCH (see sub-clause 3.4.7a) are the same as on the previous channel. In either case the ciphering key shall not be changed as long as the key length remains unchanged. However, in case of a switch between ciphering algorithms requiring different key lengths, i.e. 64 or 128 bits, a change from the 64 bit key to the 128 bit key or vice versa must be performed. If the cipher mode setting IE indicates "start ciphering" the mobile station supporting Selective Ciphering of Downlink SACCH shall be able to decode both ciphered and not-ciphered SACCH blocks (see sub-clause 3.4.7a). The ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message shall not contain a cipher mode setting IE that indicates "start ciphering" unless a CIPHERING MODE COMMAND message has been transmitted earlier in the RR connection or ciphering has been started earlier in UTRAN: if such an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message is received it shall be regarded as erroneous, an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE with cause "Protocol error unspecified" message shall be returned immediately, and no further action taken.

In a voice group call, the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message may contain a VGCS target mode information element defining which RR mode is to be used on the new channel (i.e. dedicated mode or group transmit mode). If this information element is not present, the mode shall be assumed to be the same as on the previous channel. When the VGCS target mode information element indicates that the RR mode of the new channel is group transmit mode the information element shall also indicate the group cipher key number for the group cipher key to be used on the new channel or if the new channel is non ciphered. If the information element is not present, the ciphering mode and group cipher key shall be the same as on the previous channel. Additionally, when the RR mode of the new channel is group transmit mode and the group cipher key number indicates that the new channel is ciphered (ie group key number is non zero), then the VGCS Ciphering Parameters Information Element shall be included to provide the VSTK_RAND and Cell_Global_Count. Mobile stations not supporting VGCS talking shall ignore the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message if the VGCS target mode information element or the VGCS Ciphering Parameters Information Element are included in the message and shall send an RR STATUS message to the network with cause #96. If the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message contains a cipher mode setting information element together with either a VGCS target mode information element indicating a RR mode of group transmit mode, or a VGCS Ciphering Parameters information element, then a mobile station supporting VGCS talking shall regard the message as erroneous, an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "Protocol error unspecified" shall be returned immediately, and no further action taken.

If the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message assigns a VGCS mobile station to a dedicated channel, then the message may contain a cipher mode setting IE. In that case, this ciphering mode has to be applied on the new channel. If no such information is present, the ciphering mode is the same as on the previous channel, provided that the previous channel was also a dedicated channel. If no such information is present and the RR mode of the previous channel was group transmit mode, the new ciphering mode is "no ciphering". In either case the ciphering key to be used on the dedicated channel is the individual GSM ciphering key. The ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message shall not contain a cipher mode setting IE that indicates "start ciphering" unless a CIPHERING MODE COMMAND message has been transmitted earlier in the RR connection or a group cipher key number different from zero has been transmitted for this voice group call. If an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message is received that contains a cipher mode setting IE indicating "start ciphering" and the mobile station has received neither a CIPHERING MODE COMMAND message in the RR connection, nor a group cipher key number different from zero for this voice group call, via any channel, then the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message shall be considered as erroneous, the mobile station shall send an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE with cause "Protocol error unspecified", and no further action taken.

When the VGCS Ciphering Parameters are included in the Assignment Command the MS shall adjust and maintain the Cell Global Count using the procedure described in sub-clause 3.3.3.1. The MS shall then calculate the ciphering keys as described in 3GPP TS 43.020. Also, the MS shall fetch from the USIM the identity of its ciphering algorithm to use on the resource, as described in 3GPP TS 43.020.

3.4.3.2 Assignment completion

After the main signalling link is successfully established, the mobile station returns an ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE message, specifying cause "normal event", to the network on the main DCCH.

The sending of this message on the mobile station side and its receipt on the network side allow the resumption of the transmission of signalling layer messages other than those belonging to RR management.

At the receipt of the ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE message, the network releases the previously allocated resources and stops timer T3107.

3.4.3.3 Abnormal cases

If the mobile station has no current CA and if it needs a CA to analyse the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message, it stays on the current channel(s) and sends an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "no cell allocation available".

If the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message instructs the mobile station to use a Channel Description or Mode that it does not support, or if the Channel Mode to use is not defined for all channel sets, then the mobile station shall return an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "channel mode unacceptable", and the mobile station shall remain on the current channel(s) and uses the old Channel Description or Channel Mode(s).

If the mobile station receives an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message containing an inconsistent MultiRate Configuration IE, then the mobile station shall return an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "channel mode unacceptable", and the mobile station shall remain on the current channel(s) and uses the old Channel Description or Channel Mode(s).

The MultiRate Configuration IE shall be considered as inconsistent by the MS if:

– the active set does not include any codec mode or the active set includes more than four codec modes; or

– one or more codec modes of the active codec set are not supported by the assigned channel; or

– the threshold and hysteresis values are not set according to requirements given in 3GPP TS 45.009.

If during the initial assignment of the multirate speech the mobile station receives an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message and the MultiRate Configuration IE is not present, then the mobile station shall return an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "channel mode unacceptable", and the mobile station shall remain on the current channel(s) and uses the old Channel Description or Channel Mode(s).

If the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message instructs the mobile station to use a frequency that it is not capable of, then the mobile station shall return an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "frequency not implemented", and the mobile station shall remain on the current channel(s).

If the mobile station receives an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message with a Frequency List IE indicating frequencies that are not all in one band, then the mobile station shall stay on the current channel(s) and send an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "frequency not implemented". If the mobile station receives an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message with a Mobile Allocation IE indexing frequencies that are not all in one band, then the mobile station shall stay on the current channel(s) and send an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message with cause "frequency not implemented".

NOTE: An ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message sent to a multi band mobile station shall not be considered invalid because it indicates frequencies that are all in a different frequency band to that of the current channel.

On the mobile station side, if a lower layer failure happens on the new channel before the ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE message has been sent, the mobile station deactivates the new channels, reactivates the old channels, reconnects the TCHs if any and triggers the establishment of the main signalling link. It then sends a ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message, cause "protocol error unspecified" on the main DCCH and resumes the normal operation, as if no assignment attempt had occurred. The operational parameters (e.g. ciphering mode) when returning on the old channel are those applied before the procedure.

When receiving the ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message, the network stops T3107.

If a lower layer failure happens while attempting to connect back to the old channels, the radio link failure procedure is applied (see sub-clause 3.4.13.2 for dedicated mode and sub-clause 3.4.13.5 for group transmit mode).

On the network side, if timer T3107 elapses before either the ASSIGNMENT COMPLETE message has been received on the new channels or an ASSIGNMENT FAILURE message is received on the old channels, the old channels and the new channels are released if they both were dedicated channels and, unless the mobile station has re-established the call, all contexts related to the connections with that mobile station are cleared. If one of the channels was a VGCS channel, it shall be maintained and the uplink shall be set free. If both channels were VGCS channels, the network shall maintain one of the channels and the uplink shall be set free.

On the network side, lower layer failure occurring on the old channels after the sending of the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message are ignored. Lower layer failures occurring after the receipt of the SABM Frame on the new main signalling link are treated following the general rules (cf. sub-clause 3.5.2).