Random multiple data packets transmission scheme in LTE-based machine-type communications

Transmitting small data packets along with the Random Access (RA) procedure of Machine-Type Communications (MTC) is a promising solution to reduce the required signaling overhead in Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks. The performance analysis of RA upon transmitting one data packet shows that this strategy is beneficial. We present a multiple data packets transmission scheme based on the Access Class Barring (ACB) and multiple granted Resource Blocks (RBs) to further reduce the MTC Devices' (MTCDs') energy consumption. In the proposed scheme, each MTCD stays in the idle state until its queue builds up to u data packets which then called an active MTCD. Next, active MTCDs initiate the ACB check which allows the successful ones to transmit u data packet simultaneously in one RA procedure and hence reduces the energy consumption. That is by granting a greater number of RBs for each detected preamble and at the cost of longer access delay more energy could be saved. Using queueing theory analysis, we analyze the RA efficiency and the trade-off between energy consumption and incurred access delay of RA for a given number of RBs. Numerical results are provided to show the performance of the proposed scheme in terms of MTCDs' energy consumption and efficient utilization of RA resources.