Dynamic selection of data exchange mode for telecommunication devices

• US 10,075,938 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Karimli, Yasmin, Gupta, Puja
• Primary Examiner(s): LO, DIANE LEE
• Application Number:
  US15/290,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20180103455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/827 Aggregation of resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0085 when channel conditions change
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0087 when data requirements change
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Systems and processes may be implemented to evaluate current network conditions with respect to a telecommunication device and to dynamically toggle the device between a Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) communication mode and a Carrier Aggregation (CA) communication mode. The device may use either the MIMO mode or the CA mode to exchange data with a network operator while remaining locked onto a primary base station. Thus, rather than being statically assigned based on a fixed priority to use a particular communication mode for data exchanges with the primary base station, for example assigning all MIMO 4×4 capable devices to use MIMO 4×4 throughout its time within a primary cell, a device may be dynamically assigned and re-assigned to use a plurality of different communication modes at different times based on which mode will achieve optimal performance.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a telecommunication device via a base station, capabilities information indicating that the telecommunication device is configured to selectively operate in either a Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) communication mode or a Carrier Aggregation (CA) communication mode;

transmitting, to the telecommunication device via the base station, a first command to cause the telecommunication device to receive first data from the base station on a first carrier using the MIMO communication mode;

following transmitting the first command, monitoring current capacity data associated with at least a first available capacity of at least a second carrier at a first time;

transmitting, based on the first available capacity of the second carrier at the first time, a second command to the telecommunication device via the base station to cause the telecommunication device to use the CA communication mode to receive second data from the second carrier and from and at least one of the first carrier or a third carrier;

following transmitting the second command, monitoring current capacity data associated with each of the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier; and

varying a threshold level based on the current capacity data associated with the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the telecommunication device via the base station, performance metrics associated with receiving the first data using the MIMO communication mode, and wherein the transmitting the second command is further based on the performance metrics.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the performance metrics include one or more radio frequency (RF) signal strength indicators.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing at least the current capacity data to communication mode selection criteria to select between the MIMO communication mode and the CA communication mode at a plurality of intervals while the telecommunication device is within a geographic cell corresponding to the base station.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least some of the plurality of intervals correspond to one or more transmission time intervals associated with one or more packet sizes, the one or more transmission time intervals being regular intervals.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, based on a second available capacity of the second carrier at a second time and to the telecommunication device via the base station, a third command to cause the telecommunication device to receive third data from the base station using the MIMO communication mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the second data is received from the base station on at least one of the first carrier or the third carrier, and wherein a second portion of the second data is received from at least one different base station on the second carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a second telecommunication device via the base station, second capabilities information indicating that the second telecommunication device is configured to selectively operate in either the MIMO communication mode or the CA communication mode; and

transmitting, to the second telecommunication device via the base station, third data using the MIMO communication mode while simultaneously transmitting the second data from the base station using the CA communication mode.

9. A method comprising:

establishing, by a primary base station, a communication link with a telecommunication device that is configured to selectively operate in a Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) communication mode or a Carrier Aggregation (CA) communication mode;

transmitting, by the primary base station at a first time, a first command to cause the telecommunication device to use the MIMO communication mode to receive first data from the primary base station on a first carrier;

receiving, from the telecommunication device at a second time, an indication of a signal strength of the first carrier at the telecommunication device;

transmitting, by the primary base station and based on the signal strength of the first carrier being below a threshold level, a second command to cause the telecommunication device to use the CA communication mode to receive second data from a second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or a third carrier;

monitoring current capacity data associated with each of the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier; and

varying the threshold level based on the current capacity data associated with the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the MIMO communication mode is used to receive the first data while the telecommunication device is at a first location within a geographic cell corresponding to the primary base station, and wherein the CA communication mode is used to receive the second data while the telecommunication device is at a second location within the geographic cell.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from the telecommunication device at a third time that is subsequent to the second time, a second indication of an increase in the signal strength of the first carrier at the telecommunication device; and

transmitting, by the primary base station and based on the increase in the signal strength, a third command to cause the telecommunication device switch from the CA communication mode back to the MIMO communication mode to receive third data from the primary base station on the first carrier.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least some of the second data is received from a secondary base station that is associated with at least one of the second carrier or the third carrier.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dynamically determining, in substantially real-time based on communication mode selection criteria, a preferred one of the MIMO communication mode and the CA communication mode; and

generating the second command to cause the telecommunication device to use the CA communication mode in response to the preferred one changing from the MIMO communication mode to the CA communication mode.

14. A telecommunication network communication mode management system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

establishing, by a first base station, a communication link with a telecommunication device that is configured to selectively operate in a Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) communication mode or a Carrier Aggregation (CA) communication mode;

designating the first base station as a primary base station to support the communication link with the telecommunication device;

causing the telecommunication device to use the MIMO communication mode to receive first data from the primary base station on a first carrier;

subsequent to the causing the telecommunication device to use the MIMO communication mode and while the first base station remains designated as the primary base station;

dynamically monitoring current network conditions associated with the telecommunication device;

determining, based on communication mode selection criteria and the current network conditions, that the CA communication mode is currently preferred over the MIMO communication mode;

causing the telecommunication device to switch from the MIMO communication mode to the CA communication mode to receive second data from a second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or a third carrier;

monitoring current capacity data associated with each of the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier; and

varying a threshold level based on the current capacity data associated with the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the dynamically monitoring the current network conditions associated with the telecommunication device includes:

receiving, from the telecommunication device, signal performance data associated with at least one of the first carrier, the second carrier, and the third carrier.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the signal performance data includes at least one of signal-to-noise ratio data, received signal received power data, or channel quality indicator data.

17. The system of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

establishing, by the first base station, a plurality of other communication links with a plurality of other telecommunication devices that are configured to operate in the MIMO communication mode or the CA communication mode;

causing at least some of the plurality of other telecommunication devices to use the MIMO communication mode simultaneously with the telecommunication device using the MIMO communication mode to receive the first data from the primary base station on a first carrier.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the dynamically monitoring the current network conditions associated with the telecommunication device includes identifying an increase in current data usage corresponding to the telecommunication device, and wherein the causing the telecommunication device to switch from the MIMO communication mode to the CA communication mode is at least partially in response to the increase in current data usage.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the telecommunication device is further configured to perform at least some MIMO based communications over at least one component carrier while operating in the CA communication mode.