Method and system for allocating media access control layer resources in a wireless communication environment

• US 10,075,939 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Hang, Ma, Jianglei, Jia, Ming, Fong, Mo-Han, Zhu, Peiying, Tong, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Raj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hasan, Mahmudul
• Application Number:
  US14/494,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 370312, 370469, 455518
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2627 Modulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for allocating shareable wireless transmission resources. A resource pool is established. The resource pool is divided into a plurality of physical layer allocation units usable for wirelessly transmitting control information and traffic data. The allocation units are assigned at the media access control layer for the wireless transmission of the control information and traffic data. The system and method of the present invention also allows mobile stations to be dynamically grouped into multicast groupings to reduce system overhead resource requirements.

Claims

1. A method for receiving control information within a multicast group, the method comprising:

at a mobile station;

communicating with a base station using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or broadband OFDM based technology, wherein the mobile station is grouped within a first multicast group, wherein the first multicast group is defined for multicast signaling by a first multicast group ID and by temporarily grouping mobile stations sharing a commonality, wherein the mobile stations sharing the commonality comprises mobile stations transmitting signaling to the base station with at least one common parameter;

subsequent to definition of the first multicast group for multicast signaling, receiving control signaling associated with the first multicast group ID indicating a resource location for a physical burst transmission; and

receiving a multicast group control message from the base station via multicasting to the first multicast group ID in the physical burst transmission associated with the first multicast group ID comprising the control information that is specific to the mobile station, wherein the physical burst transmission comprises control information for a plurality of mobile stations, wherein the control information comprises an ID of reduced size configured for identifying the mobile station as a member of the first multicast group within the multicast group control message addressed to the first multicast group ID, wherein the ID is of reduced size in comparison to identifying the mobile station when the mobile station is not a member of the first multicast group, wherein the control information further comprises at least resource allocation signaling to allocate resources to the mobile station in the first multicast group, wherein resources allocated to the mobile station by the resource allocation signaling are not allocated to other mobile stations within the first multicast group and wherein the mobile station disregards multicast group control messages associated with multicast groups defined by second multicast group IDs other than the first multicast group ID.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one common parameter is a layer 1 parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one common parameter is a layer 2 parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first multicast group ID is based on the at least one common parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, updating the mobile station membership in the first multicast group every transmission time interval (TTI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station is further grouped into one or more other multicast groups.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second multicast group IDs prevent the mobile station multicast group control messages for the other mobile stations associated with the second multicast group IDs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first multicast group ID is defined for a particular transmission type.

9. A mobile station configured to receive control information within a multicast group, the mobile station comprising:

communication circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to perform wireless communication; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware is configured to operate with the communication circuitry to;

communicate with a base station using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or broadband OFDM based technology, wherein the mobile station is grouped within a first multicast group, wherein the first multicast group is defined for multicast signaling by a first multicast group ID and by temporarily grouping mobile stations sharing a commonality, wherein the mobile stations sharing the commonality comprises mobile stations transmitting signaling to the base station with at least one common parameter;

subsequent to definition of the first multicast group for multicast signaling, receive control signaling associated with the first multicast group ID indicating a resource location for a physical burst transmission; and

receive a multicast group control message from the base station via multicasting to the first multicast group ID in the physical burst transmission associated with the first multicast group ID comprising the control information that is specific to the mobile station, wherein the physical burst transmission comprises control information for a plurality of mobile stations, wherein the control information comprises an ID of reduced size configured for identifying the mobile station as a member of the first multicast group within the multicast group control message addressed to a the first multicast group ID, wherein the ID is of reduced size in comparison to identifying the mobile station when the mobile station is not a member of the first multicast group, wherein the control information further comprises at least resource allocation signaling to allocate resources to the mobile station in the first multicast group, wherein resources allocated to the mobile station by the resource allocation signaling are not allocated to other mobile stations within the first multicast group and wherein the mobile station disregards multicast group control messages associated with multicast groups defined by second multicast group IDs other than the first multicast group ID.

10. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the at least one common parameter is a layer 1 parameter.

11. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the at least one common parameter is a layer 2 parameter.

12. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the first multicast group ID is based on the at least one common parameter.

13. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to operate with the communication circuitry to update the mobile station membership in the first multicast group every transmission time interval (TTI).

14. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the mobile station is further grouped into one or more other multicast groups.

15. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the second multicast group IDs prevent the mobile station multicast group control messages for the other mobile stations associated with the second multicast group IDs.

16. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the first multicast group ID is defined for a particular transmission type.

17. A base station configured to transmit control information to a multicast group, the base station comprising:

communication circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to perform wireless communication; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware is configured to operate with the communication circuitry to;

communicate with a mobile station using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or broadband OFDM based technology, wherein the mobile station is grouped within a first multicast group, wherein the first multicast group is defined for multicast signaling by a first multicast group ID and by temporarily grouping mobile stations sharing a commonality, wherein sharing the commonality comprises receiving a transmission from the mobile station with at least one common parameter;

subsequent to definition of the first multicast group for multicast signaling, transmit control signaling associated with the first multicast group ID indicating a resource location for a physical burst transmission; and

transmit a multicast group control message from the base station via multicasting to the first multicast group ID in the physical burst transmission associated with the first multicast group ID comprising the control information that is specific to the mobile station, wherein the physical burst transmission comprises control information for a plurality of mobile stations, wherein the control information comprises an ID of reduced size configured for identifying the mobile station as a member of the first multicast group within the multicast group control message addressed to the first multicast group ID, wherein the ID is of reduced size in comparison to identifying the mobile station when the mobile station is not a member of the first multicast group, wherein the control information further comprises at least resource allocation signaling to allocate resources to the mobile station in the first multicast group, wherein resources allocated to the mobile station by the resource allocation signaling are not allocated to other mobile stations within the first multicast group and wherein the mobile station disregards multicast group control messages associated with multicast groups defined by second multicast group IDs other than the first multicast group ID.

18. The base station of claim 17, wherein the at least one common parameter is a layer 1 parameter.

19. The base station of claim 17, wherein the at least one common parameter is a layer 2 parameter.

20. The base station of claim 17, wherein the first multicast group ID is based on the at least one common parameter.

21. The base station of claim 17, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to operate with the communication circuitry to update the membership of the first multicast group every transmission time interval (TTI).

22. The base station of claim 17, wherein the second multicast group IDs prevent the mobile station multicast group control messages for the other mobile stations associated with the second multicast group IDs.

23. The base station of claim 17, wherein the first multicast group ID is defined for a particular transmission type.