Dynamic bandwidth allocation for multiple access communication using session queues

• US 20010021197A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tantivy Communications Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr., Foore, Lawrence R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,542,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/16 Code allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/165 Variable formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1327 : Release and resetting of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 : Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 : Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1336 : Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0257 : the individual bearer or channel having a maximum bit rate or a bit rate guarantee
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 : Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 : using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 : of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A technique for providing high speed data service over standard wireless connections via an unique integration of protocols and existing cellular signaling, such as is available with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) type systems through more efficient allocation of access to CDMA channels. For example, when more users exist than channels, the invention determines a set of probabilities for which users will require channel access at which times, and dynamically assigns channel resources accordingly. Channel resources are allocated according to a buffer monitoring scheme provided on forward and reverse links between a base station and multiple subscriber units. Each buffer is monitored over time for threshold levels of data to be transmitted in that buffer. For each buffer, a probability is calculated that indicates how often the specific buffer will need to transmit data and how much data will be transmitted. This probability takes into account the arrival rates of data into the buffer, as well as which thresholds within the buffer are exceeded, as well as which resources in the form of channels are already allocated to the subscriber unit.

Claims

1. A method for allocating and deallocating channel resources from a limited number of channel resources used to transmit data from a base station transmitter to a plurality of subscriber unit receivers, the method comprising the steps of:

storing the data to be transmitted to a particular one of the subscriber unit receivers in a plurality of data queues, there being multiple queues associated with each receiver, and with each queue allocated to handle data traffic having a particular traffic type attribute;

accepting data at a transmit processor within the transmitter, the data arriving from the multiple queues for transmission to the particular receiver;

allocating a number of channel resources to the particular receiver; and

monitoring usage of each of the queues by a channel resource assignor to determine the urgency of data to be transmitted to each queue'"'"'s respective receiver in order to dynamically assign an optimum number of channel resources to a communication link between the transmitter and receiver.

2. A method as in

claim 1

wherein each one of the plurality of queues has an associated plurality of thresholds, each threshold associated with the level of data stored in that respective queue.

3. A method as in

claim 1

wherein the traffic attribute is content type.

4. A method as in

claim 1

wherein the traffic attribute is transport mechanism type.

5. A method as in

claim 4

wherein the application type is selected from a group consisting of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

6. A method as in

claim 3

wherein the transport type is selected from the group consisting of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

7. A method as in

claim 2

wherein the queue thresholds indicate data underflow.

8. A method as in

claim 1

wherein the individual queues are associated with different transport layer sessions for a given user.

9. A method as in

claim 2

wherein the queue thresholds are determined from coding rates assigned to the communications channels associated with the link between the transmitter and receiver.

10. A method as in

claim 1

wherein the queue thresholds depend upon a round trip transfer of time.

11. A method as in

claim 1

wherein the queue thresholds depend upon the round trip transfer time and coding rates.

12. A method as in

claim 1

wherein the queue thresholds depend upon an expected quality and data rate in the channel.

13. A method as in

claim 1

additionally comprising the step of:

computing an urgency factor associated with each queue based upon statistical information gathered for the accumulation of data at the associated plurality of thresholds for that queue, the urgency factor representing a relative need for the transmitter associated with each queue to transmit data, and wherein the urgency factor each queue is used to determine the optimum number of channel resources to be allocated to the connections between the transmitter and receiver.

14. The method of

claim 1

further including the steps of:

determining how to allocate the available channels among the buffers by determining if the buffer having the highest urgency factor U exceeds a respective high threshold and if the buffer having the lowest urgency factor U exceeds a respective low threshold, and if so, deallocating one resource channel is from the buffer with the lowest urgency factor and reallocating the one resource channel to the buffer with the highest urgency factor.