Channel allocation for communication system

• US 20040057402A1
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cortes, Jose Antonio, DʼArgence, Francois, Holma, Harri, Longoni, Fabio, Melero, Juan, Hakalin, Petter, Salmenkaita, Matti, Halonen, Timo, Ramos, Gabriel, Tolli, Antti, Kangas, Arto
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A communication system covering an area, said system comprising a plurality of first means, each of said first means being arranged to control the allocation of channels in a part of said area, at least one of said area, at least one of said first means being arranged to send information relating to channel allocation in the part of the area associated with said at least one first means to at least one other of said first means, said at least one other of said first means being arranged to take into account said received information when controlling the allocation of channels in the part of the area associated with said at least one other first means.

Claims

1. A communication system covering an area, said system comprising a plurality of first means, each of said first means being arranged to control the allocation of channels in a part of said area, at least one of said first means being arranged to send information relating to channel allocation in the part of the area associated with said at least one first means to at least one other of said first means, said at least one other of said first means being arranged to take into account said received information when controlling the allocation of channels in the part of the area associated with said at least one other first means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first means is arranged to send channel allocation information to said at least other first means which is associated with a part of said area adjacent to or at least partially overlapping the part of the area associated with said at least one first means.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one first means is arranged to send power control information to said at least other first means which is associated with a part of said area adjacent to or at least partially overlapping the part of the area associated with said at least one first means.

4. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said at least one first means has forwarding information which indicates to which one or more other first means the channel allocation information is to be sent.

5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said channel allocation information comprises cell information and/or information about channel allocation.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the cell information includes information to identify the cell, LAC, or CI.

7. The system according to claim 5 wherein the channel allocation information includes the state of time slots, for example idle, reserved, half rate or full rate, used down-link power control of base station, or the used mobile allocation index offset.

8. The system according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the channel allocation information is multi-cast.

9. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said at least one first means is arranged to continuously send said-channel allocation information to said at least one other first means.

10. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein said at least one first means is arranged to send said channel allocation information when there is a change in said channel allocation information to the at least one other first means.

11. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein said at least one first means is arranged to send said channel allocation information in response to a request from one of said at least one other first means.

12. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said at least one first means is provided with information identifying the at least one other first means to which said information is to be sent.

13. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein co-ordinating means are provided which receive said channel allocation information from said at least one first means.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said coordinating means is arranged to forward said channel allocation information to said at least one other first means.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein said coordinating means is provided with forwarding information which defines to which at least one other first means the channel allocation information from said at least one first means is to be forwarded,

16. A system as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15, wherein said coordinating means is arranged to make channel allocation decisions for at least one other first means taking into account the channel allocation information from said at least one first means.

17. A system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16 wherein said coordinating means is provided in a network element separate to the other means.

18. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said system is a cellular system.

19. A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said part of said area comprises at least one cell.

20. A system as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein said first means comprises a base station.

21. A system as claimed in any of claims 18 to 20, wherein said first means comprises a base station controller.

22. A system as claimed in any of claims 18 to 21, wherein said first means comprises a radio network controller.

23. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the following methods is used by said first means to allocate a channel:

dynamic frequency allocation;

dynamic channel allocation; and

co-ordination of the use of high data rates.

24. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of radio access networks, at least one of said first means being associated with one of said radio access networks and at least one of said first means being associated with another of said radio access networks.

25. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a first part of said area is a source and a second part of said area is a target.

27. A system as claimed in claim 25 or 26, wherein a message is sent from the first mean associated with said source to the first means associated with the target to initiate communication.

28. A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said message contains one or more of the following pieces of information:

message type;

transaction identity;

identity of said source;

information relating to parameters in the source and/or said target;

information relating to a carrier to interference ratio;

types of measurement supported in said source or the first means associated with said source;

report characteristics supported by said source or said first means associated with said source;

if multicast addressing is used the address of said source or the first means associated with said source.

29. A system as claimed in claim 28 or 29, wherein the first means associated with said target is arranged to send a response to said first means associated with said source.

30. A system as claimed in claim 29, wherein said response includes one or more of the following bits of information:

message type;

transaction identity;

identity of said target;

information relating to parameters in the source and/or said target;

information relating to a carrier to interference ratio;

types of measurement supported in said target or the first means associated with said target;

report characteristics supported by said target or the first means associated with said target;

if multicast addressing is used the address of said target or the first means associated with said target.

31. A system as claimed in claim 30 wherein said response, if said communication cannot be established, comprises a cause of failure.

32. A system as claimed in claim 31 wherein if said communication is initially successfully established, a update message is sent from said first means associated with said source to the first means associated with said target providing information on said source.

33. A system as claimed in claim 32 wherein said first means associated with said target is arranged to provide information relating to channels associated with said target.

26. A system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the first means associated with said source is arranged to detect a new entry in information relating to said target.

34. A coordinating means for receiving channel allocation information from at least one first means in a communication system, the communication system covering an area, and said system comprising a plurality of said first means, each of said first means being arranged to control the allocation of channels in a part of said area, at least one of said first means being arranged to send information relating to channel allocation in the part of the area associated with said at least one first means to at least one other of said first means, said at least one other of said first means being arranged to take into account said received information when controlling the allocation of channels in the part of the area associated with said at least one other first means.