Buffer occupancy used in uplink scheduling for a communication device

• US 20040224677A1
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Love, Robert T., Kuchibhotla, Ravi
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/535 based on resource usage policies

Abstract

A method for using buffer occupancy in uplink scheduling for a communication device includes a first step of sending buffer occupancy information and a time stamp indicating a last transmission opportunity provided to the communication device to an active set base stations. A next step includes utilizing the buffer occupancy information and time stamp to adjust a scheduling fairness setting for the communication device. A next step includes receiving scheduling information from a scheduler in accordance with the scheduling fairness setting. A next step includes transmitting on an uplink channel in accordance with the scheduling information.

Claims

1. A method for using buffer occupancy in uplink scheduling for a communication device, the method comprising steps of:

sending buffer occupancy information from the communication device to active set base stations;

sending a time stamp indicating a last transmission opportunity provided to the communication device; and

utilizing the buffer occupancy information and time stamp of the sending steps to adjust a scheduling fairness setting for the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending a time stamp step includes sending a number of radio frames since the communication device was last scheduled.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

adding a base station to the active set;

sending a time stamp to the base station of the adding step indicating a last transmission opportunity provided to the communication device; and

initializing a scheduling fairness setting for the communication device in the base station of the adding step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the initial steps of:

measuring a channel quality for the base stations of the active set;

defining a signal strength threshold;

determining whether the channel quality at any base station exceeds the threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the measuring step uses a measured downlink pilot channel signal strength as an indicator of channel quality.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the measuring step uses uplink power control command information available at the communication device as an indicator of channel quality.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the measuring step uses an uplink signal strength at a particular base station as an indicator of channel quality.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the frequency of the sending steps is increased during a period when the channel quality of a non-scheduling base station of the active set stays above the threshold of the defining step.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the sending steps are halted if the non-scheduling base station schedules the communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, when the sending buffer occupancy information step includes sending a rate of buffer occupancy increase, and wherein the utilizing step includes providing preferential treatment for a communication device with a higher rate of buffer occupancy increase than other communication devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending steps include sending at least one of the group of persistence of fading information, speed information, and distance from a particular base station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold of the defining step is determined by at least one of the group of persistence of fading information, speed information, and distance from a particular base station.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the initial steps of:

measuring a channel quality for the base stations of the active set;

defining a signal strength threshold;

determining whether the channel quality at any base station exceeds the threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the measuring step measures channel quality as at least one of the group of a downlink pilot channel signal strength, uplink power control command information available at the communication device, and uplink signal strength at a particular base station.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the frequency of the sending steps is increased during a period when the channel quality of a non-scheduling base station of the active set stays above the threshold of the defining step.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sending steps are halted if the non-scheduling base station schedules the communication device.

13. A method for using buffer occupancy in uplink scheduling for a communication device, the method comprising steps of:

sending buffer occupancy information from the communication device to active set base stations (BTS);

sending a time stamp indicating a last transmission opportunity provided to the communication device;

utilizing the buffer occupancy information and time stamp of the sending steps to adjust a scheduling fairness setting for the communication device;

receiving scheduling information from a scheduler in accordance with the scheduling fairness setting; and

transmitting on an uplink channel in accordance with the scheduling information.

18. The method of claim 13, when the sending buffer occupancy information step includes sending a rate of buffer occupancy increase, and wherein the utilizing step includes providing preferential treatment for a communication device with a higher rate of buffer occupancy increase than other communication devices.

19. A method for using buffer occupancy in uplink scheduling for a communication device, the method comprising steps of:

measuring a channel quality for base stations of the active set;

defining a signal strength threshold;

determining whether the channel quality at any base station exceeds the threshold;

sending a rate of change in buffer occupancy from the communication device to an active set base station;

sending a time stamp indicating a last transmission opportunity provided to the communication device;

utilizing the rate of change in buffer occupancy and time stamp of the sending steps to adjust a scheduling fairness setting for the communication device;

receiving scheduling information from a scheduler in accordance with the scheduling fairness setting; and

transmitting on an uplink channel in accordance with the scheduling information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the frequency of the sending steps is increased during a period when the channel quality of a non-scheduling base station of the active set stays above the threshold of the defining step and the frequency of the sending steps are halted upon scheduling of the communication device by the non-scheduling base station.