Method and apparatus for controlling transmissions in communications systems

• US 20050026621A1
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inmarsat Global Limited (Inmarsat PLC)
• Original Assignee: Inmarsat Incorporated (Inmarsat PLC), Inmarsat PLC
• Inventors: Mudge, David Denis, Febvre, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2123 Variable assignment, e.g. demand assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst

Abstract

In a bandwidth allocation protocol for a mobile communications network, mobile terminals report their bandwidth requirements to the network, while the network controls the amount of bandwidth that is used by the mobiles in reporting their bandwidth requirements. The mobiles indicate the total quantity of data awaiting transmission, the maximum delay time of the most urgent portion of the data and the maximum delay time of the least urgent portion. If a collision occurs between transmission by two mobiles, the mobiles wait for an interval controlled by the network before attempting another contention-based access transmission. The network periodically varies the contention-based access capacity available according to the observed usage level and/or collision rate in the previously allocated contention-based access capacity. The network analyses the forward traffic to individual mobiles and predicts the return bandwidth requirements which are likely to result from the forward traffic. The network stores associations between forward and return frequency channels, so that when a mobile receiving a forward frequency channel request return capacity, the network preferentially assigns return bandwidth to the mobile in one or more of the associated return channels.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method of transmission in a contention-based access channel by a wireless transceiver, comprising:

a) transmitting a burst in said channel;

b) detecting whether said burst has collided with another burst in said channel;

and, if a collision is detected at said detecting step, waiting for a period determined according to a repeat parameter before repeating steps a) and b), wherein said repeat parameter is received by said transceiver.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said period is randomly or pseudo-randomly selected from a range indicated by said repeat parameter.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said repeat parameter includes a increment by which said range is increased after each repetition of steps a) and b).

16-17. -17. (canceled)

19. A method of allocating frequency channels to a plurality of wireless transceivers, comprising:

transmitting to each of said transceivers a forward frequency channel allocation signal indicating an allocation of one or more forward frequency channels which that transceiver is to receive; and

transmitting to each of said transceivers, in at least one said forward frequency channels assigned to that transceiver, a respective return channel allocation signal indicating an allocation of one or more return frequency channels in which that transceiver may transmit;

wherein, for each forward frequency channel, a set of preferred return frequency channels is stored, such that for each of said transceivers to which a specified one of said forward frequency channels is allocated, the allocated one or more return frequency channels is preferentially selected from said corresponding set of preferred return frequency channels.

20. A method of allocating contention-based capacity to a plurality of wireless transceivers, comprising:

transmitting to said transceivers a first contention-based capacity allocation signal indicating a first channel capacity assigned for contention-based access to said transceivers;

receiving in said first channel capacity, transmissions from said transceivers;

detecting a level of usage by said transmissions of said first channel capacity;

determining, according to said level and said first channel capacity, a second channel capacity assigned for contention-based access to said transceivers; and

transmitting a second contention-based capacity allocation signal, indicating said second channel capacity, to said transceivers.

21-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method of controlling transmission by a wireless transceiver in a channel shared with transmission by other transceivers, comprising:

monitoring data transmitted to said transceiver;

predicting, on the basis of said monitoring step, a demand for capacity in said channel by said transceiver, and

transmitting to said transceiver an allocation signal indicating an allocation in said channel determined according to said predicted demand.

18. A method as claimed in claim 26, including detecting the content of said monitored data, wherein the demand for capacity is predicted according to said content.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, including generating a statistical model based on previous traffic flow to and from wireless transceivers, wherein the demand for capacity is predicted according to said statistical model.