Methods and apparatus of transmitting user data using traffic channels

• US 20050036456A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Uppala, Sathyadev Venkata, Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention describes methods and apparatus to structure the air link resources, e.g. traffic channel, into segments of different transmission segment types and effectively use that novel structure. Different segment types are structured to achieve different performance characteristics. The segments may be aligned with different offsetting start times chosen to minimize the variation in the maximum number of segments starting at any given time slot. This staggering of segment start times minimizes waste in unused assignment messages due to structural inefficiencies, and has an overall effect of balancing the traffic. Information collected on the channel quality that various user'"'"'s are experiencing may be used to classify the users. Stored information on different segment types, each with different benefits, is used in the allocation process to effectively match classified users to well-suited segment types to increase performance, balance the system, conserve power, and satisfy the users.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising:

storing in memory a plurality of sets of information each set of information defining one of a plurality of different transmission segment types, said plurality of sets of information being stored prior to a segment corresponding to one of said transmission segment types being assigned to at least one of a plurality of transmitters;

a first set of information in said plurality of sets defining a first transmission segment type, the first set of information defining a first number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time in a segment of the first type, and information indicating a first total number of transmission units to be transmitted as part of a segment of the first type over a first period of time, said first period of time being segmented into time slots;

a second set of information in said plurality of sets defining a second transmission segment type, the second set of information defining a second number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time in a segment of the second type, and information indicating a second total number of transmission units to be transmitted as part of a segment of the second type over a second period of time, said second period of time being segmented into time slots; and

transmitting information using segments of the first and second types at the same time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first number of transmission units per unit time is different from said second number of transmission units per unit time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of time is different from the second 2 period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first total number of transmission units is equal to said second total number of transmission units.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information defining the first total number of transmission units to be transmitted over the first period of time indicates the number of unit time periods included in said first period of time, said first total number being equal to the number of unit time periods included in said first period of time multiplied by the first number of transmission units per unit time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing N sets of information defining a plurality of N traffic channels,

a first one of said N sets of information defining a first traffic channel, said first traffic channel being defined as including segments of the first transmission segment type, said first traffic channel including at most one segment of the first type at any given time;

and

a second one of said N sets of information defining a second traffic channel, said second traffic channel being defined as including segments of the second transmission segment type, said second traffic channel including at most one segment of the second segment type at any given time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first one of said N sets of information defining the first traffic channel further includes information indicating start times of segments within said first traffic channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second one of said N sets of information defining the second traffic channel further includes information indicating start times of segments within said second traffic channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least some of the start times of segments within said first traffic channel are different from the start times of segments within said second traffic channel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time is different from the second number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the indicated start time of segments in the second channel is offset from the indicated start time of segments in the first channel.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the stored information defining a plurality of N channels, includes information indicating N segment start times, each one of the N segment start times being associated with one of the N channels, the N segment start times being distributed to minimize the variation in the maximum number of segments that start in any given time slot.

13. The method of claim 12, where each time slot corresponds to the time used to transmit any single transmission unit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each time slot corresponds to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed symbol transmission time period.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein segments of the first transmission segment type include more transmission units per unit time than segments of the second transmission segment type, the method further comprising:

allocating segments of the first transmission segment type and segments of the second transmission segment type to first and second devices, said step of allocating including;

determining which of the first and second devices has better transmission channel conditions; and

assigning segments of the first transmission segment type to the device determined to have the better transmission channel conditions and assigning segments of the second transmission segment type to the other one of the first and second devices.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

allocating a first amount of power per transmission unit to be used in transmitting the segments of the first transmission segment type; and

allocating a second amount of power per transmission unit to be used in transmitting the segments of the second transmission segment type, the second amount of power per transmission unit being larger than the first amount of power per transmission unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second amount of power per transmission unit is at least twice the first amount of power per transmission unit.

18. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory including a plurality of sets of information each set of information defining one of a plurality of different transmission segment types, said plurality of sets of information being stored prior to a segment corresponding to one of said transmission segment types being assigned to at least one of a plurality of transmitters;

a first set of information in said plurality of sets defining a first transmission segment type, the first set of information defining a first number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time in a segment of the first type, and information indicating a first total number of transmission units to be transmitted as part of a segment of the first type over a first period of time, said first period of time being segmented into time slots;

a second set of information in said plurality of sets defining a second transmission segment type, the second set of information defining a second number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time in a segment of the second type, and information indicating a second total number of transmission units to be transmitted as part of a segment of the second type over a second period of time, said second period of time being segmented into time slots; and

a transmitter coupled to said memory for transmitting data in segments of the first and second types at the same time.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said first number of transmission units per unit time is different from said second number of transmission units per unit time.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first period of time is different from the second period of time.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said first total number of transmission units is equal to said second total number of transmission units.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the information defining the first total number of transmission units to be transmitted over the first period of time indicates the number of unit time periods included in said first period of time, said first total number being equal to the number of unit time periods included in said first period of time multiplied by the first number of transmission units per unit time.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said memory further includes:

N sets of information defining a plurality of N traffic channels;

a first one of said N sets of information defining a first traffic channel, said first traffic channel being defined as including segments of the first transmission segment type, said first traffic channel including at most one segment of the first type at any given time; and

a second one of said N sets of information defining a second traffic channel, said second traffic channel being defined as including segments of the second transmission segment type, said second traffic channel including at most one segment of the second segment type at any given time.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first one of said N sets of information defining the first traffic channel further includes information indicating start times of segments within said first traffic channel.

25. The appatus of claim 24, wherein the second one of said N sets of information defining the second traffic channel further includes information indicating start times of segments within said second traffic channel.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least some of the start times of segments within said first traffic channel are different from the start times of segments within said second traffic channel.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time is different from the second number of transmission units to be transmitted per unit time.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the indicated start time of segments in the second channel are offset from the indicated start times of segments in the first channel.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the stored information defining a plurality of N channels, includes information indicating N segment start times, each one of the N segment start times being associated with one of the N channels, the N segment start times being distributed to minimize the variation in the maximum number of segments that start in any given time slot.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, where each time slot corresponds to the time used to transmit any single transmission unit.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein segments of the first transmission segment type include more transmission units per unit time than segments of the second transmission segment type, the apparatus further comprising:

means for determining which of the first and second devices has better transmission channel conditions; and

means for assigning segments of the first transmission segment type to the device determined to have the better transmission channel conditions and assigning segments of the second transmission segment type to the other one of the first and second devices.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for allocating a first amount of power per transmission unit to be used in transmitting the segments of the first transmission segment type; and

means for allocating a second amount of power per transmission unit to be used in transmitting the segments of the second transmission segment type, the second amount of power per transmission unit being larger than the first amount of power per transmission unit.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the second amount of power per transmission unit is at least twice the first amount of power per transmission unit.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said apparatus is a base station.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is a wireless terminal.