Method and system for adapatively obtaining bandwidth allocation requests

• US 20060146863A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Stanwood, Kenneth L., Spinar, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/449
• 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 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adaptively obtaining bandwidth requests in a broadband wireless communication system, The method and apparatus includes dynamically varying technique combinations enabling a plurality of users to efficiently request bandwidth from a shared base station. A user may “piggyback” a new bandwidth request upon, or set a “poll-me bit” within, presently allocated bandwidth. A base station may poll users, individually or in groups, by allocating unrequested bandwidth for new requests. Polling may respond to a “poll-me bit,” and/or it may be adaptively periodic at a rate based on communication status parameters, such as recent communication activity and connection QoS levels Group polling permits a possibility of collisions. Polling policies may be established for dynamically varying user groups, or may be determined for each user. Dynamic selection of appropriate polling techniques makes use of efficiency benefits associated with each technique.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining bandwidth requests from a plurality of users of a communication base station which provides communication uplink bandwidth on in response to requests from the users, the method comprising:

selecting a communication parameter which varies over time;

determining and storing a parameter value representing the communication parameter applicable to a particular user;

selecting a polling rate for the particular user in accordance with the parameter value stored for that user;

periodically polling the particular user for bandwidth requests at the selected polling rate;

updating the stored parameter value for the particular user to reflect a change in the communication parameter quantity applicable to the particular user; and

changing the polling rate for the particular user in response to the changed parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a plurality of communication parameters, and changing the polling rate in response to changes in any of the communication parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a common communications parameter common to a plurality of users sharing a link, and changing the polling rate for the particular user in response to changes in the common parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a common communications parameter reflective of composite activity of a plurality of users sharing a link, and changing the polling rate for the particular user in response to changes in the common parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each user is an individual connection.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of users is connected to the base station through one or more corresponding customer premise equipment (CPE) stations, and polling the particular user comprises directing the corresponding CPE station to grant unrequested bandwidth to the particular user connection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a “

poll-me”

mechanism wherein a particular user sets values of one or more bits of data within uplink bandwidth previously assigned to the particular user, and the particular values set for the data bits conveys a request for the base station to provide bandwidth within which the particular user can request allocation of bandwidth.

7. The method of claim I wherein the step of selecting a polling rate for the particular user further comprises categorizing the particular user in one polling category of a finite number of polling categories in accordance with the parameter value and selecting a polling rate in accordance with the selected polling category, and the step of changing the polling rate for the particular user comprises categorizing the particular user in a different one of the polling categories, and changing the polling rate for the particular user to accord with the different polling category.

9. A method of obtaining bandwidth requests from a plurality of users of a communication base station which provides communication uplink bandwidth on request to the users, the method comprising:

assigning a particular user to one of a plurality of polling categories;

selecting a polling rate for the particular user in accordance with the polling category of that user;

periodically polling the particular user for bandwidth requests at the selected polling rate;

assigning the particular user to a different polling category in response to a change in a communication status of the particular user; and

changing the polling rate for the particular user in accordance with the different polling category to which the user is assigned.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein polling the particular user includes multicast polling to a multicast polling group including the particular user and another user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each member of the multicast polling group is assigned to the polling category to which the particular user is assigned.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein assigning the particular user to one of a plurality of polling categories further comprises selecting the polling category based upon a value of a selected communication parameter applicable to the particular user.

13. The method of claim 9, further including providing contention polling to all users assigned to at least one of the plurality of polling categories.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein assigning the particular user to a polling category further comprises selecting the polling category based upon a value of a selected communication parameter which is applicable to the particular user.

15. A system for obtaining user uplink bandwidth requests in a communication station providing varying uplink bandwidth to a plurality of users which share a communication link to the station, the system comprising:

a polling policy module configured to obtain values of a first selected communication parameter which vary over time for a particular user, and to change a polling protocol for the user in response to a change in the value of the communication parameter;

a polling control module configured to direct polling of the particular user in accordance with the changed polling protocol; and

a channel bandwidth allocation module configured to direct an allocation of uplink bandwidth to the user in accordance with the polling directed for the particular user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the polling policy module is further configured to obtain a value of an additional communication parameter, and to change the polling protocol for the user in response to changes in the additional communication parameter.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the polling policy module is further configured to form a composite communication parameter for the user reflecting the first communication parameter and the additional communication parameter, and to change the polling protocol for the user in response to changes in the composite communication parameter.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the polling policy module is further configured to obtain a common communications parameter common to a plurality of users sharing a link, and to change the polling protocol for the particular user in response to a change in the common parameter.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising an individual polling module configured to direct polls to users individually, and a multicast polling module configured to direct polls to groups of users concurrently, wherein the change in polling protocol is a change between individually polling the user and multicast polling the user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the channel bandwidth allocation module is further configured to poll users by allocating unrequested uplink bandwidth to the users as an opportunity to request further bandwidth. or the particular user.