Scalable frequency band operation in wireless communication systems

• US 20070097909A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vijayan, Rajiv, Gorokhov, Alexei, Agrawal, Avneesh, Ulupinar, Fatih, Khandekar, Aamod, Teague, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,582,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

To support mobile stations that are not capable of demodulating the entire bandwidth or that can be made to demodulate less than the entire bandwidth, a system, apparatus and method are provided to schedule users on less than all of the bandwidth. Further, certain users can be scheduled on more of the bandwidth than others.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring a communication session comprising:

transmitting a first access request in a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for an access terminal;

receiving a first assignment for communication over the first carrier at the first access terminal; and

receiving, based upon a capability of the access terminal, a second assignment for communication over either the first carrier or at least a second carrier of the plurality of carriers at the first access terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capability of the terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a third assignment, at the first access terminal, for at least a third carrier of the plurality of carriers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second assignment is for a first frame and the third assignment is for a second frame, and wherein the first and second frame occur at approximately the same time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second assignment comprises an assignment for communication on the second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or one other carrier of the plurality of carriers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first assignment relates to a first superframe and the second assignment relates to a second superframe.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first assignment relates to a first frame and the second assignment relates to a second frame following the first frame.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first frame and the second frame are in a same superframe.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first frame and second frame are forward link frames.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first frame and second frame are reverse link frames.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first frame is a forward link frame and second frame is a reverse link frame.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first superframe and the second superframe overlap at least partially in time.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a change carrier message prior to receiving the second assignment and wherein receiving the second assignment comprises receiving the second assignment for communication on at least the second carrier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the change carrier message identifies the second carrier.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a message at the access terminal indicative of parameters of communication over at least the second carrier prior to receiving the change carrier message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

19. A method of scheduling in a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving a request from an access terminal to initiate communication on a first carrier of a plurality of carriers;

determining a capability of the access terminal; and

scheduling, based upon the capability of the access terminal, the access terminal for communication on only one carrier or more than one carrier of the plurality of carriers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the capability of the terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein determining comprises determining based upon session identification information.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein determining comprises determining based upon an code utilized to modulate the request.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request on at least two of the plurality of carriers and scheduling comprises scheduling on each of the at least two of the plurality of carriers.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein scheduling communication comprises scheduling communication for a first frame on one carrier and scheduling communication on another carrier comprises for a second frame.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first frame and the second frame are in a same superframe.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first frame and second frame are forward link frames.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first frame and second frame are reverse link frames.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first frame is a forward link frame and second frame is a reverse link frame.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting a change carrier message prior to transmitting an assignment for the one or more other carriers.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

33. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled with the memory, the processor configured to instruct transmission of a first access request on a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for the wireless communication apparatus, and to instruct communication on one or more carriers based upon assignments received by the wireless communication apparatus.

34. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to instruct communication on the first carrier for a first frame and for a second frame.

35. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first frame and the second frame are in a same superframe.

36. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first frame and second frame comprise forward link frames.

37. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first frame and second frame comprise reverse link frames.

38. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first frame is a forward link frame and second frame is a reverse link frame.

39. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to select another carrier for communication based upon a change carrier message.

40. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 39, wherein the change carrier message comprises at least one data packet.

41. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 39, wherein the change carrier message comprises at least one control message.

42. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to instruct communication on more than one carrier only if an assignment for communication is received on that carrier.

43. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to instruct communication on more than one carrier only if an assignment for the more than one carrier is received on a single carrier for multiple carriers.

44. A wireless communication device comprising:

at least one antenna; and

a processor configured to instruct transmission from the at least one antenna, the processor further configured determine a capability of an access terminal and to schedule the access terminal for communication on only one carrier or more than one carrier of the plurality of carriers based upon the capability of the access terminal.

45. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein the capability of the terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

46. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein processor is further configured to determine the capability based upon an access terminal identifier.

47. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein processor is further configured to determine the capability based upon session identification information.

48. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein processor is further configured to determine the capability based upon a code utilized to modulate an access request from the access terminal.

49. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein processor is further configured to determine the capability based upon a number of carriers upon which access requests are received from the access terminal.

50. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein processor is further configured to schedule communication on a first carrier for a first frame and scheduling communication on a second carrier for a second frame.

51. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 50, wherein the first frame and the second frame are in a same superframe.

52. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 50, wherein the first frame and second frame comprise forward link frames.

53. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 50, wherein the first frame and second frame comprise reverse link frames.

54. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 50, wherein the first frame is a forward link frame and second frame is a reverse link frame.

55. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein processor is further configured to transmit a change carrier message prior to transmitting an assignment for a different carrier.

56. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor is configured to transmit an assignment scheduling the access terminal on more than one carrier on a single carrier.

57. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a plurality of assignments scheduling the access terminal each corresponding to a carrier of the more than one carrier on the carrier.

58. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a first access request in a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for an access terminal; and

means for receiving a first assignment and a second assignment for communication, wherein the first assignment and second assignment may be for communication over a first carrier or different carriers based upon a capability of the access terminal.

59. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, wherein the capability of the terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

60. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

61. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, wherein the first assignment relates to a first superframe and the second assignment relates to a second superframe.

62. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, wherein the first assignment relates to a first frame and the second assignment relates to a second frame following the first frame.

63. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 62, wherein the first frame and the second frame are in a same superframe.

64. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 62, wherein the first frame and second frame are forward link frames.

65. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 62, wherein the first frame and second frame are reverse link frames.

66. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 62, wherein the first frame is a forward link frame and second frame is a reverse link frame.

67. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 62, wherein the first superframe and the second superframe overlap at least partially in time.

68. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, further comprising means for receiving a change carrier message to communicate on another one of the one or more carriers.

69. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

70. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 58, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

71. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for determining a capability of an access terminal; and

means for scheduling, based upon the capability of the access terminal, the access terminal for communication on only one carrier or more than one carrier of a plurality of carriers.

72. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the capability of the terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

73. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

74. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining based upon session identification information.

75. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the means for determining comprises determining based upon a code utilized to modulate the request.

76. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the means for scheduling comprises means for scheduling on each of the at least two of the plurality of carriers in response to access requests on each of the at least two of the plurality of carriers.

77. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the means for scheduling communication comprises means for scheduling communication for a first frame on one carrier and scheduling communication on another carrier comprises for a second frame.

78. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 77, wherein the first frame and the second frame are in a same superframe.

79. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 77, wherein the first frame and second frame are forward link frames.

80. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 77, wherein the first frame and second frame are reverse link frames.

81. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 77, wherein the first frame is a forward link frame and second frame is a reverse link frame.

82. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, further comprising means for transmitting a change carrier message prior to transmitting an assignment for the one or more other carriers.

83. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

84. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 71, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

85. A machine readable media including instructions for causing a processor to:

determine a capability of the access terminal based upon a request from an access terminal to initiate communication; and

schedule the access terminal for communication, based upon the capability of the access terminal, on only one carrier or more than one carrier of a plurality of carriers.