MINIMUM RATE GUARANTEES ON WIRELESS CHANNEL USING RESOURCE UTILIZATION MESSAGES

• US 20070115817A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sampath, Ashwin, Julian, David, Prakash, Rajat, Gupta, Rajarshi, Jain, Nikhil, Horn, Gavin
• Application Number:
  US11/553,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115817A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that facilitate performing interference management techniques between sending and receiving nodes in order to provide minimum transmission rate guarantees. Carrier-to-interference ratio (C/I) may be controlled by employing specialized resource utilization messages (RUMs), the number and rate of which may be governed by a “token bucket” mechanism. For instance, a maximum token bucket size may be defined for a node, which describes the maximum amount of data that may pass through the node at a given time. A current number of tokens in the node'"'"'s bucket may be evaluated and compared to a threshold value, and RUMs may be transmitted by the node as long as the current token number is greater than the predefined threshold value. Tokens may additionally be deducted from the node'"'"'s bucket for successful data transmissions, thus providing a dynamic interference control mechanism.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating data transmission, comprising:

assigning tokens to a node as a function of a token rate associated with the node;

determining whether a number of tokens assigned to the node is equal to or greater than a predefined minimum number of tokens; and

transmitting at least one resource utilization message (RUM) based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a maximum number of tokens assignable to the node is defined, and further wherein assigning comprises assigning tokens to the node as a function of the token rate and the maximum token number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting data transmission without a RUM if the number of assigned tokens is less than the predefined minimum number of tokens.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising deducting a number of tokens from the assigned tokens, wherein the token deduction is based on an amount of data transmitted if the transmission of such data is successful.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising re-determining a number of tokens assigned the node after the token deduction and transmitting a RUM based on the re-determination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the token rate is determined based on at least one of one or more weights assigned to the node, a number of active flows through the node and a type of active flows through the node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more weights is a function of throughput at the node.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein an active flow is at least one of an incoming data transmission and an outgoing data transmission.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the predefined minimum number of tokens to a number less than or equal to the maximum token number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of tokens assigned to the node is a non-negative number.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning virtual tokens to temporarily increase a number of RUMs to be transmitted by the node.

12. An apparatus that facilitates data transmission, comprising:

a token module that assigns tokens to a node as a function of a token rate associated with the node and determines whether a number of tokens assigned to the node is equal to or greater than a predefined minimum number of tokens; and

a transmitter that transmits at least one resource utilization message (RUM) based on the determination.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a maximum number of tokens assignable to the node is defined and further wherein the token module assigns tokens to the node as a function of the token rate and the maximum token number.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the token module permits data transmission without a RUM if a current number of assigned tokens is below a predefined minimum token number.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the token module deducts a number of tokens from the assigned tokens, wherein the token deduction is based on an amount of data transmitted if the transmission of such data is successful.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the token module re-determines a number of tokens assigned to the node after the token deduction and transmits a RUM based on the re-determination.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the token rate is determined based on at least one of one or more weights assigned to the node, a number of active flows through the node and a type of active flows through the node.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more weights is a function of throughput at the node.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein an active flow is at least one of an incoming data transmission and an outgoing data transmission.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the token module sets the predefined minimum number of tokens to a number less than or equal to the maximum token number.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the number of tokens assigned to the node is a non-negative number.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the token module assigns virtual tokens to temporarily increase a number of RUMs to be transmitted by the node.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is employed in an access point.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is employed in an access terminal.

25. An apparatus that facilitates data transmission, comprising:

means for assigning tokens to a node as a function of a token rate associated with the node;

means for determining whether a number of tokens assigned to the node is equal to or greater than a predefined minimum number of tokens; and

means for transmitting at least one resource utilization message (RUM) based on the determination.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein a maximum number of tokens assignable to the node is defined, and further wherein the assigning means assigns tokens to the node as a function of the token rate an the maximum token number.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for permitting data transmission without a RUM if the number of assigned tokens is less than the predefined minimum number of tokens.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for deducting a number of tokens from the assigned tokens, wherein the token deduction is based on an amount of data transmitted if the transmission of such data is successful.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the determining means re-determines a number of tokens assigned to the node after the token deduction and transmitting a RUM based on the re-determination.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the token rate is determined based on at least one of one or more weights assigned to the node, a number of active flows through the node and a type of active flows through the node.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the one or more weights is a function of throughput at the node.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein an active flow is at least one of an incoming data transmission and an outgoing data transmission.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for setting the predefined minimum number of tokens to a number less than or equal to the maximum token number.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the number of tokens assigned to the node is a non-negative number.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the assigning means further assigns virtual tokens to temporarily increase a number of RUMs to be transmitted by the node.

36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is employed in an access terminal.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is employed in an access point.

38. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions for data transmission, wherein the instructions upon execution cause the machine to:

assign tokens to a node as a function of a token rate associated with the node;

determine whether a number of tokens assigned to the node is equal to or greater than a predefined minimum number of tokens; and

transmit at least one resource utilization message (RUM) based on the determination.

39. A processor for facilitating data transmission, the processor being configured to:

assign tokens to a node as a function of a token rate associated with the node determine whether a number of tokens assigned to the node is equal to or greater than a predefined minimum number of tokens; and

transmit at least one resource utilization message (RUM) based on the determination.