QoS request and information distribution for wireless relay networks

• US 20080002608A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Zheng, Haihong, Saifullah, Yousuf
• Granted Patent: US 8,483,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point

Abstract

Various embodiments are described relating to wireless networks, such as quality of service (QoS) request and information distribution for wireless relay networks. According to an example embodiment, a technique or method may include receiving a QoS-related message at a relay station in a wireless relay network. The QoS-related message may include one or more QoS parameters for a flow. The method or technique may also include retrieving, at the relay station, the QoS parameters from the QoS-related message to use the QoS parameters subsequently for admission control and/or scheduling for the flow. Other example embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a quality of service (QoS) request for a flow from a mobile station via one or more relay stations in a wireless relay network;

receiving an admission control indication for the flow from the one or more relay stations in the network along a path; and

making an admission control decision for the flow based at least in part upon the admission control indication(s) from the one or more relay stations.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising sending a QoS reply to the mobile station via the one or more relay stations along the path.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the QoS request comprises a connection identifier (CID), a service flow ID (SFID), and one or more QoS parameters for the flow.

4. A method comprising:

receiving a QoS-related message at a relay station in a wireless relay network, the QoS-related message including one or more QoS parameters for a flow;

retrieving, at the relay station, the QoS parameters from the QoS-related message to use the QoS parameters subsequently for an admission control decision and/or scheduling for the flow.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving a QoS-related message comprises at least one of:

receiving, at the relay station, a QoS request for a flow from a mobile station;

or

receiving, at the relay station, a QoS reply for a flow from a base station.

6. The method of claim 4 and further comprising:

performing, by the relay station, admission control for the flow based on the received QoS-related message; and

sending, by the relay station, an admission control indication for the flow to a base station.

7. The method of claim 4 and further comprising at least one of:

performing, by the relay station, admission control for the flow based on the retrieved QoS parameters; and

scheduling the flow, by the relay station, based on the retrieved QoS parameters.

8. The method of claim 4 and further comprising the relay station sending an admission control indication for the flow to a base station.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, via one or more relay stations along a path, a QoS request for a flow from a mobile station in a wireless network;

sending an admission control request for the flow to the one or more relay stations along the path;

receiving an admission control response for the flow from the one or more relay stations in the network; and

making an admission control decision for the flow based at least in part upon the admission control response(s) from the one or more relay stations.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the sending an admission control request comprises sending an admission control request for the flow as a unicast message directed to a relay station that is directly coupled to the mobile station, the admission control request including one or more QoS parameters for the flow.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

one or more of the relay stations along the path retrieving the QoS parameters from the admission control request;

performing local admission control for the flow by each of the one or more relay stations along the path based on the QoS parameters;

sending an admission control response to the base station based on the performing local admission control.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the sending an admission control request comprises at least one of:

sending an admission control request for the flow as a unicast message to each of the one or more relay stations;

sending an admission control request for the flow as a unicast message to a relay station directly coupled to the mobile station;

or

sending an admission control request for the flow as a multicast message addressed to a multicast group that includes each of the one or more relay stations.

13. The method of claim 9 and further comprising sending a QoS reply to the mobile station via the one or more relay stations along the path.

14. The method of claim 9 and further comprising sending an admitted flow indication to the one or more relay stations along the path.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the sending an admitted flow indication comprises sending an admitted flow indication for the flow as a unicast message directed to a relay station that is directly coupled to the mobile station, the admitted flow indication including one or more QoS parameters for the flow.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising:

one or more of the relay stations along the path retrieving the QoS parameters from the admitted flow indication;

performing scheduling for the flow by each of the one or more relay stations along the path based on the QoS parameters;

sending an admitted flow confirmation to the base station.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the sending an admitted flow indication comprises:

sending an admitted flow indication message to the one or more relay stations along the path, one or more of the relay stations performing scheduling for the flow based at least in part upon the admitted flow indication for the flow.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the sending an admitted flow indication message comprises at least one of:

sending an admitted flow indication message for the flow as a unicast message to each of the one or more relay stations;

sending an admitted flow indication message for the flow as a unicast message to a relay station directly coupled to the mobile station;

or

sending an admitted flow indication message for the flow as a multicast message addressed to a multicast group that includes each of the one or more relay stations.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein one or more of the QoS request, admission control request, admission control response and admitted flow indication comprises a connection identifier (CID), a service flow ID (SFID), and one or more QoS parameters for the flow.

20. A method comprising:

receiving at a base station, via one or more relay stations along a path, a QoS request for a flow from a mobile station in a wireless relay network;

performing, by the base station, overall admission control for the flow including performing admission control for the flow for the one or more relay stations along the path;

sending, from the base station, an admitted flow indication for the flow to the one or more relay stations along the path.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the performing, by the base station, overall admission control for the flow comprises performing centralized admission control for the flow for the one or one or more relay stations along the path without receiving local admission control information from the one or more of the relay stations along the path.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the performing, by the base station, overall admission control for the flow comprises:

sending an admission control request for the flow to each of the one or more relay stations along the path;

receiving an admission control response for the flow from the one or more relay stations providing a local admission control decision for the flow;

performing, by the base station, admission control for the flow based on the admission control response(s).

23. A method comprising:

receiving, at a relay station in a wireless relay network, an admission control request for a flow from a base station, the admission control request including one or more QoS parameters for the flow;

performing, by the relay station, local admission control for the flow based on the QoS parameters for the flow; and

sending, by the relay station, an admission control response for the flow to the base station providing a local admission control decision by the relay station;

receiving at the relay station an admitted flow indication for the flow from the base station.

24. The method of claim 23 and further comprising sending, by the relay station, an admitted flow confirmation to the base station.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller;

the apparatus adapted to;

receive a QoS-related message at a relay station in a wireless relay network, the QoS-related message including one or more QoS parameters for a flow;

retrieve, at the relay station, the QoS parameters from the QoS-related message to use the QoS parameters subsequently for an admission control decision and/or scheduling for the flow.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller;

the apparatus adapted to;

receive, at a relay station in a wireless relay network, an admission control request for a flow from a base station, the admission control request including one or more QoS parameters for the flow;

perform, by the relay station, local admission control for the flow based on the QoS parameters for the flow; and

send, by the relay station, an admission control response for the flow to the base station providing a local admission control decision by the relay station; and

receiving at the relay station an admitted flow indication for the flow from the base station.