System and Method for Reusing Wireless Resources in a Wireless Network

• US 20080045139A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Wei-Peng, Zhu, Chenxi, Agre, Jonathan R., Su, Ching-Fong
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method for reusing wireless resources in a wireless network, includes determining the probability of a first communication with a first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station. The method also includes, upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold: allocating a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station; designating the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station; designating the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station; allocating a second wireless resource to the second relay station; and designating the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station.

Claims

1. A method for reusing wireless resources in a wireless network, comprising:

determining the probability of a first communication with a first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station;

upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold;

allocating a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station;

designating the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station;

designating the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station;

allocating a second wireless resource to the second relay station; and

designating the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is less than an interference threshold:

allocating a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station; and

designating the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station and the second relay station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different bandwidths.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different frequencies.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different time slots.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different subchannels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from the second relay station comprises constructing an interference matrix wherein a matrix entry corresponding to the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station comprises a 1 if the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold and a 0 if the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is less than an interference threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from the second relay station comprises determining the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from the second relay station prior to deploying the plurality of the wireless components.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from the second relay station comprises receiving an interference vector report from each relay station, the interference vector report for the first relay station comprising a measure of a level of a signal transmitted by the second relay station.

10. The method of claim 1:

further comprising receiving traffic demand data from the first relay station and the second relay station; and

wherein the steps of allocating a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station, designating the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station, designating the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station, allocating a second wireless resource to the second relay station, and designating the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station are based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station.

11. A method for reusing resources in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving from a base station a wireless resource designation message designating a first wireless resource to be used as a primary wireless resource and a second wireless resource to be used as a secondary wireless resource, the second wireless resource also being used by a proximate relay station;

establishing a first wireless connection with an endpoint using the second wireless resource;

upon detecting interference from the proximate relay station using the second wireless resource with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource, establishing a second wireless connection with the endpoint using the primary wireless resource.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting interference from the proximate relay station with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource comprises receiving from the endpoint a first number of requests for retransmission within a first amount of time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting interference from the proximate relay station with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource comprises:

sending the endpoint a request for a signal quality report; and

receiving from the endpoint the signal quality report.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different bandwidths.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different frequencies.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different time slots.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless resource and the second wireless resource comprise different subchannels.

18. A system for reusing wireless resources in a wireless network, comprising a processor operable to:

determine the probability of a first communication with a first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station;

upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold;

allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station;

designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station;

designate the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station;

allocate a second wireless resource to the second relay station; and

designate the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operable to, upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is less than an interference threshold:

allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station; and

designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station and the second relay station.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor operable to determine the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from the second relay station is further operable to construct an interference matrix wherein a matrix entry corresponding to the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station comprises a 1 if the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold and a 0 if the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is less than an interference threshold.

21. The system of claim 18:

further comprising an interface coupled to the processor and operable to receive traffic demand data from the first relay station and the second relay station; and

wherein the processor operable to allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station is further operable to allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station;

wherein the processor operable to designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station is further operable to designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station;

wherein the processor operable to designate the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station is further operable to designate the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station;

wherein the processor operable to allocate a second wireless resource to the second relay station is further operable to allocate a second wireless resource to the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station; and

wherein the processor operable to designate the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station is further operable to designate the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station.

22. A system for reusing resources in a wireless network, comprising:

an interface operable to receive from a base station a wireless resource designation message designating a first wireless resource to be used as a primary wireless resource and a second wireless resource to be used as a secondary wireless resource, the second wireless resource also being used by a proximate relay station; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

establish a first wireless connection with an endpoint using the second wireless resource;

upon detecting interference from the proximate relay station using the second wireless resource with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource, establish a second wireless connection with the endpoint using the primary wireless resource.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein detecting interference from the proximate relay station with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource comprises the interface being further operable to receive from the endpoint a first number of requests for retransmission within a first amount of time.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein detecting interference from the proximate relay station with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource comprises the interface being further operable to:

send the endpoint a request for a signal quality report; and

receive from the endpoint the signal quality report.

25. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

determine the probability of a first communication with a first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station;

upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold;

allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station;

designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station;

designate the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station;

allocate a second wireless resource to the second relay station; and

designate the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the code is further operable to, upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is less than an interference threshold:

allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station; and

designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station and the second relay station.

27. The medium of claim 25, wherein the code operable to determine the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from the second relay station is further operable to construct an interference matrix wherein a matrix entry corresponding to the probability of the first communication with the first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station comprises a 1 if the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold and a 0 if the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is less than an interference threshold.

28. The medium of claim 25 wherein:

the code is further operable to receive traffic demand data from the first relay station and the second relay station; and

wherein the code operable to allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station is further operable to allocate a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station;

wherein the code operable to designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station is further operable to designate the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station;

wherein the code operable to designate the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station is further operable to designate the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station;

wherein the code operable to allocate a second wireless resource to the second relay station is further operable to allocate a second wireless resource to the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station; and

wherein the code operable to designate the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station is further operable to designate the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station based on the traffic demand data from the from the first relay station and the second relay station.

29. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

receive from a base station a wireless resource designation message designating a first wireless resource to be used as a primary wireless resource and a second wireless resource to be used as a secondary wireless resource, the second wireless resource also being used by a proximate relay station;

establish a first wireless connection with an endpoint using the second wireless resource;

upon detecting interference from the proximate relay station using the second wireless resource with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource, establish a second wireless connection with the endpoint using the primary wireless resource.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein detecting interference from the proximate relay station with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource comprises the code being further operable to receive from the endpoint a first number of requests for retransmission within a first amount of time.

31. The medium of claim 29, wherein detecting interference from the proximate relay station with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource comprises the code being further operable to:

send the endpoint a request for a signal quality report; and

receive from the endpoint the signal quality report.

32. A system for reusing wireless resources in a wireless network, comprising:

means for determining the probability of a first communication with a first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station;

means for, upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold;

allocating a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station;

designating the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station;

designating the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station;

allocating a second wireless resource to the second relay station; and

designating the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station.

33. A system for reusing resources in a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving from a base station a wireless resource designation message designating a first wireless resource to be used as a primary wireless resource and a second wireless resource to be used as a secondary wireless resource, the second wireless resource also being used by a proximate relay station;

means for establishing a first wireless connection with an endpoint using the second wireless resource;

means for, upon detecting interference from the proximate relay station using the second wireless resource with the first wireless connection with the endpoint using the second wireless resource, establishing a second wireless connection with the endpoint using the primary wireless resource.