Method and System for Managing Radio Resources for Soft Handoff in an OFDMA-Based Communication System

• US 20080090574A1
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lu, Jianmin, Rong, Zhigang, Soong, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for managing resource within a predetermined soft handoff group in an OFDM based telecommunications system. Logical radio resources are separated into at least one set to support the soft handoff group and at least one set for supporting normal communication traffic. At least one physical radio resource is identified for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting the SHOG according to a predetermined mapping function so as to minimize resource collision.

Claims

1. A method for managing resource for one or more sectors within a predetermined soft handoff group to participate in a soft handoff in an OFDM based telecommunications system, the method comprising:

separating logical radio resources into at least one set to support a soft handoff group (SHOG) for performing soft handoff and at least one set for supporting normal communication traffic;

identifying at least one physical radio resource for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting the SHOG according to a predetermined mapping function so as to minimize resource collision;

identifying at least one physical radio resource for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting normal communication traffic,

wherein the physical radio resources used for supporting the SHOG are mutually exclusive from those used for supporting normal communication traffic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each set of the logical radio sources is dedicated to serve a predetermined SHOG.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each set of the logical radio resources share resources with at least one other set of the logical radio resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping function is different from one sector to another within the telecommunications system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping function changes in time so that the physical radio resources are allocated dynamically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying at least one physical radio resource for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting the SHOG further includes re-labeling unused physical radio resources and their corresponding logical resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical radio resources in the set for supporting normal communication traffic are different from sector to sector within the SHOG.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying at least one physical radio resource for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting the SHOG further includes identifying physical radio resources for BRCH in the SHOG first.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating to a mobile station for informing logical resources used for the SHOG and the predetermined mapping function.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising excluding physical resources used by a common pilot.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising channel estimating a combined signal by excluding the common pilot.

12. A system for managing resource for one or more sectors within a predetermined soft handoff group to participate in a soft handoff in an OFDM based telecommunications system, the system comprising:

logical radio resources separated into at least one set to support a soft handoff group (SHOG) for performing soft handoff and at least one set for supporting normal communication traffic;

at least one physical radio resource identified for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting the SHOG according to a predetermined mapping function so as to minimize resource collision;

at least one physical radio resource identified for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting normal communication traffic,

wherein the physical radio resources used for supporting the SHOG are mutually exclusive from those used for supporting normal communication traffic.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mapping function is uniquely associated with each sector within the telecommunications system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the mapping function changes in time so that the physical radio resources are allocated dynamically.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the physical radio resources in the set for supporting normal communication traffic are different from sector to sector within the SHOG.

16. A method for managing resource for one or more sectors within a predetermined soft handoff group to participate in a soft handoff in an OFDM based telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving one or more instructions with regard to at least one set of logical resources to support at least one soft handoff group (SHOG) used for a soft handoff and one or more associated mapping functions for identifying corresponding physical resources; and

channel estimating a combined signal by excluding physical resources used for transmitting a common pilot by one or more predetermined sectors,

wherein the logical radio resources are separated from at least one set of logical radio resources for supporting normal communication traffic, and at least one physical radio resource is identified for each logical radio resource in the set for supporting the SHOG according to the predetermined mapping function so as to minimize resource collision with those for supporting the normal communication traffic.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each set of the logical radio resources share resources with at least one other set of the logical radio resources.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the mapping function associated with one sector is different from one associated with another sector within the telecommunications system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mapping function changes in time so that the physical radio resources are allocated dynamically.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical radio resources for supporting normal communication traffic are different from sector to sector within the SHOG.

21. A method for managing resource for one or more sectors within a predetermined soft handoff group to participate in a soft handoff in an OFDM based telecommunications system, the method comprising:

separating logical radio resources into one or more sets to support one or more soft handoff groups (SHOGs) for performing soft handoff;

identifying at least one physical radio resource for each logical radio resource in each of the sets for supporting a corresponding SHOG according to a predetermined mapping function so as to minimize resource collision.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each set of the logical radio sources is dedicated to serve a predetermined SHOG.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein each set of the logical radio resources share resources with at least one other set of the logical radio resource.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the mapping function is different from one sector to another within the telecommunications system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the mapping function changes in time so that the physical radio resources are allocated dynamically.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising communicating to a mobile station for informing logical resources used for the SHOG and the predetermined mapping function.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising excluding physical resources used by a common pilot.