RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20080165727A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kaaja, Harald, Doppler, Klaus, Salokannel, Juha, Wijting, Carl Simon, Sorri, Antti, Xiaoben, He
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Various embodiments are described relating to resource management techniques for wireless networks. For example, a resource deficiency may be determined for a requesting wireless node in a wireless network. A resource request may be sent from the requesting node to one or more other wireless nodes, and a resource reply including a resource status may be received from one or more of the other wireless nodes in response to the resource request. One of the other nodes from which to obtain a resource may be selected based on the resource status for the selected node, and a resource update message may be sent from the requesting wireless node to the selected wireless node to facilitate a reallocation of resources from the selected node to the requesting node, the resource update message indicating an amount of resources to be reallocated from the selected node to the requesting node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a resource status for a wireless node in a wireless network;

making a determination that the node is resource poor based on the determining; and

sending a complain report to one or more other wireless nodes indicating the resource status of the sending node.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising acquiring additional resources released by one or more other wireless nodes in response to the complain report.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining a resource status for a wireless node comprises at least one of:

determining a received signal strength of signals received from one or more other wireless nodes;

determining a packet error rate for packets transmitted by the wireless node;

determining a level of fullness of one or more transmit buffers at the wireless node;

determining a number of packets in one or more transmit buffers at the wireless node;

determining a delay period or average delay period for one or more packets in transmit buffers before the packets are transmitted;

or

measuring a performance-related parameter for the wireless node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the making a determination that the node is resource poor comprises:

comparing a performance-related parameter for the wireless node to a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the making a determination that the node is resource poor comprises:

comparing a received signal strength for one or more received signals to a threshold, wherein a received signal strength less than the threshold indicates that the node is resource poor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the making a determination that the node is resource poor comprises:

comparing a level of fullness or number of packets in one or more transmit buffers for the wireless node to a threshold, wherein a level of fullness or number of packets in a transmit buffer that exceeds the threshold indicates that the node is resource poor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending a complain report comprises broadcasting a complain report or resource request indicating the resource status of the broadcasting node.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending a complain report comprises:

sending a message indicating a received signal strength of received signals or a level of fullness of one or more transmit buffers for the sending node.

9. A method comprising:

determining, for a measuring wireless node, a performance-related parameter for one or more neighbor wireless nodes or associated wireless nodes;

determining a resource score for the measuring wireless node based on the determined performance related parameters;

comparing the resource score of the measuring node to resource scores of one or more other wireless nodes;

making a determination that the measuring node is resource-rich relative to one or more other wireless nodes based on the comparing; and

releasing a resource or reducing usage of a resource in response to the determination.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the determining a performance-related parameter comprises measuring a received signal strength of signals received from one or more other nodes associated with the measuring node.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the determining a resource score comprises determining a resource score indicating a resource utilization status for a cell of the measuring node.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the comparing comprises:

transmitting the resource score for the measuring wireless node in a beacon slot;

determining, via one or more beacon transmissions, resource scores from other wireless nodes;

comparing the resource score of the measuring node to the resource scores of one or more other wireless nodes.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the releasing a resource comprises the measuring node performing one or more of the following:

reducing transmission power;

adjusting a smart antenna or a transmission beam;

restricting itself from using one or more transmission channels or time slots;

or

reassigning itself to use a different channel.

14. A method comprising:

determining a first resource score for a measuring wireless node;

determining that one or more wireless nodes are resource-poor;

transmitting the resource score to one or more other wireless nodes;

receiving a second resource score from one or more other wireless nodes; and

releasing, by the measuring wireless node, a resource or reducing usage of a resource if the measuring node is resource-rich relative to one or more other wireless nodes.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving a second resource score from one or more other wireless nodes comprises receiving a second resource score from one or more wireless nodes via a beacon transmission.

16. A method comprising:

determining a resource deficiency for a requesting wireless node in a wireless network;

sending a resource request from the requesting node to one or more other wireless nodes;

receiving a resource reply including a resource status from one or more of the other wireless nodes in response to the resource request;

selecting one of the other nodes from which to obtain a resource based on the resource status for the selected node; and

sending a resource update message from the requesting wireless node to the selected wireless node to facilitate a reallocation of resources from the selected node to the requesting node, the resource update message indicating an amount of resources to be reallocated from the selected node to the requesting node.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the determining a resource deficiency comprises:

determining a level of fullness of a transmit buffer;

comparing the level of fullness of the transmit buffer to a threshold; and

making a determination that a resource deficiency exists if the level of fullness of the transmit buffer is greater than the threshold.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the receiving a resource reply comprises receiving a resource reply from one or more of the other wireless nodes, the resource reply indicating a level of fullness of a transmit buffer and a power mask for the replying node.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the receiving a resource reply comprises receiving a resource reply from one or more of the other wireless nodes, the resource reply indicating a level of fullness of a transmit buffer and a power mask for the replying node, the power mask indicating a transmission power level for one or more channels or time slots of the replying node.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the selecting one of the other nodes comprises selecting a wireless node having a transmit buffer level less than a threshold, and having a transmission power level that is greater than the transmission power level of the requesting node for a channel or time slot.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the selecting one of the other nodes comprises selecting a wireless node having a highest U, where U is defined as:

U=a*(normal_threshold−

buffer_level)+b*power_difference), the buffer_level indicates a level of fullness of a transmit buffer of the replying node, power_difference indicates the difference in transmission power levels between the replying node and the requesting node, and wherein a and b are variable weighting factors.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the buffer_level is defined as:

buffer_level=(normal_threshold−

buffer_level)/normal_threshold.

23. The method of claim 16 and further comprising the requesting node obtaining a resource that has been reallocated from the selected node to the requesting node.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the sending a resource update message comprises sending a resource update message to the selected node indicating a channel or time slot, and an updated transmission power level for the indicated channel or time slot, the updated transmission power level for the selected node indicating a decrease in transmission power.

25. The method of claim 24 and further comprising the requesting node increasing a transmission power by an amount that the selected node decreases its transmission power.

26. The method of claim 16 and further comprising canceling one or more active flows at the requesting node.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein the sending a resource update message comprises sending a resource update message from the requesting wireless node to the selected wireless node indicating a new resource level to be used by the selected node or an amount of decrease in resource level for the selected node.

28. The method of claim 16 and further comprising sending a second resource update message from the requesting wireless node to the selected wireless node indicating that previously reallocated resources are being returned to the selected node.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the sending a second resource update message comprises:

determining that a resource deficiency at the requesting node no longer exists or is decreased;

releasing, at the requesting node, a resource that was previously reallocated from the selected node to the requesting node, the releasing including reducing, at the requesting node, a power transmission level by an amount that the transmission power level was previously increased; and

sending a second resource update message to the selected node indicating a channel or time slot and an updated transmission power level for the channel or time slot for the selected node.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the sending a second resource update message comprises sending an updated power mask indicating an updated transmission power level to be used by the selected node.

31. A method comprising:

determining, at a requesting node, that a transmit buffer level exceeds a threshold;

sending a resource request from the requesting node to one or more other wireless nodes;

receiving a resource reply including a resource status from one or more of the other wireless nodes in response to the resource request, the resource status including a transmit buffer level and a power mask of the replying node, the power mask indicating a transmission power level used by the replying node for one or more channels or time slots;

selecting one of the other nodes from which to obtain a resource based on the resource status for the selected node;

sending a resource update message to the selected node, the resource update message including an updated power mask for use by the selected wireless node to cause the selected node to reduce transmission power.

32. An apparatus for wireless communications, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller;

the apparatus adapted to;

determine a resource status for a wireless node in a wireless network;

make a determination that the node is resource poor based on the determining; and

send a complain report to one or more other wireless nodes indicating the resource status of the sending node.

33. An apparatus for wireless communications, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller;

the apparatus adapted to;

determine a resource deficiency for a requesting wireless node in a wireless network;

send a resource request from the requesting node to one or more other wireless nodes;

receive a resource reply including a resource status from one or more of the other wireless nodes in response to the resource request;

select one of the other nodes from which to obtain a resource based on the resource status for the selected node; and

send a resource update message from the requesting wireless node to the selected wireless node to facilitate a reallocation of resources from the selected node to the requesting node, the resource update message indicating an amount of resources to be reallocated from the selected node to the requesting node.