Method And Apparatus For Allocation Of Radio Resources

• US 20090059852A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Furuskär, Anders, Skillermark, Per
• Granted Patent: US 8,699,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

An estimate of a cost of allocating radio resources available for allocation to the at least one radio link within a cell is generated in dependency 5 of which radio resources have been used within the cell at previous times. This cost estimate can be compared to a quality gain of allocating the radio resources to the radio link, and an allocation decision can be made in dependency of the comparison result.

Claims

1. A method of allocating radio resources to at least one radio link in a cell within a mobile radio communications system, wherein the radio resources are arranged in channels divided into time frames, the method being characterised by

generating an estimate of a cost of allocating radio resources available for allocation to the at least one radio link, wherein the cost estimate is generated in dependency of which radio resources have been used within the cell at previous times;

and

allocating radio resources to the at least one radio link in dependency of the cost Estimate,

wherein the step of generating an estimate of the cost comprises;

checking whether an available channel was allocated to a radio link in the Cell during a time fram ebeing the most recently scheduled time frame; and

associating a cost to the available channel if it was not allocated to a radio link in The most recently scheduled time frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

generating an estimate of the radio quality of radio resources available for allocation;

comparing the radio quality estimate with the cost estimate resulting in a comparison result; and

wherein

the step of allocating comprises allocating radio resources to the radio link in accordance with the comparison result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the step of generating an estimate of the cost comprises checking the spectral distance between a channel allocated in the cell during the time frame being the most recently scheduled time frame and a channel available for allocation, wherein the cost estimate increases with said spectral distance.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein

the allocation of resources comprises the allocation of resources to at least rwo radio links over which sessions of different priority are transmitted;

and

wherein the step of comparing is performed in a manner so that the priorities of the sessions are taken into account.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein

the available radio resources comprises at least two different available channels;

the step of generating an estimate of the radio quality comprises generating a radio quality estimate for the at least two different channels;

the step of generating an estimate of the cost comprises generating a cost estimate for the at least two different channels;

the step of comparing yields at least two comparison results; and

wherein

the step of allocating comprises selecting the channels to be allocated to the at least one radio link based on the at least two comparison results.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

estimating the number of radio links within the cell, resulting in a load measure;

and wherein

the execution of the step of generating an estimate of the cost is conditional on the load Measure being below a load threshold.

7. A computer program product for evaluating radio resources in a cell within a mobile radio communications system, the computer program product comprising computer program code operable to, when run on computer means, execute the step of:

generating an estimate of a cost of allocating radio resources available for allocation to at least one radio link, wherein the cost estimate is generated in dependency of which radio resources have been used within the cell at previous times, and wherein the step of generating an estimate of the cost comprises;

checking whether an available channel was allocated to a radio link in the cell during a time frame being the most recently scheduled time frame; and

associating a cost to the available channel if it was not allocated to a radio link in the most recently scheduled time frame.

8. Memory means arranged to fit in a radio base station, the memory means having stored thereupon the computer program product of claim 7.

9. An apparatus for allocating radio resources to at least one radio link in a cell within a mobile radio communications system, the apparatus being characterised by:

cost estimating means arranged to generate an estimate of the cost of allocating radio resources available for allocation to the at least one radio link, the cost estimating means being arranged generate the cost estimate in dependency of which radio resources have been used within the cell at previous times, the cost estimating means furhter being arranged to check whether an available channel was allocated to a radio link in the cell during a time frame being the most recently scheduled time frame and to associate a cost to the available channel if the available channel was not allocated to a radio link in the most recently time frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising;

quality estimating means arranged to estimate a quality measure of radio resources available for allocation and to generate a radio quality estimate;

comparing means arranged to compare the radio quality estimate with the cost estimate and to generate a comparison result; and

allocating means arranged to allocate radio resources to the at least one radio link in accordance with the comparison result.

11. The apparatus of claims 9, wherein

the cost estimating means is arranged to check a spectral distance between a channel allocated in the cell during the time frame being the most recently scheduled time frame and a channel available for allocation, and to generate a cost estimate in a manner so that the cost estimate increases with increasing spectral distance.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising selecting means arranged to select at least one channel to be allocated to the at least one radio link based upon a plurality of said comparison results.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising

load determining means for determining a load within the cell, the load determining means being arranged to trigger the operation of the cost estimating means when the load is below a load threshold.

14. A radio base station for communicating with mobile stations in a mobile radio communications system comprising the apparatus of claim 9.

15. A mobile radio communications system comprising the apparatus of claim 9.