PERSISTENT RESOURCE ALLOCATION

• US 20090075667A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellular Transitions, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nextwave Broadband Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bourlas, Yair
• Granted Patent: US 8,169,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0004 applied to control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/001 applied to control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for communicating and utilizing persistent allocation of uplink resources are described herein. A base station can allocate persistent uplink resources to a client station, such that the resource allocation remains active for future uplink frames without the client station repeating a request for uplink resources or the base station expressly communicating the uplink resource allocation. A client station can request a persistent uplink resource allocation when wireless channel conditions are fairly consistent and not varying and the required uplink resources are predictably periodic and fixed in size. The base station can verify that the uplink resource request meets the criteria for persistent allocation and can allocate persistent uplink resources in a dedicated information element of an uplink resource map that is transmitted to the user. The resources allocated remain allocated to the client station in each frame satisfying a predetermined periodicity until deallocated.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a persistent allocation, comprising:

receiving a first information element specifying a first persistent allocation occurring at a fixed point with an a logical mapping;

receiving a second information element including a mask; and

continuing to operate according to the first persistent allocation if the mask indicates that the first persistent allocation has not been deallocated and that no persistent allocation occurring logically earlier than the first persistent allocation has been deallocated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information element includes an indication of the magnitude of a deallocated persistent allocation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a new persistent allocation if a second persistent allocation occurring logically earlier than the first persistent allocation has been deallocated; and

determining shifts the first persistent allocation logically earlier according to a magnitude of the second persistent allocation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second information element specifies the magnitude of the second persistent allocation.

5. A method of efficiently assigning persistent resources, comprising:

sending one or more information elements specifying a first, second and third persistent allocation for a first, second and third client station respectively, wherein the first, second and third persistent allocations occur in numerical order in a logical mapping; and

sending a subsequent information element including a mask to commanding the second client station cease operation on the second persistent allocation.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising including within the subsequent information element an indication of the magnitude of the second persistent allocation.

7. A base station that efficiently assigns persistent resources, comprising:

means for sending one or more information elements specifying a first, second and third persistent allocation for a first, second and third client station respectively, wherein the first, second and third persistent allocations occur in numerical order in a logical mapping; and

means for sending a subsequent information element using a mask to commanding that the second client station cease operation on the second persistent allocation.

8. The base station of claim 7, further comprising means for including within the subsequent information element an indication of the magnitude of the second persistent allocation.

9. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause the system to perform a method of resource allocation, comprising:

sending one or more information elements specifying a first, second and third persistent allocation for a first, second and third client station respectively, wherein the first, second and third persistent allocations occur in numerical order in a logical mapping; and

sending a subsequent information element using a mask to commanding that the second client station cease operation on the second persistent allocation.

10. A client station that receives a persistent allocation, comprising:

means for receiving a first information element specifying a first persistent allocation occurring at a fixed point with an a logical mapping;

means for receiving a second information element including a mask; and

means for continuing to operate according to the first persistent allocation if the mask indicates that the first persistent allocation has not been deallocated and that no persistent allocation occurring logically earlier than the first persistent allocation has been deallocated.

11. The client station of claim 10, wherein the second information element includes an indication of the magnitude of a deallocated persistent allocation.

12. The client station of claim 10, further comprising means for determining a new persistent allocation if a second persistent allocation occurring logically earlier than the first persistent allocation has been deallocated and wherein the means for determining shifts the first persistent allocation logically earlier according to a magnitude of the second persistent allocation.

13. The client station of claim 12, wherein the second information element specifies the magnitude of the second persistent allocation.

14. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause the system to perform a method of assigning resources, the method comprising:

receiving a first information element specifying a first persistent allocation occurring at a fixed point with an a logical mapping;

receiving a second information element including a mask; and

continuing to operate according to the first persistent allocation if the mask indicates that the first persistent allocation has not been deallocated and that no persistent allocation occurring logically earlier than the first persistent allocation has been deallocated.

15. A method of efficiently assigning persistent resources, the method comprising:

sending one or more information elements specifying a first, second and third persistent allocation for a first, second and third client station respectively, wherein the first, second and third persistent allocations occur in numerical order in a logical mapping;

determining a need for an update to the second persistent allocation; and

sending a subsequent information element specifying a start location and a revised second and third allocation, wherein the start allocation indicates a delineation with the logical mapping between a set of previously assigned allocations and a set of allocations defined by the subsequent information element.

16. A method of receiving a persistent allocation, the method comprising:

receiving a first information element specifying a first persistent allocation occurring at a fixed point with an a logical mapping;

receiving a second information element specifying a start allocation indicating a change point within the logical mapping; and

continuing to operate according to the first persistent allocation if the fixed point occurs logically before the change point.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising operating according to a newly specified persistent allocation as indicated in the second information element if the fixed point occurs logically after the change point.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising ceasing to operate according to the first persistent allocation if the fixed point occurs logically after the change point and no new persistent allocation is included within the second information element.

19. A communications unit that assigns persistent resources, comprising:

means for sending one or more information elements specifying a first, second and third persistent allocation for a first, second and third client station respectively, wherein the first, second and third persistent allocations occur in numerical order in a logical mapping;

means for determining a need for an update to the second persistent allocation; and

means for sending a subsequent information element specifying a start location and a revised second and third allocation, wherein the start allocation indicates a delineation with the logical mapping between a set of previously assigned allocations and a set of allocations defined by the subsequent information element.

20. A communications unit that receives a persistent allocation, comprising:

means for receiving a first information element specifying a first persistent allocation occurring at a fixed point with an a logical mapping;

means for receiving a second information element specifying a start allocation indicating a change point within the logical mapping; and

means for continuing to operate according to the first persistent allocation if the fixed point occurs logically before the change point.