TECHNIQUES FOR ALIGNING APPLICATION OUTPUT AND UPLINK RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20090137254A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vukovic, Ivan N., Leelahakriengkrai, Rangsan
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1221 based on age of data to be sent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

A technique for reducing a time delay between an application output at a subscriber station and uplink resource allocation for the subscriber station includes scheduling, between periodic uplink resource allocations, one or more probe uplink resource allocations for the subscriber station. Next, respective information in at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations is received at an access point. Finally, subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations are scheduled based on at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

Claims

1. A method of reducing a time delay between an application output at a subscriber station and uplink resource allocation for the subscriber station, comprising:

scheduling, between periodic uplink resource allocations, one or more probe uplink resource allocations for the subscriber station;

receiving, at an access point, respective information in at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations; and

scheduling subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations further comprises:

scheduling the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations when the subscriber station utilizes at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations is assigned to a different frame.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the one or more probe uplink resource allocations and the periodic resource allocations to the subscriber station; and

transmitting the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations to the subscriber station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations further comprises:

shifting the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations to substantially coincide with one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations when the subscriber station utilizes at least one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber station is an IEEE 802.16 standard compliant subscriber station that communicates in real-time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more probe uplink resource allocations and the periodic uplink resource allocations have a different size.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving, at the access point, the respective information in each of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations, the respective information corresponding to respective reported queue sizes of a queue of the subscriber station at different times, and wherein the scheduling subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations further comprises scheduling the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on the respective queue sizes to substantially minimize an average size of the queue.

9. A method of reducing a time delay between an application output at a subscriber station and an uplink resource allocation for the subscriber station, comprising:

determining, at the subscriber station, a substantially optimum time for subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on respective queue sizes of a queue of the subscriber station at different times; and

transmitting, to an access point, a request to provide the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations at the substantially optimum time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request is provided in a frame latency field associated with an initial periodic uplink resource allocation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

transmitting, to the access point, the request during an additional uplink resource allocation that is allocated between initial periodic uplink resource allocations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the subscriber station is an IEEE 802.16 standard complaint subscriber station that communicates in real-time.

13. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station; and

a base station in communication with the subscriber station, wherein the base station is configured to;

schedule, between periodic uplink resource allocations, one or more probe uplink resource allocations for the subscriber station;

receive respective information in at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations; and

schedule subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the base station is further configured to:

schedule the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations when the subscriber station utilizes at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations is assigned to a different frame.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the base station is further configured to:

transmit the one or more probe uplink resource allocations and the periodic resource allocations to the subscriber station; and

transmit the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations to the subscriber station.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the base station is further configured to:

shift the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations to substantially coincide with one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations when the subscriber station utilizes at least one of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the subscriber station is an IEEE 802.16 standard complaint subscriber station that communicates in real-time.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the one or more probe uplink resource allocations and the periodic uplink resource allocations are equally sized.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the base station is further configured to receive the respective information in each of the one or more probe uplink resource allocations, the respective information corresponding to respective reported queue sizes of a queue of the subscriber station at different times, and wherein the base station is further configured to schedule the subsequent periodic uplink resource allocations based on the respective queue sizes to substantially minimize an average size of the queue.