METHOD, APPARATUS FOR DYNAMIC RESOURCE ALLOCATION METHOD IN OFDMA-BASED COGNITIVE RADIO SYSTEM AND FORWARD LINK FRAME STRUCTURE THEREOF

• US 20090190537A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Jeon, Soon Ik, Kim, Jung Ju, Hwang, Sung Hyun, Kim, Chang Joo, Ko, Gwangzeen, Song, Myung Sun, Ko, Sang Jun, Chang, KyungHi
• Application Number:
  US12/093,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20090190537A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0226 sounding signals per se
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0232 by interpolation between sounding signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0039 Frequency-contiguous, i.e. with no allocation of frequencies for one user or terminal between the frequencies allocated to another
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0085 when channel conditions change
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

Provided are a dynamic resource allocation method and apparatus in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based cognitive radio system and a downlink frame structure of the method and apparatus. The method includes a base station (BS) selecting one of an Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising at least one bin comprising a first plurality of continuous subcarriers in a frequency domain, is allocated, and a diversity subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising a second plurality of scattered subcarriers in the frequency domain is allocated, according to a level of frequency selectivity of an unused idle frequency band; and the BS allocating at least one subchannel to a terminal according to the selected subchannel allocation scheme. Accordingly, downlink throughput in the cognitive radio system can be increased.

Claims

1. A dynamic resource allocation method used by a base station (BS) to allocate a subchannel to a terminal in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based cognitive radio system, the method comprising:

the BS selecting one of an Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising at least one bin comprising a first plurality of continuous subcarriers in a frequency domain is allocated, and a diversity subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising a second plurality of scattered subcarriers in the frequency domain is allocated, according to a level of frequency selectivity of an unused idle frequency band; and

the BS allocating at least one subchannel to the terminal according to the selected subchannel allocation scheme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the AMC subchannel allocation scheme comprises a band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme in which the subchannel is allocated with a band made up of M continuous bins in the frequency domain, where M is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, and a scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme in which the subchannel is allocated with a single bin or at least two bins regardless of continuity in the frequency domain,

wherein the selecting comprises the BS selecting the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a best channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is less than a first threshold, selecting the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a medium channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold, and selecting the diversity subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a worst channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating comprises the BS allocating a subchannel to the terminal based on a channel state of each subchannel of the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the AMC subchannel allocation scheme.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the allocating comprises the BS allocating a subchannel to the terminal based on a channel state of each subchannel of the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme, and allocating a subchannel to the terminal based on a channel state of each group comprising a predetermined plurality of continuous bins in the frequency domain if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the band comprises 4 bins, and the group comprises 2 bins, wherein the bin comprises 15 data subcarriers, or 14 data subcarriers and one pilot subcarrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the diversity subchannel allocation scheme is a subchannel allocation scheme generating J subchannels, in which K groups, each group comprising J continuous subcarriers in the frequency domain, are generated by grouping subcarriers belonging to the idle frequency band, and each subchannel is generated with subcarriers obtained by selecting one subcarrier from each group.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein J is 30, and K is 48.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the allocating comprises the BS allocating an arbitrary subchannel to the terminal if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the diversity subchannel allocation scheme.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the allocating comprises:

the BS requesting the terminal for channel state information (CSI) comprising information on a channel state of each band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme and information on a channel state of each group if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme, and obtaining the CSI from the terminal; and

the BS selecting a subchannel having a good channel state based on the CSI and allocating the selected subchannel to the terminal.

10. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein the channel state is a mean Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) of the terminal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the CSI comprises an identification (ID) of a predetermined number of bands or groups having a good channel state among bands or groups belonging to the idle frequency band and a channel state corresponding to the ID,

wherein the allocating comprises the BS selecting a subchannel belonging to a band or group having a good channel state from among the predetermined number of bands or groups based on the CSI and allocating the selected subchannel to the terminal.

12. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the allocating further comprises the BS allocating resources according to the AMC based on the channel state of each subchannel of the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the AMC subchannel allocation scheme.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the allocating further comprises the BS allocating resources according to the AMC based on the CSI if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the AMC subchannel allocation scheme.

14. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the allocating further comprises the BS allocating resources according to the AMC based on a channel state of the entire band of the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the diversity subchannel allocation scheme.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the channel state is a mean SINR of the terminal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the allocating comprises:

if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the diversity subchannel allocation scheme, the BS requesting the terminal for CSI comprising information on the channel state of the entire band of the idle frequency band, and obtaining the CSI from the terminal; and

the BS allocating resources according to the AMC based on the CSI.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises:

the BS transmitting information of the idle frequency band to the terminal;

the BS receiving channel environment information comprising information on the level of frequency selectivity of the idle frequency band from the terminal; and

the BS selecting one of the AMC subchannel allocation scheme and the diversity subchannel allocation scheme based on the received channel environment information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the channel environment information contains a variance value of a channel frequency response magnitude of the idle frequency band, which is calculated by the terminal.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein a downlink frame transmitted between the BS and the terminal comprises:

a slot comprising a first plurality of OFDM symbols;

a frame, which has a first length of time according to a period of time for performing channel state measurement of a terminal and dynamic resource allocation of a BS and comprises a second plurality of slots; and

a super frame having a second length of time and comprising a third plurality of frames.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the BS detecting the idle frequency band by sensing a spectrum in a period of time N times the super frame.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein N is controlled by Media Access Control (MAC),

wherein the detecting comprises the BS performing spectrum sensing of a radio frequency (RF) band by an amount of a remaining slot number using slots remaining by excluding slots including an overhead according to a preamble and a Frame Control Header (FCH) &

MAP message.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating comprises the BS disposing one pilot subcarrier at N_f subcarrier intervals in each pilot OFDM symbol comprising at least one pilot subcarrier and existing in a period of N_t OFDM symbol intervals, in which the pilot subcarriers are disposed by applying a different offset to each of K adjacent pilot OFDM symbols so that positions of the pilot subcarriers in the frequency domain are not the same between the K adjacent pilot OFDM symbols,

wherein N_f of the AMC subchannel allocation scheme is greater than N_f of the diversity subchannel allocation scheme.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each bin comprises 15 subcarriers,

N_t is 5,

N_f is 15 in the AMC subchannel allocation scheme and 9 in the diversity subchannel allocation scheme,

K is 3,

the minimum interval between offsets used in the AMC subchannel allocation scheme has 5 subcarrier intervals, and

the minimum interval between offsets used in the diversity subchannel allocation scheme has 3 subcarrier intervals.

46. A computer readable recording medium storing a computer readable program for executing the method of claim 1.

24. A downlink frame structure for dynamic resource allocation in an OFDMA-based cognitive radio system, the downlink frame structure comprising:

a slot comprising a first plurality of OFDM symbols;

a frame, which has a first length of time according to a period of time for performing channel state measurement of a terminal and dynamic resource allocation of a BS and comprises a second plurality of slots; and

a super frame having a second length of time and comprising a third plurality of frames.

25. The downlink frame structure of claim 24, wherein the second length of time is 96 msec,

the first length of time is 4.8 msec,

the third plurality is 5,

the second plurality is 4, and

the first plurality is 15.

26. The downlink frame structure of claim 24, wherein the first symbol of a frame placed at the beginning of the super frame is a preamble for performing at least one of symbol timing, offset estimation, subcarrier frequency offset estimation, cell identification (ID) estimation, channel estimation, and acquisition of CSI that is to be reported from the terminal to the BS,

wherein the preamble is repeated a predetermined number of times in a time domain.

27. The downlink frame structure of claim 24, wherein the predetermined number of times is 3.

47. A computer readable recording medium storing the downlink frame structure of claim 24.

28. A dynamic resource allocation method used by a terminal to receive a subchannel allocated by a base station (BS) in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based cognitive radio system, the method comprising:

an allocation information receiving process, wherein a terminal receives, from a base station (BS), information on a subchannel allocated according to a subchannel allocation scheme selected by the BS based on a level of frequency selectivity of an unused idle frequency band from among an Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising at least one bin comprising a first plurality of continuous subcarriers in a frequency domain is allocated, and a diversity subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising a second plurality of scattered subcarriers in the frequency domain is allocated; and

a communication process, wherein the terminal communicates with the BS using the allocated subchannel based on the received information on the allocated subchannel.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the AMC subchannel allocation scheme comprises a band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme, in which the subchannel is allocated with a band made up of M continuous bins in the frequency domain, where M is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, and a scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme, in which the subchannel is allocated with a single bin or at least two bins regardless of continuity in the frequency domain,

wherein the selected subchannel allocation scheme is selected using a method of selecting the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a best channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is less than a first threshold, selecting the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a medium channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold, or selecting the diversity subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a worst channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the information on the allocated subchannel is information on a subchannel allocated to the terminal based on a channel state of each subchannel of the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the AMC subchannel allocation scheme.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the information on the allocated subchannel is information on a subchannel allocated to the terminal based on a channel state of each subchannel of the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme, or information on a subchannel allocated to the terminal based on a channel state of each group comprising a predetermined plurality of continuous bins in the frequency domain if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the information on the allocated subchannel is information on a subchannel arbitrarily allocated to the terminal from among subchannels belonging to the idle frequency band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the diversity subchannel allocation scheme.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising a transmission process, wherein the terminal receives a request from the BS for channel state information (CSI) comprising information on a channel state of each band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme or information on a channel state of each group if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme, detects a channel state of each band or each group, and transmits CSI containing information on the detected channel states to the BS,

wherein the allocated subchannel is a subchannel having a good channel state, which is selected by the BS based on the CSI.

34. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein the channel state is a mean Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) of the terminal.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the CSI comprises an identification (ID) of a predetermined number of bands or groups having a good channel state from among bands or groups belonging to the idle frequency band and a channel state corresponding to the ID,

wherein the allocated subchannel is a subchannel selected by the BS, which belongs to a band or group having a good channel state from among the predetermined number of bands or groups based on the CSI.

36. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the AMC subchannel allocation scheme,

the allocation information receiving process comprises receiving information on resources allocated to the terminal by the BS according to the AMC based on the channel state of each subchannel of the idle frequency band, and

the communication process comprises communicating with the BS based on the resources allocated according to the AMC.

37. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the diversity subchannel allocation scheme,

the allocation information receiving process comprises receiving information on resources allocated to the terminal by the BS according to the AMC based on a channel state of the entire band of the idle frequency band, and

the communication process comprises communicating with the BS based on the resources allocated according to the AMC.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the channel state is a mean SINR of the terminal.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising a transmission process, wherein if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the diversity subchannel allocation scheme, the terminal receives a request from the BS for CSI comprising information on a channel state of the entire band of the idle frequency band, detects the channel state of the entire band, and transmits CSI containing information on the detected channel state to the BS.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

the terminal receiving information on the idle frequency band from the BS; and

the terminal detecting a level of frequency selectivity of the idle frequency band and transmitting channel environment information containing information on the detected level of frequency selectivity to the BS.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the channel environment information contains a variance value of a channel frequency response magnitude of the idle frequency band, which is calculated by the terminal.

42. The method of claim 28, wherein a downlink frame transmitted between the BS and the terminal comprises:

a slot comprising a first plurality of OFDM symbols;

a frame, which has a first length of time according to a period of time for performing channel state measurement of a terminal and dynamic resource allocation of a BS and comprises a second plurality of slots; and

a super frame having a second length of time and comprising a third plurality of frames.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the super frame comprises a plurality of pilot symbols formed in a method of disposing one pilot subcarrier at N_f subcarrier intervals in each pilot OFDM symbol comprising at least one pilot subcarrier and existing in a period of N_t OFDM symbol intervals, in which the pilot subcarriers are disposed by applying a different offset to each of K adjacent pilot OFDM symbols so that positions of the pilot subcarriers in the frequency domain are not the same between the K adjacent pilot OFDM symbols,

wherein the communication process comprises the terminal performing channel estimation using received pilot OFDM symbols comprised in a received signal according to the downlink frame.

44. The method of claim 29, wherein a downlink frame transmitted between the BS and the terminal comprises:

a slot comprising a first plurality of OFDM symbols;

a frame, which has a first length of time according to a period of time for performing channel state measurement of a terminal and dynamic resource allocation of a BS and comprises a second plurality of slots; and

a super frame having a second length of time and comprising a third plurality of frames.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the super frame comprises a plurality of pilot symbols formed in a method of disposing one pilot subcarrier at N_f subcarrier intervals in each pilot OFDM symbol comprising at least one pilot subcarrier and existing in a period of N_t OFDM symbol intervals, in which the pilot subcarriers are disposed by applying a different offset to each of K adjacent pilot OFDM symbols so that positions of the pilot subcarriers in the frequency domain are not the same between the K adjacent pilot OFDM symbols,

wherein the communication process comprises the terminal performing channel estimation by copying in a time domain a reception value of pilot subcarriers contained in received pilot OFDM symbols comprised in a received signal according to the downlink frame and performing interpolation in the frequency domain, wherein if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme, the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme, or the diversity subchannel allocation scheme, the channel estimation is performed by performing the interpolation in the frequency domain on a band basis, a bin basis, or an entire band basis.

48. A computer readable recording medium storing a computer readable program for executing the method of claim 28.

49. A dynamic resource allocation apparatus of a base station (BS) for allocating a subchannel to a terminal in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based cognitive radio system, the apparatus comprising:

a selector selecting one of an Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising at least one bin comprising a first plurality of continuous subcarriers in a frequency domain is allocated, and a diversity subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising a second plurality of scattered subcarriers in the frequency domain is allocated, according to a level of frequency selectivity of an unused idle frequency band; and

an allocation unit allocating at least one subchannel to the terminal according to the selected subchannel allocation scheme.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising an allocation information transmitter transmitting information on the allocated subchannel to the terminal.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the AMC subchannel allocation scheme comprises a band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme, in which the subchannel is allocated with a band made up of M continuous bins in the frequency domain, where M is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, and a scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme, in which the subchannel is allocated with a single bin or at least two bins regardless of continuity in the frequency domain,

wherein the selector selects the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a best channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is less than a first threshold, selects the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a medium channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold, or selects the diversity subchannel allocation scheme if the idle frequency band belongs to a worst channel environment, in which the level of frequency selectivity is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

52. A dynamic resource allocation apparatus of a terminal to which a base station (BS) allocates a subchannel, in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based cognitive radio system, the apparatus comprising:

an allocation information receiver receiving, from the BS, information on a subchannel allocated according to a subchannel allocation scheme selected by the BS based on a level of frequency selectivity of an unused idle frequency band from among an Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising at least one bin comprising a first plurality of continuous subcarriers in a frequency domain is allocated, and a diversity subchannel allocation scheme, in which a subchannel comprising a second plurality of scattered subcarriers in the frequency domain is allocated; and

a communication unit communicating with the BS using the allocated subchannel based on the received information on the allocated subchannel.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, further comprising a channel state information (CSI) transmitter receiving a request from the BS for CSI comprising information on a channel state of each band if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the band-type AMC subchannel allocation scheme or information on a channel state of each group if the selected subchannel allocation scheme is the scattered AMC subchannel allocation scheme, detecting a channel state of each band or each group, and transmitting CSI containing information on the detected channel states to the BS,

wherein the allocated subchannel is a subchannel having a good channel state, which is selected by the BS based on the CSI.

54. The apparatus of claim 52, further comprising a channel environment information transmitter receiving information on the idle frequency band from the BS, detecting a level of frequency selectivity of the idle frequency band, and transmitting channel environment information containing information on the detected level of frequency selectivity to the BS.