Radio quality based channel resource management

• US 20100034185A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Cellular Technology LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: De Bruin, Peter, Timner, Ylva, Jönsson, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0006 by adapting the transmission format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0021 in which the algorithm uses adaptive thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

The present invention provides a quality based resource management fin a radio communications system. In this resource management, channel resources are dynamically allocated to a multi-resource capable mobile unit based on a radio quality of a radio link between the mobile unit and an associated base station. Thus, the amount of these resources to be allocated to the mobile unit is determined based on this radio quality and can be dynamically updated based on new quality reports. A high experienced quality means that more resources are allocated. The quality based resource allocation can also be combined with a quality based transmission scheduling. In such a case, mobile units experiencing a high quality are allowed to transmit more often in a period of time than mobile units with low quality.

Claims

1. A method of managing timeslots in a radio communications system, said method comprising the steps of:

estimating a radio quality for a radio link between a base station and a multi-slot mobile unit with a predefined multiple slot capability number; and

dynamically allocating, based on said estimated radio quality, a number of timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said allocating step comprises dynamically allocating, based on said estimated radio quality, multiple timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said allocating step comprises dynamically allocating, based on said estimated radio quality, less than said predefined capability number of timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said allocating step comprises dynamically allocating Y₁ timeslots to said mobile unit at a first estimated radio quality and dynamically allocating Y₂ timeslots to said mobile unit at a second comparatively lower estimated radio quality, where Y₁>

Y₂ and Y₁, Y₂ are integers equal to or smaller than said predefined capability number.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

defining sets of different number of said timeslots associated with said base station, each set comprises equal to or less than said predefined capability number of timeslots;

associating each set with a minimum radio quality; and

selecting a set based on a comparison between said estimated radio quality and said minimum radio qualities, wherein said allocating step comprises dynamically allocating the number of timeslots of said selected set to said mobile unit.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising adaptively adjusting said minimum radio qualities.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising scheduling transmission for said mobile unit on said radio link using said allocated timeslots based on said estimated radio quality.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said scheduling step comprises scheduling at least a minimum number of transmissions per time unit for said mobile unit.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said minimum number of transmissions per time unit is determined based on a transmission priority associated with said mobile unit.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said base station conducts data communication with multiple mobile units and said minimum number of transmissions per time unit is determined based on the number of mobile units communicating with said base station.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said base station conducts data communication with at least two mobile units and said scheduling step comprises scheduling a first mobile unit to transmit data before or more often than a second mobile unit, where a radio quality of a radio link associated with said first mobile unit being comparatively higher than a corresponding radio quality of a radio link associated with said second mobile unit.

12. A resource allocator for allocating timeslots to a multi-slot mobile unit with a predefined multiple slot capability number, said allocator comprising:

means for providing a radio quality estimation for a radio link between said mobile unit and a base station; and

means for dynamically allocating, based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means, a number of timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

13. The allocator according to claim 12, wherein said allocating means is configured for dynamically allocating, based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means, less than said predefined capability number of timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

14. The allocator according to claim 12, wherein said allocating means is configured for dynamically allocating Y₁ timeslots to said mobile unit for a first estimated radio quality and dynamically allocating Y₂ timeslots to said mobile unit for a second comparatively lower estimated radio quality, where Y₁>

Y₂ and Y₁, Y₂ are integers equal to or smaller than said predefined capability number.

15. The allocator according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for defining sets of different number of said timeslots, where each set is associated with a minimum radio quality and comprises equal to or less than said predefined capability number of timeslots; and

means for selecting a set based on a comparison between said radio quality estimation and said minimum radio qualities, wherein said allocating means is configured for dynamically allocating the number of bandwidth resources of said selected set to said mobile unit.

16. The allocator according to claim 15, further comprising means for adaptively adjusting said minimum radio qualities.

17. A communications control unit adapted for controlling data communication between a multi-slot mobile unit, with a predefined multiple slot capability number, and a base station on a radio link, said control unit comprising:

means for providing a radio quality estimation for said radio link; and

a resource allocator for dynamically allocating, based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means, a number of timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

18. The control unit according to claim 17, wherein said allocator is configured for dynamically allocating, based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means, less than said predefined capability number of timeslots to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

19. The control unit according to claim 17, wherein said allocator is configured for dynamically allocating Y₁ timeslots to said mobile unit for a first estimated radio quality and dynamically allocating Y₂ timeslots to said mobile unit for a second comparatively lower estimated radio quality, where Y₁>

Y₂ and Y₁, Y₂ are integers smaller than or equal to said predefined capability number.

20. The control unit according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for defining sets of different number of said timeslots, where each set is associated with a minimum radio quality and comprises equal to or less than said predefined capability number of timeslots; and

means for selecting a set based on a comparison between said radio quality estimation and said minimum radio qualities, wherein said allocator is configured for dynamically allocating the number of timeslots of said selected set to said mobile unit.

21. The control unit according to claim 20, further comprising means for adaptively adjusting said minimum radio qualities.

22. The control unit according to claim 17, further comprising a transmission scheduler for scheduling transmission for said mobile unit on said radio link using said allocated timeslots based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means.

23. The control unit according to claim 22, wherein scheduler is configured for scheduling at least a minimum number of transmissions per time unit for said mobile unit.

24. The control unit according to claim 23, wherein said minimum number of transmissions per time unit is determined based on a transmission priority associated with said mobile unit.

25. The control unit according to claim 23, wherein said base station conducts data communication with multiple mobile units and said minimum number of transmissions per time unit is determined based on the number of mobile units communicating with said base station.

26. The control unit according to claim 22, wherein said base station conducts data communication with at least two mobile units and said scheduler is configured for scheduling a first mobile unit to transmit data before or more often than a second mobile unit, where a radio quality of a radio link associated with said first mobile unit being comparatively higher than a corresponding radio quality of a radio link associated with said second mobile unit.

27. A method of allocating channel resources to a multiple channel resource capable mobile unit with a predefined multiple resource capability number, said method comprising the steps of:

estimating a radio quality for a radio link between said mobile unit and a base station; and

dynamically allocating, based on said estimated radio quality, channel resources to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said allocating step comprises dynamically allocating, based on said estimated radio quality, less than said predefined capability number of channel resources to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein said channel resources are different spreading codes.

30. A resource allocator for allocating channel resources to a multiple channel resource capable mobile unit with a predefined multiple resource capability number, said allocator comprising:

means for providing a radio quality estimation for a radio link between said mobile unit and a base stations; and

means for dynamically allocating, based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means, channel resources to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

31. The allocator according to claim 30, wherein said allocating means is configured for dynamically allocating, based on said radio quality estimation from said providing means, less than said predefined capability number of channel resources to said mobile unit for usage on said radio link.

32. The allocator according to claim 30, wherein said channel resources are different spreading codes.