Method and System For Adaptively Obtaining Bandwidth Allocation Requests

• US 20100157928A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Stanwood, Kenneth L., Spinar, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adaptively obtaining bandwidth requests in a broadband wireless communication system. The method and apparatus includes dynamically varying technique combinations enabling a plurality of users to efficiently request bandwidth from a shared base station. A user may “piggyback” a new bandwidth request upon, or set a “poll-me bit” within, presently allocated bandwidth. A base station may poll users, individually or in groups, by allocating unrequested bandwidth for new requests. Polling may respond to a “poll-me bit,” and/or it may be adaptively periodic at a rate based on communication status parameters, such as recent communication activity and connection QoS levels. Group polling permits a possibility of collisions. Polling policies may be established for dynamically varying user groups, or may be determined for each user. Dynamic selection of appropriate polling techniques makes use of efficiency benefits associated with each technique.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining uplink bandwidth requests from a wireless subscriber station in a wireless communication network, the system comprising:

a polling policy module configured to select a communication parameter and to establish a polling protocol between the wireless subscriber station and the system over the wireless communication network based on the communication parameter;

a polling module configured to directly poll the subscriber station from a base station in accordance with the polling protocol, to select a polling rate for the subscriber station based on the communication parameter and to poll the subscriber station at the selected polling rate for providing the subscriber station with bandwidth request opportunities;

a contention resolution module configured to provide a contention resolution mechanism for at least two subscriber stations which attempt to transmit a bandwidth request to the base station within an uplink slot allocated to subscriber stations for bandwidth requests; and

a channel bandwidth allocation module configured to allocate, in response to a per connection bandwidth request received from the subscriber station a granted amount of uplink bandwidth for distribution by the subscriber station to one or more connections from a plurality of connections.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the polling policy module is further configured to form a composite communication parameter for the subscriber station reflecting the first communication parameter and an additional communication parameter, and to change the polling protocol for the subscriber station in response to changes in the composite communication parameter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication parameter is common to the connections established at the subscriber station.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a multicast polling module configured to direct polls to a group of subscriber stations, for providing one or more subscriber stations in the group with bandwidth request opportunities.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel bandwidth allocation module is further configured to poll subscriber stations by allocating unrequested uplink bandwidth to the subscriber stations as an opportunity to request further bandwidth.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a poll-me message processing module configured to identify a poll-me request received from a subscriber station with a current polling rate of zero and to instruct the polling module to individually poll the subscriber station using a polling rate established by the polling policy module for that subscriber station.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contention resolution mechanism is for use by subscriber stations with a polling rate of zero and which do not have unused uplink bandwidth for transmitting a bandwidth request.

2. A system for obtaining user uplink bandwidth requests in a communication station providing varying uplink bandwidths to a subscriber station, the system comprising:

a polling policy module configured to;

obtain values of a first selected communication parameter which varies over time for a particular user,

change a polling protocol for the user in response to a change in the value of the communication parameter,

obtain a value of an additional communication parameter, and

change the polling protocol for the user in response to changes in the additional communication parameter;

a poll-me message processing module configured to identify a poll-me request in a packet received at a base station from a user that has a polling rate of zero and direct polling of that user in response to the poll-me request;

a polling control module configured to cause a base station to poll the particular user in accordance with the changed polling protocol and in accordance with directions from the poll-me message processing module to poll a user; and

a channel bandwidth allocation module configured to determine, in response to a bandwidth request received from the user, the amount of uplink bandwidth to be allocated to the user for distribution to a plurality of connections by the user.

9. A method of operating a base station for obtaining bandwidth requests from subscriber stations sharing a communication link to the base station, comprising:

classifying the subscriber stations based on a per customer premise equipment (CPE) communication parameter that varies over time;

enabling subscriber stations to request bandwidth using one of a plurality of bandwidth request mechanisms based on the communication parameter; and

upon receipt of a bandwidth request, allocating bandwidth to the subscriber station for distribution to one or more of a plurality of connections by the subscriber station;

wherein the plurality of bandwidth request mechanisms include a polling mechanism, wherein uplink bandwidth for bandwidth requests received at the base station is allocated periodically at a polling rate based on the communication parameter;

a piggyback mechanism, wherein bandwidth requests received at the base station are conveyed within unused bandwidth allocated to traffic;

a poll-me mechanism, wherein uplink bandwidth for bandwidth requests received at the base station is allocated in response to a poll-me message conveyed within the header of a data packet; and

a contention based mechanism whereby uplink bandwidth is allocated for bandwidth requests to all subscriber stations that do not use the polling, piggyback and poll-me mechanisms.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the poll-me mechanism initiates polling of a particular subscriber station that has a polling rate of zero, on receipt of the poll-me message from the subscriber station.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the poll-me message uses one or more bits of data in a specified location within uplink bandwidth previously assigned to the subscriber station.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein using the poll-me mechanism comprises:

identifying the poll-me message in a packet received from the subscriber station; and

polling the subscriber station in response to the poll-me message for providing one or more individual connection at the subscriber station with bandwidth request opportunities.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the polling rate for a subscriber station serving a connection of a Constant Bit Rate type is set to zero.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the contention mechanism comprises transmitting the bandwidth request for a subscriber station with a polling rate of zero in an uplink contention slot broadcast to all subscriber stations.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the piggyback mechanism comprises embedding a request for additional bandwidth from a subscriber station with a polling rate of zero within bandwidth allocated to that subscriber station for uplink traffic, which bandwidth is not currently used for traffic.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the polling rate for the subscriber station, is adjusted based on an updated value of the communication parameter when the subscriber station serves connections of burst type services.

17. The method of claim 9, where the communication parameter includes the quality of service required by the connections served by the subscriber station.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein a bandwidth request opportunity is an uplink bandwidth allocation provided for use by the subscriber station for requesting uplink bandwidth for a specified connection served by the subscriber station.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication parameter is a quality of service parameter common to a group of connections.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

assigning each subscriber station served by the base station to a polling category based on the communication parameter;

assigning a group polling rate to each polling category; and

polling the subscriber stations at the polling rate used for the respective polling category.