CARRIER SELECTION

• US 20100210277A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearwire Ip Holdings LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Clear Wireless LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Vivanco, Daniel A., Anderson, Howard Bishop, Pawar, Hemanth Balaji, Dinan, Esmail Hejazi, Rudraraju, Vijay
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load

Abstract

First and second indicators of a first available amount of an air-interface resources associated with a first and second channel, respectively, is received. A request for an allocation of an amount of the air-interface resource is received. Based on the request for the allocation, first and second ranking values associated with the first and second channels, respectively are determined. The first and second ranking values are selected such that the efficient allocations receive higher ranks. Based on the first ranking value and the second ranking value, the first frequency band is selected to provide the allocation of the amount of the air-interface resource.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system, comprising:

receiving a first indicator of a first available amount of an air-interface resource, the first indicator being associated with a first frequency band;

receiving a second indicator of a second available amount of the air-interface resource, the second indicator being associated with a second frequency band;

receiving a request for an allocation of an amount of the air-interface resource;

based on the request for the allocation, determining a first ranking value associated with the first frequency band, the first rank being based on a first remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the first frequency band if the first frequency band is selected to provide the allocation of the amount of the air-interface resource;

based on the request for the allocation, determining a second ranking value associated with the second frequency band, the second rank being based on a second remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the second frequency band if the second frequency band is selected to provide the allocation of the amount of the air-interface resource; and

,

based on the first ranking value and the second ranking value, selecting the first frequency band to provide the allocation of the amount of the air-interface resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ranking value has a maximum value and the first ranking value is selected to be the maximum value when the first remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the first frequency band if the first frequency band is selected is zero.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for an allocation of an amount of the air-interface resource is selected from a finite set of allocation amounts.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first ranking value has a maximum value and the first ranking value is selected to be the maximum value when the first remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the first frequency band if the first frequency band is selected is greater than the largest member of the finite set of allocation amounts.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first ranking value has a positive correlation to the first remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the first frequency band if the first frequency band is selected.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first ranking value is selected to be the maximum value when the first remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the first frequency band if the first frequency band is selected is zero.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first ranking value has a positive correlation to the first remaining amount of the air-interface resource that will be available on the first frequency band if the first frequency band is selected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the members of the finite set of allocation amounts are based on a set of modulation and coding schemes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the members of the finite set of allocation amounts are based on a set of service flow classifications.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the members of the finite set of allocation amounts are further based on a set of modulation and coding schemes.

11. A method of operating a communication system, comprising:

communicating with a plurality of wireless devices using at least a first channel and a second channel, the first channel having a first remaining allocation of an air-interface resource, the second channel having a second remaining allocation of the air-interface resource;

receiving a request for an allocation amount of the air-interface resource, the request being associated with a wireless device;

determining a first ranking value based on a first projected remaining allocation of the air-interface resource on the first channel, the first projected remaining allocation being based on the first remaining allocation and the allocation amount;

determining a second ranking value based on a second projected remaining allocation of the air-interface resource on the second channel, the second projected remaining allocation being based on the second remaining allocation and the allocation amount; and

,

based on the first ranking value and the second ranking value, allocating, on the first channel, the allocation amount of the air-interface resource to the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first ranking value has a maximum value and the first ranking value is selected to be the maximum value when the first projected remaining allocation on the first channel is zero.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the request for an allocation amount of the air-interface resource is selected from a finite set of allocation amounts.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first ranking value has a maximum value and the first ranking value is selected to be the maximum value when first projected remaining allocation on the first channel is greater than the largest member of the finite set of allocation amounts.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, between a range of the finite set of allocation amounts, the first ranking value has a positive correlation to the first projected remaining allocation on the first channel, the range including the smallest and largest members of the finite set of allocation amounts.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the air-interface resource corresponds to allocations of time and frequency.

17. A communication system comprising:

a base station communicating wirelessly with a plurality of wireless devices using at least a first channel and a second channel, the first channel having a first remaining allocation of an air-interface resource, the second channel having a second remaining allocation of the air-interface resource;

the communication system allocating a request by a wireless device for an allocation of the air-interface resource to the first channel based on a first projected remaining allocation and a second projected remaining allocation, the allocation of the air-interface resource being a member of a set of allocation amounts.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the request by the wireless device is allocated to the first channel based on the first projected remaining allocation being zero.

19. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the request by the wireless device is allocated to the first channel based on the first projected remaining allocation being at least one of zero and greater than the smallest member of the set of allocation amounts.

20. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the request by the wireless device is allocated to the first channel based on the first projected remaining allocation being at least one of zero and greater than the largest member of the set of allocation amounts.