RESOURCE BLOCK REUSE FOR COORDINATED MULTI-POINT TRANSMISSION

• US 20100322171A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhao, Lu, Dekorsy, Armin, Granzow, Wolfgang, Brueck, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0621 Feedback content
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided to improve the efficiency of resource allocation in wireless communication networks. In one provided embodiment, a wireless communication device determines a received signal strength of each of a number of signals received from a number of transmission sectors, provides first channel information for first signals including a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength, provides second channel information for second signals including signals having a received signal strength below the specified level, and receives an allocation of one or more resource blocks from assigned transmission sectors based on a ranking of the first channel information, whereby the one or more resource blocks are reallocated to another wireless communication device, from another transmission sector, based on the second channel information. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the disclosed subject matter. Therefore, it is to be understood that it should not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication device, comprising:

determining a received signal strength of each of a plurality of signals received from a plurality of transmission sectors comprising a cluster of sectors;

providing first channel information for first signals, the first signals comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

providing second channel information for second signals, the second signals comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level; and

receiving an allocation of one or more resource blocks from assigned transmission sectors based on a ranking of the first channel information, whereby the one or more resource blocks are reallocated to another wireless communication device, from another transmission sector, based on the second channel information.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel information and the second channel information are provided to a transmission sector that transmits the signal having the highest received signal strength at the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is located in a first transmission sector of the cluster of sectors and the other wireless device is located in another transmission sector in the cluster of sectors.

6. A wireless communication device, comprising at least one processor configured to:

determine a received signal strength of each of a plurality of signals received from a plurality of transmission sectors comprising a cluster of sectors;

provide first channel information for first signals, the first signals comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

provide second channel information for second signals, the second signals comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level; and

receive an allocation of one or more resource blocks from assigned transmission sectors based on a ranking of the first channel information, whereby the one or more resource blocks are reallocated to another wireless communication device, from another transmission sector, based on the second channel information.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide the first channel information and the second channel information to a transmission sector that transmits the signal having the highest received signal strength at the wireless communication device.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication device is located in a first transmission sector of the cluster of sectors and the other wireless device is located in another transmission sector in the cluster of sectors.

11. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium in a wireless communication device, comprising:

program code for determining a received signal strength of each of a plurality of signals received from a plurality of transmission sectors comprising a cluster of sectors;

program code for providing first channel information for first signals, the first signals comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

program code for providing second channel information for second signals, the second signals comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level; and

program code for receiving an allocation of one or more resource blocks from assigned transmission sectors based on a ranking of the first channel information, whereby the one or more resource blocks are reallocated to another wireless communication device, from another transmission sector, based on the second channel information.

12. The computer program product of claim 11,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

14. A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for determining a received signal strength of each of a plurality of signals received from a plurality of transmission sectors comprising a cluster of sectors;

means for providing first channel information for first signals, the first signals comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

means for providing second channel information for second signals, the second signals comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level; and

means for receiving an allocation of one or more resource blocks from assigned transmission sectors based on a ranking of the first channel information, whereby the one or more resource blocks are reallocated to another wireless communication device, from another transmission sector, based on the second channel information.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 14,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

17. A method in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving first channel information, from a first wireless communication device in a first sector of a cluster of sectors, at a first transmission point in the cluster of sectors, for first signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

receiving second channel information from the first wireless communication device, at the first transmission point, for second signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level;

assigning transmission points including the first transmission point to the first wireless communication device and allocating resource blocks from the transmission points to the first wireless communication device, based on the first channel information; and

reallocating the resource blocks to a second wireless communication device, in a second sector of the cluster of sectors, from a second transmission point in the cluster of sectors, based on the second channel information.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

20. A wireless network device, comprising at least one processor configured to:

receive first channel information, from a first wireless communication device in a first sector of a cluster of sectors, at a first transmission point in the cluster of sectors, for first signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

receive second channel information from the first wireless communication device, at the first transmission point, for second signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level;

assign transmission points including the first transmission point to the first wireless communication device and allocate resource blocks from the transmission points to the first wireless communication device, based on the first channel information received from the first wireless communication device; and

reallocate the resource blocks to a second wireless communication device, in a second sector of the cluster of sectors, from a second transmission point in the cluster of sectors, based on the second channel information received from the first wireless communication device.

21. The wireless network device of claim 20,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

22. The wireless network device of claim 21, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

23. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium in a wireless network device, comprising:

program code for receiving first channel information, from a first wireless communication device in a first sector of a cluster of sectors, at a first transmission point in the cluster of sectors, for first signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

receiving second channel information from the first wireless communication device, at the first transmission point, for second signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level;

program code for assigning transmission points including the first transmission point to the first wireless communication device and allocating resource blocks from the transmission points to the first wireless communication device, based on the first channel information received from the first wireless communication device; and

program code for reallocating the resource blocks to a second wireless communication device, in a second sector of the cluster of sectors, from a second transmission point in the cluster of sectors, based on the second channel information received from the first wireless communication device.

24. The computer program product of claim 23,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.

26. A wireless network device, comprising:

means for receiving first channel information, from a first wireless communication device in a first sector of a cluster of sectors, at a first transmission point in the cluster of sectors, for first signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising a signal having a highest received signal strength and signals having a received signal strength above a specified level relative to the highest received signal strength;

receiving second channel information from the first wireless communication device, at the first transmission point, for second signals received by the first wireless communication device comprising signals having a received signal strength below the specified level;

means for assigning transmission points including the first transmission point to the first wireless communication device and allocating resource blocks from the transmission points to the first wireless communication device, based on the first channel information received from the first wireless communication device; and

means for reallocating the resource blocks to a second wireless communication device, in a second sector of the cluster of sectors, from a second transmission point in the cluster of sectors, based on the second channel information received from the first wireless communication device.

27. The wireless network device of claim 26,

wherein the first channel information comprises channel state information and a transmission sector index for each of the first signals, and

wherein the second channel information comprises a transmission sector index for each of the second signals.

28. The wireless network device of claim 27, wherein the channel state information comprises a channel quality indicator.