METHOD FOR ALLOCATING COMMUNICATION BANDWIDTH AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUSES

• US 20110141999A1
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Axelsson, Samuel, Alamshahi, Babak, Ovesjö, Fredrik, Karlsson, Patrik, Andersson, Rutger, Martensson, Lars O, Musikka, Niilo
• Granted Patent: US 8,547,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for allocating communication bandwidth between a first terminal of a plurality of terminals and a network device. Wireless communication between the first plurality of terminals and the network device is carried out using a plurality of carrier channels. The communication defines a first bandwidth. The method comprises the steps of receiving the request for change of bandwidth from the first terminal, evaluating current load on carrier channels in use by the first terminal, evaluating priority between all terminals using the carrier channels currently in use by the first terminal, evaluating capacity of all carrier channels available to the first terminal, and allocating a second bandwidth between the network device and the first terminal by allocating a new number of carrier channels. The present invention further relates to a network device and a device for communication.

Claims

1. A method for allocating communication bandwidth between a first terminal of a plurality of terminals and a network device, wherein wireless communication between the first plurality of terminals and the network device is carried out using a plurality of carrier channels, the communication defining a first bandwidth, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the request for change of bandwidth from the first terminal,

evaluating current load on carrier channels in use by the first terminal,

evaluating priority between all terminals using the carrier channels currently in use by the first terminal,

evaluating capacity of all carrier channels available to the first terminal, and

allocating a second bandwidth between the network device and the first terminal by allocating a new number of carrier channels.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request for increase of bandwidth, the method comprising the network device allocating an increased number of carrier channels, the second bandwidth being larger than the first bandwidth.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request for decrease of bandwidth, the method comprising the network device allocating a decreased number of carrier channels, the second bandwidth being smaller than the first bandwidth.

4. The method according to any of the claims 1-3, wherein the change of bandwidth is carried out by transmitting a grant signal on a downlink carrier.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein DPCCH signaling is maintained on a specific channel after transmission has been discontinued on the specific channel or in the alternative that DPCCH signaling is changed to a different channel after transmission has been discontinued on the specific channel.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the request is transmitted from the terminal to the network device in upload and a grant is transmitted from the network device to the terminal on a grant channel.

7. The method according to any of the claims 1-6, wherein wireless communication is established on a first carrier channel having a first transfer rate capability, a second carrier channel having a second transfer rate capability is defined, the second transfer rate capability being higher than the first transfer rate capability, the request being a request to increase transfer rate and the grant including the first transfer rate being set to zero and the second transfer rate being set to larger than zero and larger than the first transfer rate.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein following the receipt of the request a first and a second grant message is transmitted from the network device to the terminal, the first grant message includes a zero transmission rate grant for the first carrier and the second grant message includes a non-zero transmission rate grant for the second carrier.

9. The method according to any of the claims 1-8, wherein the allocation of the second bandwidth results in a grant of transmission on an additional carrier channel.

10. The method according to any of the claims 1-9, wherein control signaling is transmitted on the first carrier and data is transmitted on the second carrier.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is configured to perform any of the steps of the method according to any of the claims 1-10.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the processor unit is configured to perform any of the steps of the method according to any of the claims 1-10.

11. A network device comprising:

a connector for establishing communication to an antenna unit, the antenna unit adapted to establish wireless communication to a plurality of terminals,

a processor unit,

a transmitter unit configured to establish electrical communication with the processor unit and the antenna unit,

a receiver unit configured to establish electrical communication with the processor unit and the antenna unit,

the processor unit configured to receive a request for change of bandwidth from a first terminal, evaluate current load on carrier channels in use by the first terminal, evaluate priority between terminals using carrier channels currently in use by the first terminal, evaluate all carrier channels available to the first terminal, and allocate a new number of carrier channels to the first terminal.

13. A device comprising:

a transmitter unit,

a buffer unit configured to establish communication with the transmitter unit, the buffer unit configured to receive data from a data producing unit, the buffer unit configured to transfer the data to the transmitter unit,

a processor unit configured to monitor the level of data in the buffer unit, the processor unit configured to transmit a request for change of bandwidth via the transmitter unit in response to the level of data in the buffer unit.