METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TRANSMISSION OF MULTIPLE MODULATED SIGNALS OVER WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20110292904A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Israel Jay, Stanwood, Kenneth L., Gilbert, Sheldon L., Mollenauer, James F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5607 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• 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 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 : Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for requesting and allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless communication system. The inventive method and apparatus includes a combination of techniques that allow a plurality of CPEs to communicate their bandwidth request messages to respective base stations. One technique includes a “polling” method whereby a base station polls CPEs individually or in groups and allocates bandwidth specifically for the purpose of allowing the CPEs to respond with bandwidth requests. The polling of the CPEs by the base station may be in response to a CPE setting a “poll-me bit” or, alternatively, it may be periodic. Another technique comprises “piggybacking” bandwidth requests on bandwidth already allocated to a CPE. In accordance with this technique, currently active CPEs request bandwidth using previously unused portions of uplink bandwidth that is already allocated to the CPE. The CPE is responsible for distributing the allocated uplink bandwidth in a manner that accommodates the services provided by the CPE. By using a combination of bandwidth allocation techniques, the present invention advantageously makes use of the efficiency benefits associated with each technique

Claims

1. A base station for a broadband wireless communication system, comprising:

a transmitter system for transmitting downlink (DL) traffic to a plurality of subscriber units and a receiver for receiving uplink (UL) traffic from the plurality of subscriber units; and

one or more processors having a media access control (MAC) module configured to

detect a bandwidth (BW) request in the UL traffic received from a subscriber unit,

identify in the BW request a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to a specified connection established at the subscriber unit,

determine if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit, and then allocate to the subscriber unit a granted amount of UL bandwidth,

maintain an UL map with uplink bandwidth allocations,

dynamically update the UL map to account for the granted amount of UL bandwidth,

provide the updated UL map to the transmitter system for transmitting to plurality of subscriber units, and

indicate to the subscriber unit that the request has been granted by providing the granted amount of UL bandwidth to the subscriber unit.

2. The base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the granted amount of UL bandwidth is equal to the requested amount of UL bandwidth.

3. The base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the granted amount of UL bandwidth is allocated from the base station to the subscriber unit based on a type of service established for the specified connection.

4. A base station for a broadband wireless communication system, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting downlink (DL) traffic to subscriber units;

a receiver for receiving uplink (UL) traffic from the subscriber units; and

a media access control (MAC) module which

detects a bandwidth (BW) request in the UL traffic received from a subscriber unit,

identifies in the BW request a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to a specified connection established at the subscriber unit,

determines if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit, and if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit then allocates to the subscriber unit a granted amount of UL bandwidth,

wherein the MAC module indicates to the subscriber unit that the bandwidth request has been granted by providing the granted amount of UL bandwidth to the subscriber unit and for a connection type other than a continuous grant service type connection, the bandwidth allocation module grants the requested amount of UL bandwidth based on one or more traffic parameters characterizing the specified connection.

5. The base station as claimed in claim 4, wherein the traffic parameters include a quality of service (QoS) parameter characterizing the specified connection.

6. The base station as claimed in claim 4, wherein the traffic parameters include a modulation scheme used for the data transmitted on the connection.

7. The base station as claimed in claim 4, wherein the traffic parameters include a fairness criterion used by the base station to keep any individual subscriber unit from using up all available bandwidth.

8. A base station for a broadband wireless communication system, comprising:

an antenna system for transmitting downlink (DL) traffic to subscriber units and receiving uplink (UL) traffic from the subscriber units; and

a media access control (MAC) module which

detects a bandwidth (BW) request in the UL traffic received from a subscriber unit, p2 identifies in the BW request a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to a specified connection established at the subscriber unit,

determines if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit, and if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit then allocates to the subscriber unit a granted amount of UL bandwidth,

wherein the MAC module indicates to the subscriber unit that the bandwidth request has been granted by providing the granted amount of UL bandwidth to the subscriber unit, and

performs a polling action by allocating an amount of UL bandwidth to the subscriber unit for enabling the subscriber unit to transmit the bandwidth request to the base station.

9. The base station as claimed in claim 8, wherein the MAC module further initiates a polling action performed individually on active subscriber units which request explicitly to be polled.

10. The base station as claimed in claim 9, wherein the polling action is performed individually on an active subscriber units which explicitly request to be polled by transmitting a poll-me message.

11. The base station as claimed in claim 10, wherein the poll-me message is a poll-me bit.

12. The base station as claimed in claim 10, wherein the poll-me message is inserted in a packet transmitted from the subscriber unit to the base station, which packet includes a number of unused bytes, insufficient for accommodating a bandwidth request.

13. A base station for a broadband wireless communication system which transmits downlink (DL) traffic to subscriber units and receives uplink (UL) traffic from the subscriber units, the base station comprising:

an antenna system for transmitting downlink (DL) traffic to subscriber units and receiving uplink (UL) traffic from the subscriber units;

one or more processors having a media access control (MAC) module configured to

detect a bandwidth (BW) request in the UL traffic received from a subscriber unit,

identify in the BW request a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to a specified connection established at the subscriber unit,

determine if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit, and allocate to the subscriber unit a granted amount of UL bandwidth, if bandwidth is available for the subscriber unit,

maintain a DL map and an UL map with downlink and uplink bandwidth allocations respectively,

dynamically update the UL map to account for the granted amount of UL bandwidth, if the granted amount of UL bandwidth is granted, and

provide updated DL and UL maps to the antenna system for transmitting to the subscriber units.

14. The base station as claimed in claim 13 wherein the granted amount of UL bandwidth is equal to the requested amount of UL bandwidth.

15. A method for allocating bandwidth to one or more subscriber stations in a wireless network, comprising:

detect a bandwidth (BW) request in the UL traffic received from a subscriber unit and identify in the BW request a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to a specified connection established at the subscriber unit;

determine if the requested amount of bandwidth is available; and

implicitly informing the subscriber unit that the bandwidth request has been processed by allocating to the subscriber unit a bandwidth grant for the purpose of enabling the subscriber unit to distribute the bandwidth grant between the connections established at the subscriber unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at the base station an explicit poll-me message from the subscriber station; and

allocating to the subscriber unit an amount of bandwidth in response to the poll-me message, for enabling subscriber station to transmit the BW request.

17. A method of allocating bandwidth to subscriber units from a base station operating in a wireless communication system, comprising:

detecting a bandwidth request in the uplink (UL) data received from a subscriber unit;

identifying in the bandwidth request a requested amount of UL bandwidth pertaining to one of a plurality of UL queue at the subscriber unit;

determining if the requested amount of bandwidth is available; and

allocating to the subscriber unit an UL bandwidth grant based on the requested amount of bandwidth and the bandwidth available for the UL data, the UL bandwidth grant being for distribution between one or more connections at the subscriber unit.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein, further comprising:

identifying an explicit message received from the subscriber unit requesting an allocation of uplink (UL) bandwidth in which to transmit the bandwidth request; and

providing an allocation of UL bandwidth to the subscriber unit for enabling the subscriber unit to transmit the bandwidth request to the base station.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

encoding a unit of a pre-defined number of bits of data ready for downlink transmission using a Reed-Solomon encoding scheme,

modulating the unit according to a modulation format selected for DL communication with the subscriber unit; and

mapping each unit to DL data blocks of the DL sub-frame,

wherein the modulation format determines the number of data blocks and therefore the amount of time required to transmit each respective subscriber station.