Method and System for Handling Congestion in a Communications System

• US 20120230302A1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Calcev, George, Chen, Bin, Colban, Erik, Cummings, George, Mao, Ronald Xuzhuang
• Granted Patent: US 9,107,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access

Abstract

An apparatus for managing contention in a communications system, the apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor. The programming may include instructions to receive a ranging code from a device in a ranging channel, the ranging code corresponding to a current ranging attempt. The programming may further include instructions to broadcast a message acknowledging reception of the ranging code. The programming may further include instructions to receive a ranging request message from the device, the ranging request message comprising a ranging retries parameter that specifies a number of ranging retries that the device performed during the current ranging attempt.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing contention in a communications system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

receive a ranging code from a device in a ranging channel, wherein the ranging code corresponds to a current ranging attempt;

broadcast a message acknowledging reception of the ranging code; and

receive a ranging request message from the device, wherein the ranging request message comprises a ranging retries parameter that specifies a number of ranging retries that the device performed during the current ranging attempt.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

estimate a number of contending devices in the ranging channel based at least in part on the ranging retries parameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

allocate additional bandwidth to the ranging channel when the estimated number of contending devices in the ranging channel exceeds an upper threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

de-allocate bandwidth from the ranging channel when the estimated number of contending devices in the ranging channel is less than a lower threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

reduce the number of contending devices by revoking or modifying ranging channel privileges of one or more of the contending devices when the estimated number of contending devices in the ranging channel exceeds an upper threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

estimate a distribution of failures before successful ranging code transmission based at least in part on the ranging retries parameter,

wherein the distribution of failures before successful ranging code transmission comprises a first percentage of contending devices that succeeded on a first ranging code transmission attempt, and one or more of a second percentage of contending devices that succeeded on a second ranging code transmission attempt, a third percentage of contending devices that succeeded on a third ranging code transmission attempt, and a forth percentage of contending devices that succeeded after the third ranging code transmission attempt.

7. A method for operating a base station (BS) in a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the BS, a ranging request (RNG-REQ) message from a mobile-to-mobile (M2M) device in a ranging channel of the network, wherein the RNG-REQ message comprises a ranging retries parameter specifying a number of ranging retries that the M2M device performed during a current ranging attempt.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the ranging retries parameter comprises a type-length-value (TLV) message comprising a two bit value field that is set to 00 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a first attempt, to 01 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a second attempt, to 10 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a third attempt, and to 11 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a fourth attempt.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the network is a legacy Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network compliant with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16.

10. A method for operating a base station (BS) in a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the BS, an AAI ranging request (AAI-RNG-REQ) message from a mobile-to-mobile (M2M) device in a ranging channel of the network, wherein the AAI-RNG-REQ message comprises a retrials field that specifies a number of failed trials in a current ranging process of the M2M device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the retrials field comprises a two bit value that is set to 00 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a first attempt, to 01 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a second attempt, to 10 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a third attempt, and to 11 to indicate that the current ranging process was successful on a fourth attempt.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the network is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) Advanced network compliant with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16m.

13. A method for managing contention in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a ranging request message from a device, wherein the ranging request message comprises a ranging retries parameter that specifies a number of ranging retries that the device performed during a current ranging attempt; and

estimating a contention indicator based at least in part on the ranging retries parameter, wherein the contention indicator is indicative of a level of contention in a ranging channel.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

allocating additional timeslots to the ranging channel when the contention indicator exceeds an upper threshold.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

de-allocating timeslots from the ranging channel when the contention indicator fails to exceed a lower threshold.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

reducing the number of contending devices by revoking ranging channel privileges of one or more of the contending devices when the contention indicator exceeds an upper threshold.

17. An apparatus for reserving uplink channel resources in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

attempt a ranging code transmission in a ranging channel, wherein the ranging code transmission is re-attempted until an acknowledgement message is received from a base station;

receive the acknowledgement message from the base station; and

transmit a first ranging request message to the base station, wherein the first ranging request message comprises a ranging retries information that specifies a number of times that the ranging code transmission was attempted.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the programming further includes instructions to include the ranging retries information in the first ranging request message pursuant to receiving a request to report ranging retries information from the base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the programming further includes instructions to stop including ranging retries information in ranging request messages pursuant to receiving a request to stop reporting ranging retries information from the base station.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

receive a ranging response message comprising an indication to stop reporting the ranging retries information; and

transmit a second ranging request message to the base station after receiving the ranging response message, wherein the second ranging request message does not comprise ranging retries information.