DETERMINING "FAIR SHARE" OF RADIO RESOURCES IN RADIO ACCESS SYSTEM WITH CONTENTION-BASED SPECTRUM SHARING

• US 20120287879A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Nentwig, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/36 for reassigning the resources associated with the released connections

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product example embodiments of the invention are disclosed to structure access to a wireless medium to reduce interference between nearby nodes. In example embodiments of the invention, a method includes the steps of determining an amount of available wireless communication resources in a reception area; determining a number of wireless communication nodes in the reception area; generating a reservation limit of the available wireless resources; determining an inability to allocate the reservation limit of the available wireless resources; transmitting a request for release of resources to at least one other wireless communication node. Another node receiving the request, performs a method including the steps of determining a threshold; comparing an allocated amount of wireless communication resources against the threshold; and releasing at least a part of the allocated amount of resources, if the reserved number is greater than the threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an amount of available wireless communication resources in a reception area;

determining a number of wireless communication nodes in the reception area;

generating a reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

determining an inability to allocate the reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

transmitting a request for release of resources to at least one other wireless communication node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

attempting to allocate available wireless communication resources.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling an indication of the reservation limit to at least one other wireless communication node.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling an indication of preferred resources to at least one other wireless communication node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a number of wireless communication nodes comprising:

determining a number of competing wireless communication nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a number of wireless communication nodes comprising:

detecting a transmission from at least one wireless communication node;

determining an identity of the at least one wireless communication node based on the detected transmission; and

determining a count of unique identities during a time window based on the identity of the at least one wireless communication node.

7. A method comprising:

allocating an amount of available wireless communication resources;

receiving a request from a wireless communication node to release wireless communication resources;

determining a threshold;

comparing the allocated amount of wireless communication resources against the threshold; and

releasing at least a part of the allocated amount of wireless communication resources, if the reserved number is greater than the threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a reservation limit and

determining the threshold based on the received indication of a reservation limit.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

attempting to re-allocate additional wireless communication resources on reception of a release message or an expiration of a timer.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

said available wireless communication resources being drawn from the group consisting of an available number of TDMA time slots, an available number of different FDMA frequency bands, an available number of different OFDMA time slots in the different sub-carrier frequencies, and an available number of different CDMA orthogonal codes.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

determine an amount of available wireless communication resources in a reception area;

determine a number of wireless communication nodes in the reception area;

generate a reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

determine an inability to allocate the reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

transmit a request for release of resources to at least one other wireless communication node.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

attempt to allocate available wireless communication resources.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

signal an indication of the reservation limit to at least one other wireless communication node.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

signal an indication of preferred resources to at least one other wireless communication node.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

determine a number of competing wireless communication nodes.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

detect a transmission from at least one wireless communication node;

determine an identity of the at least one wireless communication node based on the detected transmission; and

determine a count of unique identities during a time window based on the identity of the at least one wireless communication node.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

allocate an amount of available wireless communication resources;

receive a request from a wireless communication node to release wireless communication resources;

determine a threshold;

compare the allocated amount of wireless communication resources against the threshold; and

release at least a part of the allocated amount of wireless communication resources, if the reserved number is greater than the threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive an indication of a reservation limit and

determine the threshold based on the received indication of a reservation limit.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory further comprises computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

attempt to re-allocate additional wireless communication resources on reception of a release message or an expiration of a timer.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said available wireless communication resources being drawn from the group consisting of an available number of TDMA time slots, an available number of different FDMA frequency bands, an available number of different OFDMA time slots in the different sub-carrier frequencies, and an available number of different CDMA orthogonal codes.

21. A computer readable non-transitory medium storing program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of:

determining an amount of available wireless communication resources in a reception area;

determining a number of wireless communication nodes in the reception area;

generating a reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

determining an inability to allocate the reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

transmitting a request for release of resources to at least one other wireless communication node.

22. A computer readable non-transitory medium storing program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of:

allocating an amount of available wireless communication resources;

receiving a request from a wireless communication node to release wireless communication resources;

determining a threshold;

comparing the allocated amount of wireless communication resources against the threshold; and

releasing at least a part of the allocated amount of wireless communication resources, if the reserved number is greater than the threshold.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining an amount of available wireless communication resources in a reception area;

means for determining a number of wireless communication nodes in the reception area;

means for generating a reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

means for determining an inability to allocate the reservation limit of the available wireless communication resources;

means for transmitting a request for release of resources to at least one other wireless communication node.