ASYMMETRIC RADIO ACCESS NETWORK (RAN) RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN RAN SHARING ARRANGEMENT

• US 20140029529A1
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gogic, Aleksandar, Horn, Gavin Bernard
• Application Number:
  US13/949,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatuses for allocating resources in a shared radio access network (RAN). As described herein, a RAN element (e.g., base station) may allocate shared RAN resources (e.g., radio bearers) between two or more RAN sharing partners (e.g., PLMNs). A method generally includes maintaining a breakdown of RAN resources committed to each of the partners, assessing excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to each of the partners and overall spare capacity of the RAN resources, and allocating the RAN resources in accordance with the assessments and the relationship.

Claims

1. A method of allocating radio access network (RAN) resources in accordance with a relationship between partners, comprising:

maintaining a breakdown of RAN resources committed to each of the partners;

assessing excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to each of the partners and overall spare capacity of the RAN resources; and

allocating the RAN resources in accordance with the assessments and the relationship.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

admitting a radio bearer corresponding to a partner if an assessed resource requirement of the radio bearer does not exceed the overall spare capacity of the RAN resources and an excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to the other partner.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the relationship between the partners that defines how the RAN resources are allocated by receiving a breakdown of interest of shared RAN resources from at least one of a network entity or one of the partners.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between partners defines an asymmetric sharing of the RAN resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

assessing the overall spare capacity of the RAN resources includes estimating how much additional traffic can be handled until one or more traffic classes (TCs) of the resources reach maximum delay tolerance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein allocating the RAN resources comprises:

admitting a radio bearer corresponding to a partner if an assessed resource requirement of the radio bearer does not exceed the overall spare capacity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the RAN resources based on the assessments and the relationship comprises:

determining which packet of a traffic class (TC) of the RAN resources to transmit to a wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining which packet of the TC to transmit comprises:

transmitting a packet of the RAN resources based on at least one of;

a time the packet has spent in queue or a time remaining before the packet exceeds an allowable delay based on its traffic class (TC).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining which packet of the TC to transmit comprises:

transmitting a packet with a lowest delay tolerance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the RAN resources based on the assessments and the relationship comprises:

determining which packet of a traffic class (TC) of the RAN resources to erase when a quality of service (QoS) constraint may not be met for all traffic flows of the RAN resources.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining which packet of a TC of the RAN resources to erase when a QoS constraint may not be met for all traffic flows of the RAN resources comprises:

erasing a packet with a longest delay tolerance.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining which packet of a TC of the RAN resources to erase when a QoS constraint may not be met for all traffic flows of the RAN resources comprises:

erasing a packet based on least impact on service of its corresponding TC.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

apportioning a failed QoS incident based on the determined relationship between partners, wherein the determined relationship disproportionally apportions the failed QoS incident to a premium service provider.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the premium service provider is a primary partner of the partners.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the premium service provider is a non-primary partner of the partners.

16. An apparatus for allocating radio access network (RAN) resources in accordance with a relationship between partners, comprising:

means for maintaining a breakdown of RAN resources committed to each of the partners;

means for assessing excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to each of the partners and overall spare capacity of the RAN resources; and

means for allocating the RAN resources in accordance with the assessments and the relationship.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for admitting a radio bearer corresponding to a partner if an assessed resource requirement of the radio bearer does not exceed the overall spare capacity of the RAN resources and an excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to the other partner.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining the relationship between the partners that defines how the RAN resources are allocated by receiving a breakdown of interest of shared RAN resources from at least one of a network entity or one of the partners.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the relationship between partners defines an asymmetric sharing of the RAN resources.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the means for assessing the overall spare capacity of the RAN resources includes estimating how much additional traffic can be handled until one or more traffic classes (TCs) of the resources reach maximum delay tolerance.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for allocating the RAN resources is configured to admit a radio bearer corresponding to a partner if an assessed resource requirement of the radio bearer does not exceed the overall spare capacity.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for allocating the RAN resources based on the assessments and the relationship is configured to determine which packet of a traffic class (TC) of the RAN resources to transmit to a wireless device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein determining which packet of the TC to transmit comprises:

transmitting a packet of the RAN resources based on at least one of;

a time the packet has spent in queue or a time remaining before the packet exceeds an allowable delay based on its traffic class (TC).

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein determining which packet of the TC to transmit comprises:

transmitting a packet with a lowest delay tolerance.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for allocating the RAN resources based on the assessments and the relationship is configured to determine which packet of a traffic class (TC) of the RAN resources to erase when a quality of service (QoS) constraint may not be met for all traffic flows of the RAN resources.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein determining which packet of a TC of the RAN resources to erase when a QoS constraint may not be met for all traffic flows of the RAN resources comprises:

erasing a packet with a longest delay tolerance.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein determining which packet of a TC of the RAN resources to erase when a QoS constraint may not be met for all traffic flows of the RAN resources comprises:

erasing a packet based on least impact on service of its corresponding TC.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for apportioning a failed QoS incident based on the determined relationship between partners, wherein the determined relationship disproportionally apportions the failed QoS incident to a premium service provider.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the premium service provider is a primary partner of the partners.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the premium service provider is a non-primary partner of the partners.

31. An apparatus for allocating radio access network (RAN) resources in accordance with a relationship between partners, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

maintain a breakdown of RAN resources committed to each of the partners;

assess excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to each of the partners and overall spare capacity of the RAN resources; and

allocate the RAN resources in accordance with the assessments and the relationship; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

32. A computer-program product for allocating radio access network (RAN) resources in accordance with a relationship between partners, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having code stored thereon, the code executable by one or more processors for:

maintaining a breakdown of RAN resources committed to each of the partners;

assessing excess capacity of the RAN resources committed to each of the partners and overall spare capacity of the RAN resources; and

allocating the RAN resources in accordance with the assessments and the relationship.