Systems and Methods for Traffic-Aware Medium Access Selection

• US 20160323914A1
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Au, Kelvin Kar Kin, Djukic, Petar, Ma, Jianglei
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• 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 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

Diverse traffic types can be efficiently communicated in a simultaneous manner by dynamically selecting between contention-based and scheduling-based media access control (MAC) communication schemes. Such a mechanism may be particularly beneficial in networks having a contention-based access resources and scheduling based access resources. Contention-based resources and scheduling based resources may occur over a common period, and may be orthogonal in the frequency domain and/or in the code domain. The dynamic selection may be based on a traffic characteristic or a network characteristic, and may be performed on a packet-by-packet basis. The selection criteria may be updated dynamically to adapt to changing network conditions, and may be communicated to the various transmitters via control channels or higher layer signaling.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data using multiple media access control (MAC) access techniques, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a transmitter, a first traffic flow and a second traffic flow; and

simultaneously communicating the first traffic flow and the second traffic flow over a network, wherein the first traffic flow is communicated in accordance with a scheduling-based access MAC communication scheme, and wherein the second traffic flow is communicating in accordance with a contention-based access MAC communication scheme.

2. A method for communicating data using different Media Access Control (MAC) access techniques, the method comprising:

at a mobile station, obtaining first and second traffic flows for transmission;

selecting a scheduling-based MAC access technique for the first traffic flow, and a non-scheduling-based MAC access technique for the second traffic flow;

transmitting a request for uplink grant resources from a network entity;

transmitting the first traffic flow towards the network entity in accordance with an uplink grant associated with the transmitted request; and

transmitting the second traffic flow without requesting uplink grant resources while transmitting the first traffic flow.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the network entity is a base station.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the non-scheduling based MAC access technique is a contention based MAC transmission technique.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting includes selecting the scheduling based MAC access technique for the first traffic flow, and the non-scheduling based MAC access technique for the second traffic flow is performed in accordance with conditions of the network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of selecting includes receiving information associated with conditions of the network from the network entity.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting the scheduling based MAC access technique for the first traffic flow, and the non-scheduling based MAC access technique for the second traffic flow is performed in accordance with a priori information stored in the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting is performed in accordance with a Quality of Service requirement associated with at least one of the first and second traffic flows.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting is performed in accordance with a latency requirement associated with at least one of the first and second traffic flows.

10. The method of claim 2 further including the step of generating at least one of the first and second traffic flows.

11. A mobile station for communicating data using different Media Access Control (MAC) access techniques, the mobile station comprising:

a processor; and

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

obtain first and second traffic flows for transmission;

select a scheduling-based MAC access technique for the first traffic flow, and a non-scheduling-based MAC access technique for the second traffic flow;

transmit a request for uplink grant resources from a network entity;

transmit the first traffic flow towards the network entity in accordance with an uplink grant associated with the transmitted request; and

transmit the second traffic flow without requesting uplink grant resources while transmitting the first traffic flow.

12. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the network entity is a base station.

13. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the non-scheduling based MAC access technique is a contention based MAC transmission technique.

14. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the instructions to select include instructions to select the scheduling based MAC access technique for the first traffic flow, and the non-scheduling based MAC access technique for the second traffic flow is performed in accordance with conditions of the network.

15. The mobile station of claim 14 wherein the instructions to select include instructions to receive information associated with conditions of the network from the network entity.

16. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the instructions to select the scheduling based MAC access technique for the first traffic flow, and the non-scheduling based MAC access technique for the second traffic flow is performed in accordance with a priori information stored in the mobile station.

17. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the instructions to select is performed in accordance with a Quality of Service requirement associated with at least one of the first and second traffic flows.

18. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the instructions to select is performed in accordance with a latency requirement associated with at least one of the first and second traffic flows.

19. The mobile station of claim 11 wherein the programming further includes instructions to generate at least one of the first and second traffic flows.