Method and apparatus for providing high speed services using a wireless communications system

• US 6,069,885 A
• Filed: 12/30/1996
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shankaranarayanan, Nemmara K., Leung, Kin K., Qiu, Xiaoxin, Henry, Paul Shala, Fong, Thomas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAO, KWANG BIN
• Application Number:
  US08/775,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/336, 370/337, 370/338, 370/349, 370/465, 370/468, 370/470, 370/346, 370/347, 370/348, 455/422, 455/446, 455/447, 455/449, 455/450, 455/452, 455/455, 455/464, 455/507, 455/509, 455/512, 455/513, 455/516
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A method and apparatus for scheduling transmissions between a plurality of communications sites within a communications system. The communications system provides service to a service area which is divided into sectors. Each sector is assigned a time subframe in a pattern where adjacent sectors use different subframes. Communications sites within each sector communicate packets of information in at least one time subframe according to a schedule to minimize interference from other communications sites.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling packets for a communication system, the communications system having a service area divided into a first set of sectors with each sector assigned a time subframe, comprising:

determining whether a first time subframe is full;

scheduling a packet for said first time subframe if not full;

selecting a second time subframe from a predetermined list of time subframes if full;

scheduling said packet for said second subframe; and

communicating said scheduled packet,

wherein the first and second time subframes each have two sides, and wherein packets for said first time subframe are scheduled from a first side of the first time subframe, and packets for said second time subframe are scheduled from a second side of the second time subframe, wherein the two sides respectively correspond to start and end times of the first and second time subframes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said list comprises time subframes placed in a special order, and wherein said selecting comprises:

determining which time subframe of said list of time subframes is next in said special order; and

selecting said next time subframe.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said special order is formed by:

assigning each of said list of time subframes an interference value; and

ranking said list of time subframes according to said assigned value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said ranking comprises ranking each of said first set of time subframes from a time subframe having a minimum interference value to a time subframe having a maximum interference value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system includes a second set of sectors, with said second set of sectors being rotated with respect to the first set of sectors such that adjacent sectors use a different time subframe.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said second set of sectors are rotated 120 degrees with respect to said first set of sectors.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said special order changes according to where the sector assigned said first time subframe is located.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said special order is staggered by one time subframe for adjacent sectors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said special order is determined according to a staggered resource allocation protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of sectors has six sectors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first set of sectors has six time subframes, with each sector having been assigned a different time subframe.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first time subframe is assigned to sector one, and said special order comprises time subframes four, five, three, two and six.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the system has communication sites and a second set of sectors, each pair of sectors within a set of sectors having a first and second sector, and further wherein communications sites within said first sector transmit packets in said first time subframe, and communications sites within said second sector transmit packets in said second time subframe.

14. A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to schedule packets for a communication system, the communications system having a service area divided into a first set of sectors with each sector assigned a time subframe, by performing the steps of:

determining whether a first time subframe is full;

scheduling a packet for said first time subframe if not full;

selecting a second time subframe from a predetermined list of time subframes if full;

scheduling said packet for said second time subframe; and

communicating said scheduled packet;

wherein the first and second time subframes each have two sides, and wherein packets for said first time subframe are scheduled from a first side of the first time subframe, and packets for said second time subframe are scheduled from a second side of the second time subframe, wherein the two sides respectively correspond to start and end times of the first and second time subframes.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said list comprises time subframes placed in a special order, and wherein said selecting comprises:

determining which time subframe of said list of time subframes is next in said special order; and

selecting said next time subframe.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said special order is formed by:

assigning each of said list of time subframes an interference value; and

ranking said list of time subframes according to said assigned value.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said ranking comprises ranking each of said first set of time subframes from a time subframe having a minimum interference value to a time subframe having a maximum interference value.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the system includes a second set of sectors, with said second set of sectors being rotated with respect to the first set of sectors such that adjacent sectors use a different time subframe.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said second set of sectors are rotated 120 degrees with respect to said first set of sectors.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein said special order changes according to where the sector assigned said first time subframe is located.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said special order is staggered by one time subframe for adjacent sectors.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said special order is determined according to a staggered resource allocation protocol.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said first set of sectors has six sectors.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein said first set of sectors has six time subframes, with each sector having been assigned a different time subframe.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said first time subframe is assigned to sector one, and said special order comprises time subframes four, five, three, two and six.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the system has communication sites and a second set of sectors, each pair of sectors within a set of sectors having a first and second sector, and further wherein communications sites within said first sector transmit packets in said first time subframe, and communications sites within said second sector transmit packets in said second time subframe.

27. A communications system, the communication system having a service area divided into a first set of sectors, with each sector having a time subframe, each time subframe having a first side and a second side comprising:

a transceiver;

an antenna coupled to said transceiver; and

a scheduler coupled to said transceiver, said scheduler scheduling a packet communicated by said transceiver over said antenna for a first time subframe from the first side of the first time subframe if said first time subframe is not full, and scheduling said packet for a predetermined second time subframe from the second side of the second time subframe if said first time subframe is full, wherein the two sides respectively correspond to start and end times of the first and second time subframes.

28. A method for scheduling packets for a communication system, the communications system having a service area divided into a first set of sectors with each sector assigned a time subframe, comprising:

scheduling a packet for a first time subframe;

determining whether said first time subframe is full;

if the first time subframe is full;

selecting a second time subframe from a predetermined list of time subframes;

scheduling said packet for said second time subframe; and

communicating said scheduled packet;

wherein the first and second time subframes each have two sides, and wherein packets for said first time subframe are scheduled from a first side of the first time subframe, and packets for said second time subframe are scheduled from a second side of the second time subframe, wherein the two sides respectively correspond to start and end times of the first and second time subframes.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first side of the first time subframe corresponds to the start time of the first time subframe and the second side of the second side frame corresponds to the end time of the second time subframe.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the first side of the first time subframe corresponds to the end time of the first time subframe and the second side of the second side frame corresponds to the start time of the second time subframe.