Dynamic overflow protection for finite digital word-length multi-carrier transmitter communications equipment

• US 6,262,981 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AirNet Communications Corporation (Tecore Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schmutz, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pizarro, Ricardo M.
• Application Number:
  US09/549,812
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/337, 370/347, 370/252, 370/330, 370/310, 370/328, 370/329, 455/522, 455/69, 455/422, 320/318, 375/219, 375/232, 375/260
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

A method and apparatus for power management that controls the overflow of a digital combiner used in the transmit path for a broadband transceiver station (BTS) is disclosed. Power is managed by a digital word banking agent which is a part of the BTS system software. If a new channel request is received, the digital word banking agent determines if the request can be satisfied at the requested power level. Otherwise, the digital word banking agent determines if the channel request can be satisfied at a lower power request. The digital word banking agent also manages active channels by reclaiming power from channels requiring less power and/or by allocating more power to the channels requesting more power. If the digital word banking agent cannot satisfy a request, the digital word banking agent will queue the request for submission at a later time in the event that additional power becomes available.

Claims

1. In a cellular communication system having mobile subscribers and a broadband transceiver system that uses a combiner to digitally combine the signals of more than one TDMA RF channel into a single composite multichannel digital output signal during each of a plurality of TDMA time slots, a method for controlling digital overflow of said combiner comprising:

receiving a request from one of said more than one TDMA RF channels, wherein said request includes a requested power value;

converting said requested power to a requested digital word value;

calculating a digital word value to represent a power level for each of said more than one active TDMA RF channels in said requesting channel'"'"'s time slot;

adding together said digital word values from said more than one other active RF channels and said requested digital word value into a sum for said requesting channel'"'"'s time slot;

comparing said sum to a fixed value; and

determining allocation of an amount of power to said requesting channel based on said comparing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said requested power amount is allocated to said requesting channel if said fixed value exceeds said sum.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said requesting channel is not allocated any power if said sum exceeds said fixed value.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing said allocated power to said requested power;

and

forwarding said request to a timer module if said comparing of said allocated power to said requested power determines that said requested power is greater than said allocated power.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising returning said request from said timer module after an expiration of a timer, if said request is forwarded to said timer module.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a remaining available digital word value based on a difference between said fixed value and a sum of said digital word values from said more than one other active RF channels;

determining a maximum available power to said requesting one of said TDMA RF channels based on said remaining available digital word value.

7. In a cellular communication system having mobile subscribers and a broadband transceiver system that uses a combiner to digitally combine the signals of more than one TDMA RF channel into a single composite multichannel digital output signal during each of a plurality of TDMA time slots, an apparatus for controlling digital overflow of said combiner comprising:

means for receiving a request from one of said more than one TDMA RF channels, wherein said request includes a requested power value;

means for converting said requested power to a requested digital word value;

means for calculating a digital word value to represent a power level for each of said more than one other active TDMA RF channels in said requesting channel'"'"'s time slot;

means for adding together the resulting said digital word values from said more than one other active RF channels into a sum for said requesting channel'"'"'s time slot;

means for comparing said sum to a fixed value; and

means for allocation of an amount of power to said requesting channel based on said comparing.

8. The apparatus for controlling digital overflow of said combiner of claim 7 further comprising:

means for comparing said allocated power to said requested power; and

means for forwarding said request to a timer module if said comparing of said allocated power to said requested power determines that said requested power is greater than said allocated power.

9. The apparatus for controlling digital overflow of said combiner of claim 8 further comprising, a means for returning said request from said timer after an expiration of a timer, if said request is forwarded to said timer module.

10. The apparatus for controlling digital overflow of said combiner of claim 7, further comprising,

means for calculating a remaining available digital word value based on a difference between said fixed value and a sum of said digital word values from said more than one other active RF channels;

means for determining a maximum available power for said requesting one of said TDMA RF channels based on said remaining available digital word value.

11. In a cellular communication system having mobile subscribers and a broadband transceiver system that uses a combiner to digitally combine the signals of more than one TDMA RF channel into a single composite multichannel digital output signal during each of a plurality of TDMA time slots, a method for controlling digital overflow of a combiner comprising:

receiving a request from one of said more than one TDMA RF channels, wherein said request includes a requested power value;

comparing said requested power value with a current power value for said channel; and

recording said requested power value for said requesting channel as said current power value if it is determined that said requested power is less than or equal to said current power value.