Method and apparatus for multi-user resource management in wireless communication systems

• US 6,519,462 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Pengfei, Rudrapatna, Ashok N., Lu, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US09/568,921
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/453, 455/450, 455/422, 455/464, 455/509, 455/451, 455/452, 455/403, 370/329, 370/319, 370/330, 370/280-281, 370/335, 370/342, 370/431, 370/437, 370/441, 370/465, 370/468, 370/522
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for dynamically controlling a high speed wireless communication system to optimize utilization of system resources and thereby increase system throughput. The invention operates to determine an allocation of wireless transmission resources to each user application served by the wireless system in a manner to optimize transmission resources while meeting required QoS criteria for the served user application. After all user applications have been provided a transmission resource allocation in this manner, the total transmission resources so allocated are determined and compared with a ceiling transmission resource level for the wireless system. A portion of the difference between the ceiling and currently allocated transmission resource levels is then made available, according to the invention, to the served user applications in proportion to the initial allocation provided each user application.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system having a transmitter and at least one receiver coupled via a communication channel and operable to provide a communications path for at least one user application, a method for allocation of system resources among user applications comprising the steps of:

determining an initial allocation of system resources for each of said user applications;

determining a total operating transmission resource loading for said initial allocation for all said user applications served by said wireless transmission system, and comparing said total with a maximum transmission resource loading for said wireless transmission system to determine a differential between said operating resource loading and said maximum resource loading;

selecting a portion of said resource loading differential for further allocation among said user applications;

providing a subset of said served user applications with a further resource allocation from said selected portion of said resource loading differential.

2. The method for resource allocation of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an initial allocation operates to meet a required QoS criteria for a given user application with minimal allocated system transmission resources.

3. The method for resource allocation of claim 2 wherein said resource allocation for said given user is carried out according to the steps of:

determining a first and a second set of performance characteristic curves based on predetermined channel condition information in respect to said communications channel;

determining a Quality of Service (QOS) requirement for said user application;

determining a set of data pairs on said first set of performance characteristic curves that correspond to said QOS requirement;

mapping said determined set of data pairs on said first set of performance characteristic curves to a corresponding set of data pairs on said second set of performance characteristic curves, each said mapped data pair on said second set of performance characteristic curves being functionally related to a transmission power level in said communications channel;

from said mapped data pairs on said second set of performance characteristic curves, selecting a pair corresponding to a lower transmission power level in said communications channel.

4. The method for resource allocation of claim 3 wherein said QOS requirement is specified in terms of a minimum throughput for data transmitted from said user application.

5. The method for resource allocation of claim 1 wherein said step of determining total operating transmission resource loading is carried out by measurement of total reverse-link received power for said wireless communication system operating at said initial resource allocation for said served user applications.

6. The method for resource allocation of claim 1 further including the steps of:

providing a loading factor as a ratio of operating transmission resource loading to maximum transmission resource loading; and

defining at least one loading threshold in terms of said loading factor.

7. The method for resource allocation of claim 6 wherein said selected portion of said resource loading differential is established in respect to said at least one loading threshold.

8. The method for resource allocation of claim 6 wherein said step of providing a subset of said user applications with a further resource allocation includes the further steps of:

determining a revised operating transmission resource loading as a function of said further resource allocation;

updating said loading factor to reflect said revised operating transmission resource loading; and

comparing said updated loading factor with one of said at least one loading thresholds and providing said further resource allocation to said user applications when said updated loading factor is less than said threshold.

9. The method for resource allocation of claim 1 wherein said step of providing a subset of said served user applications with a further resource allocation includes the substeps of:

selecting ones of said user applications for evaluation according to a target frame error rate (FER) assigned for each said user application during said initial allocation of system resources;

computing a revised target FER for each said selected user application as a defined percentage increase over said initially allocated target FER;

determining a difference between a transmission resource parameter associated with said revised target FER and a corresponding transmission resource parameter for said initially allocated target FER, and comparing said difference with a predetermined threshold;

where said difference exceeds said threshold, allocating said revised target FER to said user application.

10. In a wireless communication system having a transmitter and at least one receiver coupled via a communication channel and operable to provide a communications path for at least one user application, an apparatus for allocating system resources among user applications comprising:

processing means established to determine an initial allocation of system resources for each of said user applications;

processing means established to determine a total operating transmission resource loading for said initial allocation for all said user applications served by said wireless transmission system, and to compare said total with a maximum transmission resource loading for said wireless transmission system and thereby determine a differential between said operating resource loading and said maximum resource loading;

means for selecting a portion of said resource loading differential for further allocation among said user applications;

loading means for providing a subset of said served user applications with a further resource allocation from said selected portion of said resource loading differential.

11. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 10 wherein said processing means established to determine an initial allocation operates to determine an initial allocation that meets a required QoS criteria for a given user application with minimal allocated system transmission resources.

12. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 11 wherein said processing means established to determine an initial allocation further comprises:

a memory means established to store a first and a second set of performance characteristic curves, said curves being determined as a function of channel condition information in respect to said communications channel;

means to determine a Quality of Service (QOS) requirement for said user application;

means to determine a set of data pairs on said first set of performance characteristic curves that correspond to said QOS requirement;

mapping means for mapping said determined set of data pairs on said first set of performance characteristic curves to a corresponding set of data pairs on said second set of performance characteristic curves, wherein each said mapped data pair on said second set of performance characteristic curves is functionally related to a transmission power level in said communications channel;

selection means operative to identify and select a one of said mapped data pairs on said second set of performance characteristic curves corresponding to a lower transmission power level in said communications channel.

13. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 12 wherein said QOS requirement is specified in terms of a minimum throughput for data transmitted from said user application.

14. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 10 wherein said processing means established to determine a total operating transmission resource loading is operative to obtain a measurement of total reverse-link received power for said wireless communication system operating at said initial resource allocation for said served user applications.

15. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 10 further comprising:

a processing means operative to determine a loading factor as a ratio of operating transmission resource loading to maximum transmission resource loading; and

means for selecting at least one loading threshold defined in terms of said loading factor.

16. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 15 wherein said selected portion of said resource loading differential is established in respect to said at least one loading threshold.

17. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 15 wherein said loading means further comprises:

means for determining a revised operating transmission resource loading as a function of said further resource allocation;

means for updating said loading factor to reflect said revised operating transmission resource loading; and

means for comparing said updated loading factor with one of said at least one loading thresholds and providing said further resource allocation to said user applications when said updated loading factor is less than said threshold.

18. The apparatus for allocating system resources of claim 10 wherein said loading means further comprises:

means for selecting ones of said user applications for evaluation according to a target frame error rate (FER) assigned for each said user application during said initial allocation of system resources;

processing means for computing a revised target FER for each said selected user application as a defined percentage increase over said initially allocated target FER;

means for determining a difference between a transmission resource parameter associated with said revised target FER and a corresponding transmission resource parameter for said initially allocated target FER, and comparing said difference with a predetermined threshold;

means for allocating said revised target FER to said user application where said difference exceeds said threshold.