Communication control method and communication control system

• US 7,292,824 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Otsu, Toru, Aburakawa, Yuji, Yamaguchi, Koichiro, Nakayama, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; John J.
• Application Number:
  US10/378,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/464, 455/509, 455/510, 455/512, 455/517, 455/522, 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/448, 455/441, 455/437, 455/69, 455/412.2, 455/502, 455/520, 455/523, 455/524, 455/525, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/62, 370/335, 370/465, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

A reception side radio station has a notification signal generator 108 which transmits a notification signal for notifying information of a frequency of a radio link being used at the radio station, and a transmitter 111 which transmits information indicating a reception power level and its frequency as radio signal data. On the other hand, a transmission side radio station has a notification signal measurer 106 which measures a reception power level of the notification signal and detects the frequency notified by the signal, and a frequency band controller 109 which determines an assignable frequency band for a radio link between the transmission side radio station and the reception side radio station based on the radio signal data and the notification signal.

Claims

1. A communication control method for conducting communication between a transmission side radio station and a reception side radio station in a radio network in which a plurality of the radio stations are deployed, comprising the steps of:

(1) transmitting a notification signal that notifies information of a frequency of a radio link being used at each radio station;

(2) measuring a reception power level of a radio signal received and detecting a frequency of each radio signal at the reception side radio station;

(3) transmitting the reception power level and the detected frequency of the radio signal from the reception side radio station to the transmission side radio station;

(4) measuring a reception power level of each of the notification signals and detecting the frequency of the radio link being used at each of the radio stations, which is notified by the notification signal, at the transmission side radio station;

(5) determining an assignable frequency band to be used between the transmission side radio station and the reception side radio station at the transmission side radio station based on the reception power level and the detected frequency of the radio signal, the reception power level of the notification signal and information contained in the notification signal,

(6) notifying information of an assigned frequency band from the transmission side radio station to the reception side radio station based on a result of the determination; and

(7) transmitting a new notification signal correlating with the assigned frequency band at the reception side radio station according to the information of the assigned frequency band.

2. A communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the radio link is configured with a traffic frequency band that is used for transmission of an information signal and a frequency band for control that is used for a control signal,

the frequency of the radio link being used at the radio station at a step (1) is located in the traffic frequency band , and

the notification signal is transmitted using the frequency band for control.

3. A communication control method according to claim 2, wherein a frequency of the traffic frequency band correlates with a frequency of the frequency band for control, and

each of the radio stations detects the frequency of the notification signal in the frequency band for control to recognize the frequency being used in the traffic frequency band at the radio station that transmits the notification signal.

4. A communication control method according to claim 2, wherein each of the radio stations modulates the notification signal that contains information of the frequency being used in the traffic frequency band and transmits the modulated notification signal, and

other radio stations demodulate the modulated notification signal to acquire the information of the frequency being used in the traffic frequency band.

5. A communication control method according to claim 1, wherein each of the radio stations measures a carrier to interference ratio of the radio link being used, modulates the notification signal which has a power level corresponding to the measured carrier to interference ratio and transmits the modulated notification signal, and

other radio stations receive and demodulate the modulated notification signal to acquire the measured carrier to interference ratio.

6. A communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission side radio station determines a transmission rate based on a volume of data to be transmitted and assigns a required frequency bandwidth to transmit the data by the determined transmission rate.

7. A communication control system for conducting communication between a transmission side radio station and a reception side radio station in a radio network in which a plurality of the radio stations are deployed, comprising:

a notification signal transmitter configured to transmit a notification signal that notifies information of a frequency of a radio link being used at each radio station;

a notification signal measurer configured to measure a reception power level of a notification signal and to detect a frequency notified by the notification signal;

a radio signal data transmitter configured to transmit a reception power level and a frequency of the radio signal received at the reception side radio station;

a frequency band determiner configured to determine an assignable frequency band to be used between the transmission side radio station and the reception side radio station based the reception power level and the frequency of the radio signal, the reception power level of the notification signal and information contained in the notification signal; and

a notification unit configured to notify the reception side radio station of information of an assigned frequency band based on a result of the determination by the frequency band determiner.

8. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein the radio link is configured with a traffic frequency band that is used for transmission of an information signal and a frequency band for control that is used for a control signal,

the frequency of the radio link being used at the radio station is located in the traffic frequency band, and

the notification signal transmitter transmits the notification signal using the frequency band for control.

9. A communication control system according to claim 8, wherein a frequency of the traffic frequency band correlates with a frequency of the frequency band for control, and

the notification signal measurer detects the frequency of the notification signal in the frequency band for control to recognize the frequency being used in the traffic frequency band at the radio station that transmits the notification signal.

10. A communication control system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a notification signal modulator configured to modulate the notification signal that contains information of the frequency being used in the traffic frequency band and transmit the modulated notification signal, and

a notification signal demodulator configured to demodulate the modulated notification signal to acquire the information of the frequency being used in the traffic frequency band.

11. A communication control system according to claim 10, wherein the notification signal modulator modulates the notification signal that contains the measured carrier to interference ratio and transmits the modulated notification signal, and

the notification signal demodulator demodulates the modulated notification signal to acquire the measured carrier to interference ratio.

12. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein the notification signal transmitter transmits the notification signal at a random interval within a prescribed time range.

13. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein the notification signal transmitter measures a carrier to interference ratio of the radio link being used and transmits the notification signal with a power level that corresponds to the measured carrier to interference ratio.

14. A communication control system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a transmission rate determiner configured to determine a transmission rate based on a volume of data to be transmitted, and

a frequency band controller configured to assign a required frequency bandwidth to transmit the data by the determined transmission rate.

15. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein priority is given to a lower frequency in the assignable frequency band when a frequency is assigned to the radio link by the frequency band determiner.

16. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein priority is given to a higher frequency in the assignable frequency band when a frequency is assigned to the radio link by the frequency band determiner.

17. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein the frequency band determiner assigns frequency bands that are contiguously located in the traffic frequency band to radio links.

18. A communication control system according to claim 7, wherein the frequency band determiner assigns a plurality of frequency bands to a radio link.