Method of using link adaptation and power control for streaming services in wireless networks

• US 7,454,512 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Kin K., Qiu, Xiaoxin, Chawla, Kapil K., Driessen, Peter F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US11/515,242
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-231, 713/300, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/373 Predicting channel quality or other radio frequency [RF] parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/262 taking into account adaptive modulation and coding [AMC] scheme AMC per se H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A method for improving the performance for a streaming service by link-adaptation and power-control in a wireless packet network such as an Enhanced General Packet Radio Services (EGPRS) cellular network is described. In particular, the effects of a combined link adaptation and power control scheme (referred to as an error-based scheme) for achieving a target error rate, which is non-zero but low enough so that limited retransmission and error concealment techniques are effective, is presented.

Claims

1. A method of providing streaming service in a wireless packet network comprising steps of:

utilizing a link adaptation technique to adapt a modulation and coding level to achieve a predetermined error rate for transmission of data packets, said link adaptation technique based on a relationship between said error rate and a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, wherein said signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is estimated by multiplying a value of a maximum transmission power level by a value of a signal path gain and dividing by a value of a predicted interference power level;

utilizing a power control technique to adjust a transmission power to a level which provides desirable performance, said power control technique utilized in combination with said link adaptation technique and based on the adapted modulation and coding level; and

transmitting said packets of data in accordance with said modulation and coding level and with said transmission power.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said streaming service comprises a music delivery service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said streaming service is provided over a cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined error rate comprises a non-zero error rate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said streaming service is provided over packet-switched bearers.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying error-concealment techniques to said data packets at a receiving end.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of utilizing a link adaptation technique is performed at periodic intervals.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of utilizing a power control technique is performed at periodic intervals.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said music delivery service comprises a MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coder music service.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein said cellular network comprises an Enhanced General Packet Radio Service cellular network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmission power level is determined from a value of said signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio multiplied by a value of said predicted interference power level divided by a value of said signal path gain.