Scheduling mechanism for MAC entity

• US 7,609,632 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2004
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terry, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills; Donald L
• Application Number:
  US10/832,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20040196799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/253, 370/352, 370/353, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/235, 370/328, 370/342, 370/395.4, 370/468, 370/479, 370/535, 370/537
• US Class Current: 370/230.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5602 Bandwidth control in ATM Networks, e.g. leaky bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0263 involving mapping traffic to individual bearers or channels, e.g. traffic flow template [TFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

A code division multiple access (CDMA) radio network controller (RNC) comprises a medium access controller-controlling/shared (MAC-c/sh) entity. The MAC-c/sh entity has a scheduling mechanism managing a forward access channel (FACH) resources. The scheduling mechanism schedules data for transfer over the FACH according to priority of the data and the data having an indicator of a priority of the data.

Claims

1. A code division multiple access (CDMA) communication device comprising:

a first medium access controller (MAC) entity configured to output a first control channel and a dedicated traffic channel (DTCH), the first MAC entity being a MAC-dedicated (MAC-d) entity and the first control channel being a dedicated control channel (DCCH); and

a second MAC entity configured to generate an access channel, the second MAC entity including;

a channel multiplexer configured to receive data, the data being carried by the first control channel, the DTCH, and a second control channel, the channel multiplexer also being configured to multiplex the received data;

a scheduling mechanism configured to receive the multiplexed data and schedule the multiplexed data for transmission on the access channel according to a priority of the received data; and

a flow control entity configured to limit buffering of a portion of the received data in the second MAC entity, the portion of the received data being associated with the first control channel and the DTCH, wherein the access channel is a forward access channel (FACH).

2. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein the second MAC entity is further configured to limit an amount of the multiplexed data transmitted on the access channel.

3. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein the second MAC entity is further configured to limit a portion of the multiplexed data transmitted on the access channel based on whether the portion of the multiplexed data is associated with the first control channel, the second control channel, or the DTCH.

4. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein a window is associated with each of the first control channel, the second control channel, and the DTCH, the second MAC entity is further configured to limit an amount of the multiplexed data transmitted on the access channel by controlling a size of the window associated with said each of the first control channel, the second control channel, and the DTCH.

5. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein the scheduling mechanism is further configured to schedule the multiplexed data for transmission over a downlink shared channel (DSCH).

6. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein the received data includes an indicator of the priority.

7. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a radio network controller (RNC).

8. The CDMA communication device of claim 1, wherein the scheduling mechanism is configured to supply the access channel to a Node-B, such that the Node-B transmits the access channel to a plurality of user equipments (UEs).

9. A communication method, comprising:

outputting a first control channel and a dedicated traffic channel (DTCH) with a first medium access controller (MAC) entity, the first MAC entity being a MAC-dedicated (MAC-d) entity, and the first control channel being a dedicated control channel (DCCH);

receiving the first control channel, the DTCH, and a second control channel, with a channel multiplexer of a second MAC entity, the first control channel, the second control channel, and the DTCH carrying data, and the second MAC entity being configured to output an access channel;

multiplexing the data with the channel multiplexer; and

scheduling, with a scheduling mechanism of the second MAC entity, the multiplexed data for transmission on the access channel according to a priority of the multiplexed data; and

limiting buffering of a portion of the received data in the second MAC entity, the portion of the received data being associated with the first control channel and the DTCH, wherein the access channel is a forward access channel (FACH).

10. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising limiting an amount of the multiplexed data transmitted on the access channel.

11. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising limiting a portion of the multiplexed data transmitted on the access channel based on whether the portion of the multiplexed data is associated with the first control channel, the second control channel, or the DTCH.

12. The communication method of claim 9, wherein a window is associated with each of the first control channel, the second control channel, and the DTCH, the method further comprising limiting an amount of the multiplexed data transmitted on the access channel by controlling a size of the window associated with said each of the first control channel, the second control channel, and the DTCH.

13. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising scheduling the multiplexed data for transmission over a downlink shared channel (DSCH).

14. The communication method of claim 9, wherein the data includes an indicator of the priority.

15. The communication method of claim 9, wherein the communication device is a radio network controller (RNC).

16. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising supplying the access channel to a Node-B, such that the Node-B transmits the access channel to a plurality of user equipments (UEs).