Method and system for adapatively obtaining bandwidth allocation requests

• US 7,751,437 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Stanwood, Kenneth L., Spinar, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Robert W
• Application Number:
  US11/350,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20060146863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adaptively obtaining bandwidth requests in a broadband wireless communication system. The method and apparatus includes dynamically varying technique combinations enabling a plurality of users to efficiently request bandwidth from a shared base station. A user may “piggyback” a new bandwidth request upon, or set a “poll-me bit” within, presently allocated bandwidth. A base station may poll users, individually or in groups, by allocating unrequested bandwidth for new requests. Polling may respond to a “poll-me bit,” and/or it may be adaptively periodic at a rate based on communication status parameters, such as recent communication activity and connection QoS levels. Group polling permits a possibility of collisions. Polling policies may be established for dynamically varying user groups, or may be determined for each user. Dynamic selection of appropriate polling techniques makes use of efficiency benefits associated with each technique.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining bandwidth requests at a base station from a wireless subscriber station which communicates with the base station, the method comprising:

selecting a communication parameter applicable to the subscriber station;

selecting a polling rate for the subscriber station by the base station in accordance with the parameter determined for the subscriber station;

the base station polling the subscriber station for bandwidth requests at the selected polling rate for providing an individual connection at the subscriber station with bandwidth request opportunities;

identifying at the base station a poll-me request in a packet received from a subscriber station that has a polling rate of zero;

polling the subscriber station from the base station in response to the poll-me request for providing one or more individual connections at the subscriber station with bandwidth request opportunities; and

upon receipt of a bandwidth request, the base station allocating uplink bandwidth to the subscriber station for distribution to one or more of a plurality of connections by the subscriber station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a plurality of communication parameters, and changing the polling rate for the subscriber station in response to changes in any of the communication parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication parameter is a common communications parameter common to a plurality of connections established at the subscriber station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a common communications parameter reflective of activity of a plurality of users sharing a link, and changing the polling rate for the particular user in response to changes in the common parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscriber station is a customer premise equipment (CPE) station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a polling rate comprises:

categorizing the particular subscriber station in a polling category selected from a finite number of polling categories and selecting a polling rate in accordance with the selected polling category.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the polling rate for the particular subscriber station when the communication parameter for that subscriber station changes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the poll-me request uses one or more bits of data within a specified location within uplink bandwidth previously assigned to the subscriber station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the poll-me request comprises a poll-me bit set in the header of a data packet.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polling rate for a subscriber station serving a connection of a Constant Bit Rate type is set to zero.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, where the communication parameter includes the quality of service required by the connections served by the subscriber station.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bandwidth request opportunity is an uplink bandwidth allocation provided for use by the subscriber station for requesting uplink bandwidth for a specified connection served by the subscriber station.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication parameter is a quality of service parameter common to a group of connections.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

assigning each subscriber station served by the base station to a polling category based on the communication parameter;

assigning a group polling rate to each polling category; and

polling the subscriber stations at the polling rate used for the respective polling category.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polling rate for a subscriber station serving connections of a bursty type of services, is adjusted based on an updated value of the communication parameter.

15. A method of operating a base station to obtain and respond to bandwidth requests from a wireless subscriber station which communicates with the base station, the method comprising:

selecting a communication parameter applicable to the subscriber station;

selecting a polling rate for the subscriber station in accordance with the parameter determined for the subscriber station;

the base station polling the subscriber station for bandwidth requests at the selected polling rate for providing an individual connection at the subscriber station by the base station transmitting bandwidth request opportunities to the subscriber station;

upon receipt of a bandwidth request, the base station allocating uplink bandwidth to the subscriber station for distribution to one or more of a plurality of connections by the subscriber station; and

receiving a request for additional bandwidth from a subscriber station with a polling rate of zero, embedded within bandwidth allocated to that subscriber station for uplink traffic, which bandwidth is not currently used for traffic.