Channel assignment in wireless communication

• US 7,953,040 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Evdo, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alasti, Mehdi, Harikumar, Gopal
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US11/406,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 370/329
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

In a radio access network, an access terminal is assigned frequency channels for communication between the access terminal and a radio node of a radio access network based on a strength of a signal determined for the access terminal.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a radio network device, the method comprising:

retrieving, by the radio network device, a channel assignment model that assigns one or more numbers of frequency channels to one or more signal strength values in a range of signal strength values, wherein the one or more numbers of frequency channels, assigned to the one or more signal strength values, decrease as the one or more signal strength values increase;

receiving a signal strength value associated with an access terminal;

comparing the signal strength value associated with the access terminal to at least one of the one or more signal strength values in the channel assignment model;

determining, based on comparing and the channel assignment model, a number of frequency channels, wherein the number of frequency channels are configured to operate simultaneously to provide a desired throughput of communications between the access terminal and a radio node of a radio access network; and

assigning, to the access terminal, the number of frequency channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal strength value associated with the access terminal comprises a signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the signal strength value associated with the access terminal; and

adjusting the number of frequency channels in response to detecting a change in the signal strength value associated with the access terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the frequency channels comprise one or more of (i) a forward link configured to transmit data from the radio node to the access terminal, and (ii) a reverse link configured to transmit data from the access terminal to the radio node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the signal strength value comprises:

comparing the signal strength value to a predetermined threshold value in the range of signal strength values.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the signal strength value associated with the access terminal based on a signal sent from the access terminal to the radio node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the signal comprises a route update message signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the signal strength value associated with the access terminal from a data rate value sent from the access terminal to the radio node, the data rate value being proportional to the signal strength value associated with the access terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising one or more of:

unassigning the frequency channels to the access terminal at least partly based on changes in the data rate value; and

assigning the frequency channels to the access terminal at least partly based on changes in the data rate value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning complies with one or more of:

a 1×

Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) protocol, a 3×

EV-DO protocol, an N×

EV-DO protocol, and a IS856-Rev-B protocol.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a radio network device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that are executable by a processor of the radio network device to perform functions comprising;

retrieving a channel assignment model that assigns one or more numbers of frequency channels to one or more signal strength values in a range of signal strength values, wherein the one or more numbers of frequency channels, assigned to the one or more signal strength values, decrease as the one or more signal strength values increase;

receiving a signal strength value associated with an access terminal;

comparing the signal strength value associated with the access terminal to at least one of the one or more signal strength values in the channel assignment model;

determining, based on comparing and the channel assignment model, a number of frequency channels, wherein the number of frequency channels are configured to operate simultaneously to provide a desired throughput of communications between the access terminal and a radio node of a radio access network; and

assigning, to the access terminal, the number of frequency channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal strength value comprises a signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

monitoring the signal strength value associated with the access terminal; and

adjusting the number of frequency channels in response to detecting a change in the signal strength value associated with the access terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one or more of the frequency channels comprise one or more of (i) a forward link configured to transmit data from the radio node to the access terminal, and (ii) a reverse link configured to transmit data from the access terminal to the radio node.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

comparing the signal strength value associated with the access terminal to a predetermined threshold value in the range of signal strength values.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining the signal strength value associated with the access terminal based on a signal sent from the access terminal to the radio node.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the signal comprises a route update message signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining the signal strength value associated with the access terminal from a data rate value sent from the access terminal to the radio node, the data rate value being proportional to the signal strength value associated with the access terminal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the functions further comprise one or more of:

unassiging the frequency channels to the access terminal at least partly based on changes in the data rate value; and

assigning the frequency channels to the access terminal at least partly based on changes in the data rate value.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radio network device is configured to comply with one or more of:

a 1×

Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) protocol, a 3×

EV-DO protocol, an N×

EV-DO protocol, and a IS856-Rev-B protocol.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communications comprise a transfer of voice over internet protocol (IP) packets.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that are executable by a processor of a radio network device to perform functions comprising:

retrieving a channel assignment model that assigns one or more numbers of frequency channels to one or more signal strength values in a range of signal strength values, wherein the one or more numbers of frequency channels, assigned to the one or more signal strength values, decrease as the one or more signal strength values increase;

receiving a signal strength value associated with an access terminal;

comparing the signal strength value associated with the access terminal to at least one of the one or more signal strength values in the channel assignment model;

determining, based on comparing and the channel assignment model, a number of frequency channels, wherein the number of frequency channels are configured to operate simultaneously to provide a desired throughput of communications between the access terminal and a radio node of a radio access network; and

assigning, to the access terminal, the number of frequency channels.