Assignment method and base station apparatus using the assignment method

• US 8,233,377 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Masaoka, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/516,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20100067463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A base station apparatus assigns a time slot, where multiple sub-channels have been frequency multiplexed, to a terminal apparatus. The correspondence between the range of signal strength and time slots is defined such that the time slot differs whenever the range of signal strength differs; a control unit assigns any one of a plurality of sub-channels in the time slot corresponding to the range of low signal strengths, to the terminal apparatus as a ranging channel. An RF unit, a modem unit and so forth perform a ranging operation on the terminal apparatus over the ranging channel assigned. The control unit assigns a sub-channel to the terminal apparatus that has performed the ranging operation, as a communication channel.

Claims

1. A base station apparatus for assigning a time slot, where a plurality of sub-channels have been frequency multiplexed, to a terminal apparatus, the base station apparatus comprising:

a first assignment unit which assigns any of a plurality of sub-channels in the time slot corresponding to a range of low signal strengths, to the terminal apparatus as a ranging channel wherein a plurality of signal strength ranges correspond to a respective one of a plurality of time slots;

an execution unit which performs a ranging operation on the terminal apparatus over the ranging channel assigned by said first assignment unit; and

a second assignment unit which assigns a sub-channel to the terminal apparatus that has performed the ranging operation in said execution unit, as a communication channel.

2. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first assignment unit sets sub-channels at least adjacent to a sub-channel to which the ranging channel has been assigned, to a nonuse state.

3. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the ranging operation has been terminated, said first assignment unit uses the ranging channel assigned to the terminal apparatus, for communication of control signal.

4. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a broadcasting unit which broadcasts information on a ranging channel to be assigned by said first assignment unit.

5. A method for assigning a time slot, where a plurality of sub-channels have been frequency multiplexed, to a terminal apparatus, the method wherein a plurality of signal strength ranges correspond to a respective one of a plurality of time slots,

any of a plurality of sub-channels in the time slot corresponding to a range of low signal strengths is assigned to the terminal apparatus as a ranging channel, and

after a ranging operation in said ranging channel has been terminated, a sub-channel is assigned to the terminal apparatus as a communication channel.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions therein that, when executed by a computer, perform a method of, assigning a time slot, where a plurality of sub-channels have been frequency multiplexed, to a terminal apparatus, the method comprising:

assigning any of a plurality of sub-channels in the time slot corresponding to a range of low signal strengths, to the terminal apparatus as a ranging channel wherein a plurality of signal strength ranges correspond to a respective one of a plurality of time slots;

performing a ranging operation on the terminal apparatus over the assigned ranging channel; and

assigning a sub-channel to the terminal apparatus that has performed the ranging operation, as a communication channel.