Methods and apparatus for power efficient broadcasting and communication systems

• US 8,457,081 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neo Wireless LLC (f/k/a CFIP NCF LLC) (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Neocific Incorporated
• Inventors: Huang, Haiming, Li, Xiaodong, Lo, Titus, Li, Kemin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US13/422,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 370/208, 370332-334, 370/337, 455/3.01, 455/179.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for content multicasting and broadcasting and data unicasting in a broadband multicarrier wireless communication system. A base station is configured to transmit, and a mobile station is configured to receive, a sequence of consecutive frames. The frames comprise two types: frames containing time-frequency resources for content multicasting and broadcasting via a single frequency network, and frames containing time-frequency resources for data unicasting without the use of a single frequency network. The two types of frames are intermixed in accordance with an intermixing configuration pattern. The intermixing configuration pattern is indicated by a bit-map contained in a scheduling signal.

Claims

1. A transmission method for a base station in a cellular communication network of base stations and mobile stations, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of frames of fixed time length, each frame containing a plurality of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols;

forming a plurality of first frames and a plurality of second frames among the plurality of frames, wherein;

each of the first frames contains time-frequency resources used for content multicasting or broadcasting (MB) via a single frequency network (SFN), the SFN comprising base stations in multiple cells transmitting the same MB content using OFDM and employing a same time and frequency resource; and

each of the second frames contains time-frequency resources used for data unicasting without the use of a SFN;

transmitting a sequence of consecutive frames comprising first frames carrying MB content and second frames carrying unicasting data, wherein the first frames and the second frames are intermixed in accordance with an intermixing configuration pattern and the intermixing configuration pattern is predetermined or configured at the time of transmission; and

transmitting a scheduling signal containing scheduling information, wherein the scheduling information includes a bit-map indicating the intermixing configuration pattern by using a “

1”

in the bit-map to represent a first frame and a “

0”

in the bit-map to represent a second frame, or a “

0”

in the bit-map to represent a first frame and a “

1”

in the bit-map to represent a second frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling signal is transmitted as needed, periodically, or according to a predetermined plan.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

partitioning the first frames into a first region and a second region, the first region preceding the second region in time, wherein;

the first region is used for data transmission without the use of SFN (non-SFN) and the first region comprises a first number of OFDM symbols, wherein the first number applies to each of the first frames; and

the second region is used for MB via SFN (MBSFN) and the second region comprises a second number of OFDM symbols, wherein the second number applies to each of the first frames; and

including in the scheduling information

an indication identifying the first region or the second region in each of the first frames; and

an index identifying a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used for the second region in each of the first frames.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second number is greater than the first number.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first number is 0, 1, or 2.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the second number is 6, 8, or 12.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication identifies the start symbol of the second region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling information further includes a start frame number for the sequence of consecutive frames.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling information further includes a length of the sequence of consecutive frames.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling information further includes an MB stream index.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bit-map contains between 2 and 8 bits.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first frames further comprises time-frequency resources for MB via SFN (MBSFN) and time-frequency resources for data transmission without the use of SFN (non-SFN), wherein

the non-SFN time-frequency resources comprise a first group of subcarriers and the MBSFN time-frequency resources comprise a second group of subcarriers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frames further contain time-frequency resources used for data transmission without the use of SFN (non-SFN), and wherein the second frames or the non-SFN time-frequency resources in the first frames are used to transmit data application packets, control information, or transmit both data application packets and control information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the control information is used for performing functions including updating a security key, establishing a network connection, paging, providing location updates, facilitating resynchronization, enabling power control, providing notification of data packet arrival, sending uplink data packets, providing channel quality information, or providing statistics on a packet error rate.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the MB content comprises video, audio, or data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmissions employ orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) or frequency division multiple access (FDMA);

and

Time Division Duplexing (TDD) or Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) techniques.

17. A base station in a multi-cell wireless broadcasting and communication system using a frame structure, each frame containing a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, the base station comprising:

a signal generator configured to form a plurality of first frames and a plurality of second frames, wherein;

each of the first frames contains time-frequency resources used for content multicasting or broadcasting (MB) via a single frequency network (SFN), the SFN comprising base stations in multiple cells transmitting the same MB content using OFDM and employing a same time and frequency resource; and

each of the second frames contains time-frequency resources used for data unicasting without the use of a SFN; and

a transmitter configured to transmit;

a sequence of consecutive frames comprising the first frames and the second frames that are intermixed in accordance with an intermixing configuration pattern, the intermixing configuration pattern being predetermined or configured at the time of transmission; and

a scheduling signal containing scheduling information, wherein the scheduling information includes a bit-map indicating the intermixing configuration pattern by using a “

1”

in the bit-map to represent a first frame and a “

0”

in the bit-map to represent a second frame, or a “

0”

in the bit-map to represent a first frame and a “

1”

in the bit-map to represent a second frame.

18. The base station of claim 17, wherein the signal generator is further configured to partition the first frames into a first region and a second region, the first region preceding the second region in time, wherein

the first region is used for data transmission without the use of SFN (non-SFN) and the first region comprises a first number of OFDM symbols, wherein the first number applies to each of the first frames;

and

the second region is used for MB via SFN (MBSFN) and the second region comprises a second number of OFDM symbols, wherein the second number applies to each of the first frames; and

wherein the scheduling information further includes

an indication identifying the first region or the second region in each of the first frames; and

an index identifying a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used for the second region in each of the first frames.

19. The base station of claim 18, wherein the second number is greater than the first number.

20. The base station of claim 18, wherein the indication identifies the start symbol of the second region.

21. The base station of claim 17, wherein the scheduling information further includes a start frame number for the sequence of consecutive frames.

22. The base station of claim 17, wherein the scheduling information further includes a length of the sequence of consecutive frames.