Dynamic load control for downlink signaling channels

• US 8,565,177 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ball, Carsten, Muellner, Robert, Ivanov, Kolio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHAU BA
• Application Number:
  US13/262,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20120039170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• 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 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to a communication terminal is evaluated based on communication connection condition information with respect to the communication terminal, wherein the control information is defined by information on the scheduling of communication resources allocation to the communication terminal. A modified capacity is determined, wherein a capacity is defined by a total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on a channel dedicated for transmitting the control information. In addition, a quantity of communication terminals is selected for being provided with control information on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information by accepting a further communication terminal to the quantity if the total sum of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to each communication terminal of the quantity including the further communication terminal does not exceed the modified capacity, and by otherwise rejecting the further communication terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an evaluator configured to evaluate a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to a communication terminal, wherein the control information is defined by information on the scheduling of communication resources allocation to the communication terminal, and wherein the evaluator is configured to evaluate the required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval based on communication connection condition information with respect to the communication terminal;

a determining processor configured to determine a modified capacity, wherein a capacity is defined by a total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on a channel dedicated for transmitting the control information; and

a selector configured to select a quantity of communication terminals for being provided with control information on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information by accepting a further communication terminal to the quantity if the total sum of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to each communication terminal of the quantity including the further communication terminal does not exceed the modified capacity, and by otherwise rejecting the further communication terminal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining processor is further configured to determine the modified capacity by multiplying the capacity by a modifier set in accordance with a configuration on a target blocking value, wherein the target blocking value is defined by a number of communication terminals which are not provided with control information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an observing processor configured to observe a number of communication terminals per transmission time interval which are not provided with control information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining processor is further configured to determine the modified capacity by multiplying the capacity by a second modifier set in accordance with a configuration on a target load balance between uplink and downlink.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluator is further configured to set and change a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information to a communication terminal by being configured to increase the number and to send a command to decrease transmission power for the control information, and by being configured to decrease the number and to send a command to increase transmission power for the control information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the determining processor is further configured to determine the modified capacity by multiplying the capacity by a modifier set in accordance with a configuration on a target blocking value, wherein the target blocking value is defined by a number of communication terminals which are not provided with control information;

the evaluator is further configured to set the number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information to a communication terminal such that a particular target blocking value is achieved; and

the command to increase transmission power for the control information is related to a communication terminal for which the set number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information is lower than the required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information as evaluated by the evaluator.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a capacity controller configured to change the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information in dependency on a target blocking value and/or a ratio of occupied channel coding elements and available channel coding elements.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining processor is further configured to partition the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information into a common part and a user specific part, and to determine the user specific part as the modified capacity.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a blocking detector configured to detect blocking of communication of a communication terminal of the selected quantity, and to command removal of a communication terminal with detected blocking from the selected quantity.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the determining processor is further configured to determine an unused capacity as a part of the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on a channel dedicated for transmitting the control information, which is not provided for transmitting control information to a communication terminal due to a modifier set smaller than one;

the determining processor is further configured to determine unused power corresponding to the unused capacity on the basis of a predefined unit power per channel coding element; and

the selector is further configured to accept a further communication terminal to the quantity, although the total sum of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to each communication terminal of the quantity including the further communication terminal would exceed the modified capacity, by allocating a number of channel coding elements to the further communication terminal which is lower than its required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval based on its communication connection condition information such that the total sum does not exceed the modified capacity;

further comprising;

a power controller configured to allocate a part of the unused power to the further communication terminal so that a transmission power per channel coding element for the further communication terminal is higher than the predefined unit power per channel coding element.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the determining processor is further configured to determine an unused capacity as a part of the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information, which is not provided for transmitting control information to a communication terminal due to the removed communication terminal with detected blocking;

the determining processor is further configured to determine unused power corresponding to the unused capacity on the basis of a predefined unit power per channel coding element; and

the selector is further configured to accept a further communication terminal instead of the communication terminal with detected blocking for using the removed resources and/or to command redistributing the unused power to other communication terminals.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the evaluator is further configured to automatically set a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information to a communication terminal lower than the evaluated required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval and to send a command to increase transmission power for the transmission of control information to the communication terminal;

and

the selector is further configured to take the lower number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information with increased transmission power to the communication terminal as the number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to the communication terminal.

13. A method, comprising:

evaluating a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to a communication terminal based on communication connection condition information with respect to the communication terminal, wherein the control information is defined by information on the scheduling of communication resources allocation to the communication terminal;

determining a modified capacity, wherein a capacity is defined by a total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on a channel dedicated for transmitting the control information; and

selecting a quantity of communication terminals for being provided with control information on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information by accepting a further communication terminal to the quantity if the total sum of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to each communication terminal of the quantity including the further communication terminal does not exceed the modified capacity, and by otherwise rejecting the further communication terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the determining includes determining the modified capacity by multiplying the capacity by a modifier set in accordance with a configuration on a target blocking value, wherein the target blocking value is defined by a number of communication terminals which are not provided with control information.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

observing a number of communication terminals per transmission time interval which are not provided with control information.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the determining includes determining the modified capacity by multiplying the capacity by a second modifier set in accordance with a configuration on a target load balance between uplink and downlink.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein evaluating includes setting and/or changing a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information to a communication terminal by increasing the number and sending a command to decrease transmission power for the control information, and by decreasing the number and sending a command to increase transmission power for the control information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the determining further includes determining the modified capacity by multiplying the capacity by a modifier set in accordance with a configuration on a target blocking value, wherein the target blocking value is defined by a number of communication terminals which are not provided with control information;

and

the evaluating further includes setting the number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information to a communication terminal such that a particular target blocking value is achieved; and

the method further comprises

relating the command to increase transmission power for the control information to a communication terminal for which the set number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information is lower than the required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information in dependency on a target blocking value and/or a ratio of occupied channel coding elements and available channel coding elements.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

partitioning the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information into a common part and a user specific part, and determining the user specific part as the modified capacity.

21. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

detecting blocking of communication of a communication terminal of the selected quantity, and

commanding removal of a communication terminal with detected blocking from the selected quantity.

22. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining an unused capacity as a part of the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on a channel dedicated for transmitting the control information, which is not provided for transmitting control information to a communication terminal due to a modifier set smaller than one;

determining unused power corresponding to the unused capacity on the basis of a predefined unit power per channel coding element;

accepting a further communication terminal to the quantity, although the total sum of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to each communication terminal of the quantity including the further communication terminal would exceed the modified capacity, by allocating a number of channel coding elements to the further communication terminal which is lower than its required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval based on its communication connection condition information such that the total sum does not exceed the modified capacity; and

allocating a part of the unused power to the further communication terminal so that a transmission power per channel coding element for the further communication terminal is higher than the predefined unit power per channel coding element.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

determining an unused capacity as a part of the total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information, which is not provided for transmitting control information to a communication terminal due to the removed communication terminal with detected blocking;

determining unused power corresponding to the unused capacity on the basis of a predefined unit power per channel coding element; and

accepting a further communication terminal instead of the communication terminal with detected blocking for using the removed resources and/or commanding redistributing the unused power to other communication terminals.

24. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

automatically setting a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information to a communication terminal lower than the evaluated required number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval;

sending a command to increase transmission power for the transmission of control information to the communication terminal; and

taking the lower number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval for transmitting control information with increased transmission power to the communication terminal as the number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to the communication terminal.

25. A non-transitory computer program product comprising

computer-executable components which perform, when the program is run on a computer:

evaluating a number of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to a communication terminal based on communication connection condition information with respect to the communication terminal, wherein the control information is defined by information on the scheduling of communication resources allocation to the communication terminal;

determining a modified capacity, wherein a capacity is defined by a total of available channel coding elements per transmission time interval on a channel dedicated for transmitting the control information; and

selecting a quantity of communication terminals for being provided with control information on the channel dedicated for transmitting the control information by accepting a further communication terminal to the quantity if the total sum of channel coding elements per transmission time interval required to transmit control information to each communication terminal of the quantity including the further communication terminal does not exceed the modified capacity, and by otherwise rejecting the further communication terminal.

26. The computer program product according to claim 25, embodied as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.