Scalable frequency band operation in wireless communication systems

• US 8,582,509 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khandekar, Aamod, Gorokhov, Alexei, Agrawal, Avneesh, Vijayan, Rajiv, Teague, Edward Harrison, Ulupinar, Fatih
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/261,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,938 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/208, 370/335, 370/342, 370/321, 455/450
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

To support mobile stations that are not capable of demodulating the entire bandwidth or that can be made to demodulate less than the entire bandwidth, a system, apparatus and method are provided to schedule users on less than all of the bandwidth. Further, certain users can be scheduled on more of the bandwidth than others.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring a communication session comprising:

transmitting a first access request in a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for an access terminal;

receiving a first assignment for communication over the first carrier at the access terminal;

receiving, based upon a capability of the access terminal, a second assignment for communication over either the first carrier or at least a second carrier of the plurality of carriers at the access terminal, and

receiving a third assignment, at the access terminal, for at least a third carrier of the plurality of carriers;

wherein the access terminal is capable of only demodulating a portion of an available bandwidth, and

wherein the second assignment is for a first group of time slots and the third assignment is for a second group of time slots, and wherein the first and second groups of time slots occur at approximately the same time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capability of the access terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second assignment comprises an assignment for communication on the second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or one other carrier of the plurality of carriers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first assignment relates to the first group of time slots and the second assignments relates to the second group of time slots following the first group of time slots.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are forward link time slots.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first group of time slots are forward link time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first group of time slots and the second group of time slots overlap at least partially in time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a change carrier message prior to receiving the second assignment and wherein receiving the second assignment comprises receiving the second assignment for communication on at least the second carrier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the change carrier message identifies the second carrier.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a message at the access terminal indicative of parameters of communication over at least the second carrier prior to receiving the change carrier message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

15. An apparatus for acquiring a communication session comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first access request in a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for an access terminal; and

a receiver for

receiving a first assignment for communication over the first carrier at the access terminal;

receiving, based upon a capability of the access terminal, a second assignment for communication over either the first carrier or at least a second carrier of the plurality of carriers at the access terminal, and

receiving a third assignment, at the access terminal, for at least a third carrier of the plurality of carriers

wherein the access terminal is capable of only demodulating a portion of an available bandwidth and

wherein the second assignment is for a first group of time slots and the third assignment is for a second group of time slots, and wherein the first and second groups of time slots occur at approximately the same time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the capability of the access terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second assignment comprises an assignment for communication on the second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or one other carrier of the plurality of carriers.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first assignment relates to the first group of time slots and the second assignment relates to the second group of the time slots following the first group of time slots.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are forward link time slots.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first group of time slots are forward link time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first group of time slots and the second group of time slots overlap at least partially in time.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising receiving a change carrier message prior to receiving the second assignment and wherein receiving the second assignment comprises receiving the second assignment for communication on at least the second carrier.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the change carrier message identifies the second carrier.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising receiving a message at the access terminal indicative of parameters of communication over at least the second carrier prior to receiving the change carrier message.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

29. An apparatus for acquiring a communication session comprising:

means for transmitting a first access request in a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for an access terminal; and

means for

receiving a first assignment for communication over the first carrier at the access terminal;

receiving, based upon a capability of the access terminal, a second assignment for communication over either the first carrier or at least a second carrier of the plurality of carriers at the access terminal, and

receiving a third assignment, at the access terminal, for at least a third carrier of the plurality of carriers

wherein the access terminal is capable of only demodulating a portion of an available bandwidth and

wherein the second assignment is for a first frame and the third assignment is for a second frame, and wherein the first and second frame occur at approximately the same time period.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the capability of the access terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the second assignment comprises an assignment for communication on the second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or one other carrier of the plurality of carriers.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first assignment relates to the first group of time slots and the second assignment relates to the second group of time slots following the first group of time slots.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are forward link time slots.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first group of time slots are forward link time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first group of time slots and the second group of time slots overlap at least partially in time.

38. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising receiving a change carrier message prior to receiving the second assignment and wherein receiving the second assignment comprises receiving the second assignment for communication on at least the second carrier.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the change carrier message identifies the second carrier.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising receiving a message at the access terminal indicative of parameters of communication over at least the second carrier prior to receiving the change carrier message.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

42. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.

43. A machine readable media including instructions for causing a processor to:

transmit a first access request in a first carrier that is one of a plurality of carriers available for communication for an access terminal;

receive a first assignment for communication over the first carrier at the access terminal;

receive, based upon a capability of the access terminal, a second assignment for communication over either the first carrier or at least a second carrier of the plurality of carriers at the access terminal, and

receive a third assignment, at the access terminal, for at least a third carrier of the plurality of carriers

wherein the access terminal is capable of only demodulating a portion of an available bandwidth and

wherein the second assignment is for a first group of time slots and the third assignment is for a second group of time slots, and wherein the first and second groups of time slots occur at approximately the same time period.

44. The machine readable media of claim 43, wherein the capability of the access terminal comprises a number of subcarriers that the FFT of the access terminal may simultaneously demodulate.

45. The machine readable media of claim 43, wherein the capability comprises an access terminal identifier.

46. The machine readable media of claim 43, wherein the second assignment comprises an assignment for communication on the second carrier and at least one of the first carrier or one other carrier of the plurality of carriers.

47. The machine readable media of claim 43, wherein the first assignment relates to the first group of time slots and the second assignment relates to the second group of time slots following the first group of time slots.

48. The machine readable media of claim 47, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are forward link time slots.

49. The machine readable media of claim 47, wherein the first group of time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

50. The machine readable media of claim 47, wherein the first group of time slots are forward link time slots and second group of time slots are reverse link time slots.

51. The machine readable media of claim 47, wherein the first group of time slots and the second group of time slots overlap at least partially in time.

52. The machine readable media of claim 43, further comprising instructions for receiving a change carrier message prior to receiving the second assignment and wherein receiving the second assignment comprises receiving the second assignment and wherein reveiving the second assignment comprises receiving the second assignment for communication on at least the second carrier.

53. The machine readable media of claim 52, wherein the change carrier message identifies the second carrier.

54. The machine readable media of claim 52, further comprising instructions for receiving a message at the access terminal indicative of parameters of communication over at least the second carrier prior to receiving the change carrier message.

55. The machine readable media of claim 52, wherein the change carrier message comprises a data transmission.

56. The machine readable media of claim 52, wherein the change carrier message comprises a control transmission.