Method of improving throughput in a system including sticky assignments

• US 8,687,542 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gorokhov, Alexei
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN H
• Application Number:
  US11/437,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/322, 370/329, 370/341, 370/431, 370/443, 370/456
• US Class Current: 370/322
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that provide conditional assignments to access terminals over resources assigned to other access terminals. Further, methods and apparatuses are disclosed for processing resources to determine whether an access terminal should utilize resources that have bee conditionally assigned.

Claims

1. A method of assigning resources to multiple access terminals comprising:

generating a first assignment for a first access terminal, the first assignment identifying first resources;

generating a second assignment for a second access terminal, the second assignment being a conditional assignment identifying the first resources; and

identifying utilization of the conditional assignment with a no information signal transmitted during a gap in a transmission or reception of data between the first access terminal and the first resources, wherein identifying utilization occurs after generating the second assignment, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the first resources identified by the first assignment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the no information signal corresponds to an erasure signature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first assignment comprises generating the first assignment for reverse link communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first assignment comprises generating the first assignment for forward link communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first assignment comprises generating the first assignment for forward link and reverse link communication.

6. A method of processing signals received at an access terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a conditional assignment for a communication resource;

determining whether a no information signal is received corresponding to the communication resource, wherein the no information signal corresponds to a gap in transmission or reception of data between another access terminal and the communication resource, wherein the no information signal is received after receiving the conditional assignment, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the communication resource;

determining whether the access terminal is conditionally assigned the communication resource for which the no information signal has been received; and

utilizing the communication resources if the no information signal is received and the access terminal is conditionally assigned the communication resource.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the no information signal is received comprises determining if the no information signal including a sector identification is received.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the no information signal is received comprises determining if an erasure signature is received.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the no information signal is received comprises determining if the no information signal including a device identification of the access terminal is received.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the utilizing step comprises demodulating signals received over the communication resource.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the no information signal is received comprises determining whether the no information signal is transmitted over the communication resource.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the utilizing step comprises transmitting signals over the communication resource.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement for signals received over the communication resource.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the acknowledgement comprises transmitting the acknowledgement over a resource corresponding to the communication resource.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the acknowledgement comprises transmitting the acknowledgement over a channel corresponding to a lowest node of a channel tree associated with the communication resource.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to generate a first assignment for a first access terminal, the first assignment identifying first resources, and to generate a second assignment for a second access terminal, the second assignment being conditional and identifying the first resources, and the processor is further configured to identify the second assignment to be conditional based upon a no information signal transmitted during a gap in a transmission or reception of data between the first access terminal and the first resources, wherein the processor is configured to identify the second assignment to be conditional based upon the no information signal after generating the second assignment, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the first resources identified by the first assignment.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to generate the no information signal as an erasure signature.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first resources correspond to reverse link communication resources.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first resources correspond to forward link communication resources.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first resources correspond to forward link and reverse link communication resources.

21. An access terminal comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to receive a conditional assignment for a communication resource, to determine whether the access terminal is conditionally assigned communication resource for which a no information signal has been received, and to instruct utilizing the communication resources if the no information signal is received and the access terminal is conditionally assigned the communication resource, wherein the no information signal corresponds to a gap in transmission or reception of data between another access terminal and the communication resource, wherein the no information signal is received after receiving the conditional assignment, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the communication resource.

22. The access terminal of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the no information signal is received if it includes an appropriate sector identification.

23. The access terminal of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the no information signal is received if it comprises an erasure signature.

24. The access terminal of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the no information signal is received if it includes an appropriate device identification of the access terminal.

25. The access terminal of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to instruct demodulating signals received over the communication resource.

26. The access terminal of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the no information signal is received if the no information signal is transmitted over the communication resource.

27. The access terminal of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to instruct transmitting signals over the communication resource.

28. The access terminal of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to instruct transmitting an acknowledgement for signals received over the communication resource.

29. The access terminal of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to instruct transmitting the acknowledgement comprises transmitting the acknowledgement over a resource corresponding to the communication resource.

30. The access terminal of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to instruct transmitting the acknowledgement over a channel corresponding to a lowest node of a channel tree associated with the communication resource.

31. An apparatus for assigning resources to multiple access terminals comprising:

means for determining whether a communication resource may be conditionally assigned to at least one of the multiple access terminals in communication with an access point; and

means for providing one or more conditional assignments, to the at least one of the multiple access terminals, to some or all of the communication resource that may be conditionally assigned, wherein the one or more conditional assignments is identified as being conditional based upon a no information signal transmitted during a gap in transmission or reception of data between another access terminal and the communication resource, wherein identifying the one or more conditional assignments as being conditional based upon the no information signal occurs after providing the one or more conditional assignments, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the communication resource.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the no information signal corresponds to an erasure signature.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the communication resource corresponds to reverse link communication.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the communication resource corresponds to forward link communication.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the communication resource corresponds to forward link and reverse link communication.

36. An apparatus for processing signals received at an access terminal, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a conditional assignment for a resource;

means for determining whether a no information signal is received, wherein the no information signal corresponds to a gap in transmission or reception of data between another access terminal and the resource, wherein the no information signal is received after receiving the conditional assignment, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the resource;

means for determining an identity of the resource subject to the no information signal;

means for determining whether the access terminal has a conditional assignment for the identified resource; and

means for utilizing the resource, if there is the conditional assignment.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the no information signal includes a sector identification.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the no information signal corresponds to an erasure signature.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the no information signal includes a device identification of the access terminal.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means for demodulating signals received over the resource.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the signals and the no information signal are transmitted over the resource.

42. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for communicating comprises means for transmitting signals over the resource.

43. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means for transmitting an acknowledgement for signals received over the resource.

44. A non-transitory processor readable medium including instructions thereon comprising:

instructions for determining whether a communication resource may be conditionally assigned to other access terminals in communication with an access point; and

instructions for providing one or more conditional assignments, to one or more access terminals, to some or all of the communication resource that may be conditionally assigned, wherein the one or more conditional assignments is identified to be conditional based upon a no information signal corresponding to a gap in transmission or reception of data between another access terminal and the communication resource, wherein identifying the one or more conditional assignments to be conditional based upon the no information signal occurs after providing the one or more conditional assignments, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the communication resource.

45. The medium of claim 44, wherein the no information signal corresponds to an erasure signature.

46. A non-transitory processor readable medium including instructions thereon comprising:

instructions for receiving a conditional assignment for a resource;

instructions for determining whether a no information signal is received, wherein the no information signal is received after receiving the conditional assignment, and wherein the no information signal indicates that no transmission is occurring over the resource;

instructions for determining an identity of the resource subject to the no information signal;

instructions for determining whether an access terminal has a conditional assignment for the identified resource based on the no information signal, wherein the no information signal corresponds to a gap in transmission or reception of data between another access terminal and the resource; and

instructions for communicating, utilizing the resource, if there is the conditional assignment.

47. The medium of claim 46, wherein the no information signal includes a sector identification.

48. The medium of claim 46, wherein the no information signal corresponds to an erasure signature.

49. The medium of claim 46, wherein the no information signal includes a device identification of the access terminal.

50. The medium of claim 46, wherein the signals and the no information signal are transmitted over the resource.

51. The medium of claim 46, further comprising instructions for transmitting an acknowledgement for signals received over the resource.