Downlink flow control

• US 8,917,598 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Sai Yiu Duncan, Meylan, Arnaud, Chaponniere, Etienne F., Grilli, Francesco, Maheshwari, Shailesh, Klingenbrunn, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Russell, Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US12/338,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20090161545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 370/282, 370/386, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/001 applied to control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/225 Determination of shaping rate, e.g. using a moving window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/39 Credit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate providing flow control feedback for controlling downlink data transmission rates. Various schemes can be utilized to send the flow control feedback from an access terminal to a base station. For example, a control PDU (e.g., MAC control PDU, PDCP control PDU) can be generated based upon a level of resource utilization of the access terminal, and sent to the base station for controlling the downlink data transmission rate. Following this example, a type of control PDU, a value included within the control PDU, etc. can be selected as a function of the level of resource utilization. By way of another illustration, a CQI report that includes a value selected as a function of the level of resource utilization associated with the access terminal can be generated and transmitted to the base station for controlling the downlink data transmission rate.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring resource use associated with an access terminal;

generating a control protocol data unit based upon the resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

generating a type 1 media access control control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to 0 when the monitored resource use is determined to be above a first threshold; and

generating a type 1 media access control control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to 1 when the monitored resource use is determined to be below a second threshold; and

sending the control protocol data unit to a base station to manage a downlink data transmission rate.

2. A method, comprising:

monitoring resource use associated with an access terminal;

determining an average detected downlink data transmission rate experienced by the access terminal in a given time window;

identifying a preferred downlink data transmission rate for the access terminal as a function of the monitored resource use;

generating a control protocol data unit based upon the resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

generating a type 1 media access control control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is less than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

generating a type 2 media access control control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is greater than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

sending the control protocol data unit to a base station to manage a downlink data transmission rate.

3. A method, comprising:

monitoring resource use associated with an access terminal;

determining an updated downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by a base station for subsequent transmission for the access terminal based upon the monitored resource use;

comparing the updated downlink data transmission rate to a previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by the base station;

generating a control protocol data unit based upon the resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

generating a type 1 media access control control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is less than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

generating a type 2 media access control control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is greater than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

sending the control protocol data unit to the base station to manage a downlink data transmission rate.

4. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to;

generating a control protocol data unit based upon detected resource use associated with an access terminal, wherein generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

generating a control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to 0 when the detected resource use is above a first threshold, and

generating a control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to 1 when the detected resource use is below a second threshold; and

transmitting the control protocol data unit to a base station to control a downlink data transmission rate; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

5. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to;

determining an average detected downlink data transmission rate experienced by an access terminal in a given time window;

identifying a preferred downlink data transmission rate for the access terminal;

generating a control protocol data unit based upon detected resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

generating a first type of control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is less than the average detected downlink data transmission rate, and

generating a second type of control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is greater than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

transmitting the control protocol data unit to a base station to control a downlink data transmission rate; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

6. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to;

determining an updated downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by a base station for subsequent transmission for an access terminal;

comparing the updated downlink data transmission rate to a previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by the base station;

generating a control protocol data unit based upon detected resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

generating a first type of media access control control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is less than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate, and

generating a second type of media access control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is greater than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

transmitting the control protocol data unit to the base station to control a downlink data transmission rate; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

7. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for tracking resource utilization associated with an access terminal;

means for yielding a control protocol data unit as a function of the resource utilization associated with the access terminal, wherein yielding the control protocol data unit comprises;

means for yielding a type 1 media access control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to a first value when the tracked resource utilization is determined to be above a first threshold; and

means for yielding a type 1 media access control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to a second value when the tracked resource utilization is determined to be below a second threshold; and

means for transmitting the control protocol data unit to a base station to control a downlink data transmission rate.

8. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for tracking resource utilization associated with an access terminal;

means for determining an average detected downlink data transmission rate experienced by the access terminal in a given time window;

means for identifying a preferred downlink data transmission rate for the access terminal as a function of the tracked resource utilization;

means for yielding a control protocol data unit as a function of the tracked resource utilization associated with the access terminal, wherein yielding the control protocol data unit comprises;

means for yielding a type 1 media access control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is less than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

means for yielding a type 2 media access control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is greater than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

means for transmitting the control protocol data unit to a base station to control a downlink data transmission rate.

9. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for tracking resource utilization associated with an access terminal;

means for determining an updated downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by a base station for subsequent transmission for the access terminal based upon the tracked resource utilization;

means for comparing the updated downlink data transmission rate to a previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by the base station;

means for yielding a control protocol data unit as a function of the resource utilization associated with the access terminal, wherein yielding the control protocol data unit comprises;

means for yielding a type 1 media access control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is less than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

means for yielding a type 2 media access control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is greater than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

means for transmitting the control protocol data unit to the base station to control a downlink data transmission rate.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for generating a control protocol data unit based upon detected resource use associated with an access terminal, wherein the code for generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

code for generating a control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to 0 when the detected resource use is above a first threshold; and

code for generating a control protocol data unit that includes a binary value set to 1 when the detected resource use is below a second threshold; and

code for transmitting the control protocol data unit to a base station to control a downlink data transmission rate.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for determining an average detected downlink data transmission rate experienced by an access terminal in a given time window;

code for identifying a preferred downlink data transmission rate for the access terminal;

code for generating a control protocol data unit based upon detected resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein the code for generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

code for generating a first type of control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is less than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

code for generating a second type of control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the average detected downlink data transmission rate to the preferred downlink data transmission rate when the preferred downlink data transmission rate is greater than the average detected downlink data transmission rate; and

code for transmitting the control protocol data unit to a base station to control a downlink data transmission rate.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for determining an updated downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by a base station for subsequent transmission for an access terminal;

code for comparing the updated downlink data transmission rate to a previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to be utilized by the base station;

code for generating a control protocol data unit based upon detected resource use associated with the access terminal, wherein the code for generating the control protocol data unit comprises;

code for generating a first type of media access control protocol data unit that includes a first selected value corresponding to a percentage decrease from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is less than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

code for generating a second type of media access control protocol data unit that includes a second selected value corresponding to a percentage increase from the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate to the updated downlink data transmission rate when the updated downlink data transmission rate is greater than the previously signaled downlink data transmission rate; and

code for transmitting the control protocol data unit to the base station to control a downlink data transmission rate.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a control protocol data unit that provides flow control feedback from an access terminal;

analyzing the control protocol data unit to recognize the flow control feedback; and

adjusting a downlink data transmission rate for the access terminal based upon the flow control feedback provided by the control protocol data unit, wherein adjusting the downlink data transmission rate is based upon at least one of an identified type of the control protocol data unit or a binary value recognized as being included in the control protocol data unit.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving a control protocol data unit that provides flow control feedback from an access terminal;

analyzing the control protocol data unit to recognize the flow control feedback; and

adjusting a downlink data transmission rate for the access terminal based upon the flow control feedback provided by the control protocol data unit, wherein adjusting the downlink data transmission rate comprises;

determining whether to increase or decrease the downlink data transmission rate as a function of an identified type of the control protocol data unit; and

adjusting the downlink data transmission rate by a percentage controlled by an integer value recognized from the control protocol data unit.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for obtaining a control protocol data unit that provides flow control feedback from an access terminal;

code for evaluating the control protocol data unit to identify the flow control feedback; and

code for altering a downlink data transmission rate, wherein altering the downlink data transmission rate is based upon at least one of an identified type of the control protocol data unit or a binary value recognized as being included in the control protocol data unit.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for obtaining a control protocol data unit that provides flow control feedback from an access terminal;

code for evaluating the control protocol data unit to identify the flow control feedback; and

code for altering a downlink data transmission rate, wherein the code for altering the downlink data transmission rate comprises;

code for determining whether to increase or decrease the downlink data transmission rate as a function of an identified type of the control protocol data unit; and

code for adjusting the downlink data transmission rate by a percentage controlled by an integer value recognized from the control protocol data unit.