Cognitive flow control based on channel quality conditions

• US 8,942,200 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Wireless, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Signal Trust for Wireless Innovation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terry, Stephen E., Chao, Yi-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, CLEMENCE S
• Application Number:
  US13/755,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/17 Interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A system and method which improve the performance of a wireless transmission system by intelligent use of the control of the flow of data between a radio network controller (RNC) and a Node B. The system monitors certain criteria and, if necessary, adaptively increases or decreases the data flow between the RNC and the Node B. This improves the performance of the transmission system by allowing retransmitted data, signaling procedures and other data to be successfully received at a faster rate, by minimizing the amount of data buffered in the Node B. Flow control is exerted to reduce buffering in the Node B upon degradation of channel qualities, and prior to a High Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH) handover.

Claims

1. A method for use in a Node B having a buffer, the method comprising:

monitoring an amount of data within the buffer;

monitoring an amount of additional data the buffer may accept;

calculating a capacity allocation;

transmitting the capacity allocation; and

receiving data in response to the capacity allocation, wherein the received data is equal to or less than the capacity allocation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the buffer comprises a plurality of buffers or sub-buffers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

receiving a channel quality index (CQI); and

calculating the capacity allocation based on the CQI.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the CQI is transmitted by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to the Node B in response to receiving data from the Node B.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

receiving a capacity request from a radio network controller (RNC), the capacity request indicating an amount of data that the RNC has available to send to the Node B, wherein the Node B transmits the capacity allocation to the RNC in response to receiving the capacity request.

6. A Node B comprising:

a buffer;

a processor configured to monitor an amount of data within the buffer, monitor an amount of additional data the buffer may accept, and calculate a capacity allocation;

a transmitter configured to transmit the capacity allocation; and

a receiver configured to receive data in response to the capacity allocation, wherein the received data is equal to or less than the capacity allocation.

7. The Node B of claim 6 wherein the buffer comprises a plurality of buffers or sub-buffers.

8. The Node B of claim 6 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a channel quality index (CQI), and the processor is further configured to calculate the capacity allocation based on the CQI.

9. The Node B of claim 8 wherein the CQI is transmitted by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to the Node B in response to receiving data from the Node B.

10. The Node B of claim 6 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a capacity request from a radio network controller (RNC), the capacity request indicating an amount of data that the RNC has available to send to the Node B, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the capacity allocation to the RNC in response to receiving the capacity request.