Multi-carrier communications with adaptive cluster configuration and switching

• US 8,958,386 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation), Kaon Systems, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Xiaodong, Liu, Hui, Zhang, Wenzhong, Li, Kemin
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/286,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 370206-210, 370328-339
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/003 at the transmitter transmission to multiple receive units in multiple input multiple output [MIMO] H04B7/0452; transmit antenna weighting H04B7/0615
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0005 applied to payload information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0011 applied to payload information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/04 using frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0226 sounding signals per se
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0228 with direct estimation from sounding signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 : Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 : Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0042 : intra-user or intra-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0046 : Determination of how many bits are transmitted on different sub-channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 : Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 : of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 : Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 : Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 : at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 : Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 : Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 : Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allocating subcarriers in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises allocating at least one diversity cluster of subcarriers to a first subscriber and allocating at least one coherence cluster to a second subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of receiving an allocation of sets of subcarriers, each of the sets of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers, from a base station which communicates with a plurality of subscribers using an orthogonal frequency-division access (OFDMA) system in a cell, the method comprising:

receiving an allocation at a first subscriber of a first set of subcarriers to be used for a first data transmission at the first subscriber by receiving a first cluster identification, the allocation of the first set of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers at least one subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers being disjoint in frequency from another subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to obtain frequency diversity, the first cluster identification determining intervals between a plurality of disjoint subcarriers, the first data transmission at the first subscriber using the allocation of the first set of subcarriers to occur simultaneously with a second data transmission at a second subscriber, the second subscriber receiving an allocation of second set of subcarriers to be used for the second data transmission at the second subscriber by receiving a second cluster identification, the allocation of the second set of subcarriers including only consecutive subcarriers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of subscribers of a first set receive an allocation of one of a first plurality of sets of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers at least one subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers being disjoint in frequency from another subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to obtain frequency diversity for use at the same time as each one of a second plurality of sets of subcarriers including only consecutive subcarriers that are received by each of a plurality of subscribers of a second set, the number of subscribers in the plurality of the subscribers of the first and second sets change at a later time, a corresponding ratio between the number of the received allocation of the first plurality of sets of subcarriers to the plurality of the subscribers of the first set and the number of the received allocation of the second plurality of sets of subcarriers to the plurality of the subscribers of the second set also change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers includes two or more subcarriers spread farther apart than a coherence bandwidth of a respective channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cluster identification includes a modulation and coding format to be used by the first subscriber for the first data transmission at the first subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers is specified by a cluster index.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data transmission at the first subscriber includes channel coding across the plurality of subcarriers of the allocation of the first set of subcarriers.

7. A network including a plurality of subscribers that communicates with a base station using an orthogonal frequency-division access (OFDMA) system in a cell and receives an allocation of sets of subcarriers, each of the sets of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers, the network comprising:

a first subscriber, the first subscriber comprising;

receive/transmit circuitry configured to;

receive an allocation at the first subscriber of a first set of subcarriers to be used for a first data transmission at the first subscriber, the allocation of the first set of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers at least one subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers being disjoint in frequency from another subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to obtain frequency diversity; and

receive at the first subscriber a first cluster identification when the allocation of the first set of subcarriers is received, the first cluster identification determines intervals between a plurality of disjoint subcarriers; and

a second subscriber, the second subscriber comprising;

receive/transmit circuitry configured to;

receive an allocation at the second subscriber of a second set of subcarriers to be used for a second data transmission at the second subscriber, the second data transmission to occur simultaneously with the first data transmission at the first subscriber using the allocation of the first set of subcarriers, the allocation of the second set of subcarriers including only consecutive subcarriers; and

receive at the second subscriber a second cluster identification when the allocation of the second set of subcarriers is received.

8. The network of claim 7, wherein each of a plurality of subscribers of a first set receive an allocation of one of a first plurality of sets of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers at least one subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers being disjoint in frequency from another subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to obtain frequency diversity for use at the same time as each one of a second plurality of sets of subcarriers including only consecutive subcarriers that are received by each of a plurality of subscribers of a second set, the number of subscribers in the plurality of the subscribers of the first and second sets change at a later time, a corresponding ratio between the number of the received allocation of the first plurality of sets of subcarriers to the plurality of the subscribers of the first set and the number of the received allocation of the second plurality of sets of subcarriers to the plurality of the subscribers of the second set also change.

9. The network of claim 7, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers includes two or more subcarriers spread farther apart than a coherence bandwidth of a respective channel.

10. The network of claim 7, wherein the first cluster identification includes a modulation and coding format to be used by the first subscriber for the first data transmission at the first subscriber.

11. The network of claim 7, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers is specified by a cluster index.

12. The network of claim 7, wherein the first data transmission at the first subscriber includes channel coding across the plurality of subcarriers of the allocation of the first set of subcarriers.

13. A method of receiving an allocation of sets of subcarriers, each of the sets of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers, from a base station which communicates with a plurality of subscribers using an orthogonal frequency-division access (OFDMA) system in a cell, the method comprising:

receiving an allocation at a first subscriber of a first set of subcarriers to be used for a first data transmission at the first subscriber by receiving a first cluster identification, the allocation of the first set of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers at least one subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers being disjoint in frequency from another subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to obtain frequency diversity, the first data transmission at the first subscriber using the allocation of the first set of subcarriers to occur at the same time as a second data transmission at a second subscriber, the second subscriber receiving an allocation of a second set of subcarriers to be used for the second data transmission at the second subscriber by receiving a second cluster identification, the allocation of the second set of subcarriers including only consecutive subcarriers, the first cluster identification indicating a predetermined relationship between a plurality of disjoint subcarriers in a time slot which has a predetermined time interval and is used at the time of the allocation of the first set of subcarriers, at least two frequencies of the plurality of subcarriers of two adjacent time slots among a predetermined plurality of time slots being different from each other, the plurality of subcarriers being received as the allocation of the first set of subcarriers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers includes two or more subcarriers spread farther apart than a coherence bandwidth of a respective channel.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first cluster identification includes a modulation and coding format to be used by the first subscriber for the first data transmission at the first subscriber.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers is specified by a cluster index.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first data transmission at the first subscriber includes channel coding across the plurality of subcarriers of the allocation of the first set of subcarriers.

18. A network including a plurality of subscribers that communicates with a base station using an orthogonal frequency-division access (OFDMA) system in a cell and receives an allocation of sets of subcarriers, each of the sets of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers, the network comprising:

a first subscriber, the first subscriber comprising;

receive/transmit circuit configured to;

receive an allocation at the first subscriber of a first set of subcarriers to be used for a first data transmission at the first subscriber, the allocation of the first set of subcarriers including a plurality of subcarriers at least one subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers being disjoint in frequency from another subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to obtain frequency diversity; and

receive at the first subscriber a first cluster identification when the allocation of the first set of subcarriers is received, the first cluster identification indicating a predetermined relationship between a plurality of disjoint subcarriers in a time slot which has a predetermined time interval and is used at the time of the allocation of the first set of subcarriers, at least two frequencies of the plurality of subcarriers of two adjacent time slots among a predetermined plurality of time slots being different from each other, the plurality of subcarriers being received as the allocation of the first set of subcarriers; and

a second subscriber, the second subscriber comprising;

receive/transmit circuitry configured to;

receive an allocation at the second subscriber of a second set of subcarriers to be used for a second data transmission at the second subscriber, the second data transmission to occur at the same time as the first data transmission at the first subscriber using the allocation of the first set of subcarriers, the allocation of the second set of subcarriers including only consecutive subcarriers; and

receive at the second subscriber a second cluster identification when the allocation of the second set of subcarriers is received.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers includes two or more subcarriers spread farther apart than a coherence bandwidth of a respective channel.

20. The network of claim 18, wherein the first cluster identification includes a modulation and coding format to be used by the first subscriber for the first data transmission at the first subscriber.

21. The network of claim 18, wherein the allocation of the first set of subcarriers is specified by a cluster index.

22. The network of claim 18, wherein the first data transmission at the first subscriber includes channel coding across the plurality of subcarriers of the allocation of the first set of subcarriers.