Methods and apparatus for broadcasting loading information corresponding to neighboring base stations

• US 8,989,084 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hande, Prashanth, Das, Arnab, Li, Junyi, Rangan, Sundeep, Laroia, Rajiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US11/549,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20070253355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,084 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/08 Load shedding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described where loading information regarding loading conditions at a neighboring base station is received at a first base station and then communicated, e.g., broadcast, by the first base station to mobiles within the cell in which the first base station is located. Since the neighbor base station'"'"'s loading information is being communicated to a mobile currently connected to the first base station via a reliable communications channel of the first base station, the mobile can be expected to be able to reliably recover loading factor information corresponding to not only the first base station but to the neighboring base station. By utilizing such loading factor information, the mobile can generate an improved uplink interference report. The first base station receives such interference reports from wireless terminals in its cell, facilitating efficient resource allocation and interference control.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first base station in a multiple access wireless communications system including a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations including at least one base station attachment point, the method comprising:

determining a first uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a first base station attachment point, said first base station attachment point corresponding to the first base station;

receiving second base station loading factor information from a mobile communications device which received said second base station loading factor information over a wireless communications link with said second base station, said second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading by multiple concurrent users of a second base station attachment point corresponding to a second base station;

broadcasting at least some of said received second base station loading factor information;

wherein broadcasting said at least some second base station loading factor information includes transmitting, using a downlink broadcast communications channel said first uplink loading factor, wherein said at least some second base station loading factor information includes a second uplink loading factor corresponding to said second base station attachment point, second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading of said second base station attachment point by multiple concurrent users;

receiving from a first wireless terminal a first uplink interference report;

receiving from a second wireless terminal a second uplink interference report; and

determining uplink resource allocation as a function of said received first and second uplink interference reports.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said second base station is a multi-sector base station.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said second base station is physically adjacent said first base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second uplink interference reports are a function of said transmitted first and second uplink loading factors.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising,

prior to receiving the first uplink interference report, broadcasting a first broadcast signal;

and

wherein said first uplink interference report is a function of a received power level measured by the first wireless terminal of said first broadcast signal, the first uplink loading factor, a received power level measurement by the first wireless terminal of a second broadcast signal from the second base station, and the second uplink loading factor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first broadcast signal from the first base station is one of a beacon and a pilot channel signal, and wherein said second broadcast signal from the second base station is one of a beacon and a pilot channel signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining uplink resource allocation as a function of said received first and second uplink interference reports includes scheduling traffic channel segments.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining uplink resource allocation as a function of said received first and second uplink interference reports includes initiating a handoff of the first wireless terminal from said first attachment point to said second attachment point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a backhaul link, a third uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a third base station attachment point, said third base station attachment point corresponding to a third base station, said third base station being adjacent said base station; and

transmitting using a downlink broadcast communications channel said third uplink loading factor, wherein said first and second uplink interference reports have been determined as a function of said transmitted first, second, and third uplink loading factors.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a backhaul network, a third uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a third base station attachment point, said third base station attachment point corresponding to said second base station, said second and third base station attachment points corresponding to different sectors of said second base station; and

transmitting using a downlink broadcast communications channel said third uplink loading factor, wherein said first and second uplink interference reports have been determined as a function of said transmitted first, second, and third uplink loading factors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first base station transmits uplink loading factors in accordance with a downlink transmission recurring schedule, wherein said first base station allocates uplink segments to said first wireless terminal to transmit uplink interference reports in accordance with a recurring uplink schedule, and wherein uplink interference reports from said first wireless terminal are scheduled to be received at a higher frequency than an uplink loading factor corresponding to an attachment point is scheduled to be transmitted.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second interference reports are beacon ratio reports.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein broadcasting at least some of said received second base station loading factor information includes:

transmitting said at least some second base station loading factor information using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message to said mobile communications device requesting said second base station loading factor information.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein said second base station loading factor information is received from said mobile communications device according to a schedule.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein said second base station loading factor information is received from said mobile communications device in response to a signal from the second base station.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein said second base station loading factor information is received from said mobile communications device in response to a change detected by said mobile communications device in the second base station loading factor.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein said second base station loading factor information is received from said mobile communications device in response to the first base station broadcasting stale information regarding the second base station loading factor.

14. A first base station for use in a multiple access wireless communications system including a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations including at least one base station attachment point, the first base station comprising:

an uplink loading factor determination module for determining a first uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a first base station attachment point, said first base station attachment point corresponding to the first base station;

a first receiver for receiving second base station loading factor information from a mobile communications device which received said second base station loading factor information over a wireless communications link with said second base station, said second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading by multiple concurrent users of a second base station attachment point corresponding to a second base station;

a transmitter module for broadcasting at least some of said received second base station loading factor information;

a wireless receiver for receiving from a first wireless terminal a first uplink interference report and for receiving from a second wireless terminal a second uplink interference report; and

a resource allocation module for allocating uplink resources as a function of said received first and second uplink interference reports.

15. The first base station of claim 14,

wherein said second base station is a multi-sector base station.

16. The first base station of claim 14,

wherein said second base station is physically adjacent said first base station.

17. The first base station of claim 14, further comprising:

a memory for storing received loading factor information and said first and second uplink interference reports, said first and second uplink interference reports being a function of said transmitted first and second uplink loading factors.

18. The first base station of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one of a beacon module and pilot module for controlling the generation of at least one of beacon and pilot channel signals to be broadcast as a first broadcast signal; and

wherein said first uplink interference report is a function of a received power level measured by the first wireless terminal of said first broadcast signal, the first uplink loading factor, a received power level measurement by the first wireless terminal of a second broadcast signal from the second base station, and the second uplink loading factor.

19. The first base station of claim 14, wherein said first and second base station include multiple sectors and wherein said second base station attachment point corresponds to one carrier of one sector of said second base station.

20. The first base station of claim 14, wherein said transmitter module includes an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing transmitter.

21. A first base station for use in a multiple access wireless communications system including a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations including at least one base station attachment point, the first base station comprising:

uplink loading factor determination means for determining a first uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a first base station attachment point, said first base station attachment point corresponding to the first base station;

first receiver means for receiving second base station loading factor information from a mobile communications device which received said second base station loading factor information over a wireless communications link with said second base station, said second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading by multiple concurrent users of a second base station attachment point corresponding to a second base station;

transmitter means for broadcasting at least some of said received second base station loading factor information;

wireless receiver means for receiving from a first wireless terminal a first uplink interference report and for receiving from a second wireless terminal a second uplink interference report; and

resource allocation means for allocating uplink resources as a function of said received first and second uplink interference reports.

22. The first base station of claim 21,

wherein said second base station is a multi-sector base station.

23. The first base station of claim 21,

wherein said second base station is physically adjacent said first base station.

24. The first base station of claim 21, further comprising:

memory means for storing received loading factor information and said first and second uplink interference reports, said first and second uplink interference reports being a function of said transmitted first and second uplink loading factors.

25. The first base station of claim 21, wherein said first and second base station include multiple sectors and wherein said second base station attachment point corresponds to one carrier of one sector of said second base station.

26. The first base station of claim 21, wherein said transmitter means includes an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing transmitter.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a first base station in a multiple access wireless communications system including a plurality of base stations, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing the first base station to determine a first uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a first base station attachment point, said first base station attachment point corresponding to the first base station;

instructions for causing the first base station to receive second base station loading factor information from a mobile communications device which received said second base station loading factor information over a wireless communications link with said second base station, said second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading by multiple concurrent users of a second base station attachment point corresponding to a second base station;

instructions for causing the first base station to broadcast at least some of said received second base station loading factor information;

wherein said instructions for causing the first base station to broadcast at least some of said received second base station loading factor information includes instructions for causing the first base station to transmit, using a downlink broadcast communications channel, said first uplink loading factor in addition to said at least some second base station loading factor information, wherein said at least some second base station loading factor information includes a second uplink loading factor corresponding to said second base station attachment point, second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading of said second base station attachment point by multiple concurrent users;

instructions for causing the first base station to receive from a first wireless terminal a first uplink interference report;

instructions for causing the first base station to receive from a second wireless terminal a second uplink interference report; and

instructions for causing the first base station to determine uplink resource allocation as a function of said received first and second uplink interference reports.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein said second base station is a multi-sector base station.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein said second base station is physically adjacent said first base station.

30. A first base station operable in a communications system, the first base station comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine a first uplink loading factor indicative of uplink loading for a first base station attachment point, said first base station attachment point corresponding to the first base station;

control reception of second base station loading factor information from a mobile communications device which received said second base station loading factor information over a wireless communications link with said second base station, said second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading by multiple concurrent users of a second base station attachment point corresponding to a second base station;

control broadcasting of at least some of said received second base station loading factor information;

control transmission, using a downlink broadcast communications channel, of said first uplink loading factor in addition to said at least some second base station loading factor information, wherein said at least some second base station loading factor information includes a second uplink loading factor corresponding to said second base station attachment point, second base station loading factor information being indicative of loading of said second base station attachment point by multiple concurrent users;

control reception from a first wireless terminal of a first uplink interference report;

control reception from a second wireless terminal of a second uplink interference report; and

determine uplink resource allocation as a function of said received first and second up link interference reports.

31. The base station of claim 30, wherein said second base station is a multi-sector base station.

32. The base station of claim 30, wherein said second base station is physically adjacent said first base station.