Downlink flow control

• US 9,130,702 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• 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 Francois, Grilli, Francesco, Maheshwari, Shailesh, Klingenbrunn, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Russell, Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US14/469,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

detecting a level of resource utilization of a hardware resource on an access terminal;

determining, based upon the level of resource utilization, that the hardware resource cannot support a downlink data transmission rate;

generating a channel quality indicator report that includes a selected value selected as a function of the level of resource utilization of the hardware resource on the access terminal, wherein the channel quality indicator report comprises a request to reduce the downlink data transmission rate to temporarily mitigate hardware resource requirements for the access terminal;

selecting a first flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by a base station, the first flow control code word being reserved in a channel quality indicator code space;

selecting a second flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to increase the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station, the second flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space; and

transmitting the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station for a predetermined period of time, the flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station during a corresponding flow control reporting interval, wherein every Xth channel quality indicator reporting interval is a flow control reporting interval and X is an integer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a predetermined value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold; and

selecting a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a resource dependent channel quality indicator value, which is a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions reduced by a factor corresponding to the level of resource utilization, as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold; and

selecting the measured channel quality indicator value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

6. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to;

detecting a level of resource utilization of a hardware resource on an access terminal,

determining, based upon the level of resource utilization, that the hardware resource cannot support a downlink data transmission rate,

generating a channel quality indicator report that includes a selected value selected as a function of the level of resource utilization of the hardware resource on the access terminal, wherein the channel quality indicator report comprises a request to reduce the downlink data transmission rate to temporarily mitigate hardware resource requirements for the access terminal,

selecting a first flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by a base station,

selecting a second flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to increase the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station, the first flow control code word and the second flow control code word being reserved in a channel quality indicator code space, and

transmitting the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station; and

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

7. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory further retains instructions related to selecting a flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station for a predetermined period of time, the flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space.

8. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory further retains instructions related to transmitting the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station during a corresponding flow control reporting interval, wherein every Xth channel quality indicator reporting interval is a flow control reporting interval and X is an integer.

9. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory further retains instructions related to:

selecting a predetermined value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold, and

selecting a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

10. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory further retains instructions related to:

selecting a resource dependent channel quality indicator value, which is a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions reduced by a factor corresponding to the level of resource utilization, as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold, and

selecting the measured channel quality indicator value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

11. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a level of resource utilization of a hardware resource on an access terminal;

means for determining, based upon the level of resource utilization, that the hardware resource cannot support a downlink data transmission rate;

means for yielding a channel quality indicator report that includes a selected value selected as a function of the level of resource utilization of the hardware resource on the access terminal, wherein the channel quality indicator report comprises a request to reduce the downlink data transmission rate to temporarily mitigate hardware resource requirements for the access terminal;

means for selecting a first flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by a base station, the first flow control code word being reserved in a channel quality indicator code space;

means for selecting a second flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to increase the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station, the second flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space; and

means for sending the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station.

12. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for selecting a flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station for a predetermined period of time, the flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for sending the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station during a corresponding flow control reporting interval, wherein reporting intervals included in a predetermined subset of channel quality indicator reporting intervals are used as a flow control reporting intervals.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for selecting a predetermined value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be sent during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold; and

means for selecting a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be sent during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for selecting a resource dependent channel quality indicator value, which is a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions reduced by a factor corresponding to the level of resource utilization, as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be sent during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold; and

means for selecting the measured channel quality indicator value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be sent during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

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

code for detecting a level of resource utilization of a hardware resource on an access terminal;

code for determining, based upon the level of resource utilization, that the hardware resource cannot support a downlink data transmission rate;

code for generating a channel quality indicator report that includes a selected value selected as a function of the level of resource utilization of the hardware resource on the access terminal, wherein the channel quality indicator report comprises a request to reduce the downlink data transmission rate to temporarily mitigate hardware resource requirements for the access terminal;

code for selecting a first flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by a base station, the first flow control code word being reserved in a channel quality indicator code space;

code for selecting a second flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to increase the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station, the second flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space; and

code for transmitting the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code for selecting a flow control code word for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to reduce the downlink data transmission rate employed by the base station for a predetermined period of time, the flow control code word being reserved in the channel quality indicator code space.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code for transmitting the channel quality indicator report that includes the selected value to the base station during a corresponding flow control reporting interval, wherein every Xth channel quality indicator reporting interval is a flow control reporting interval and X is an integer.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

code for selecting a predetermined value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold; and

code for selecting a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

code for selecting a resource dependent channel quality indicator value, which is a measured channel quality indicator value that is dependent upon channel conditions reduced by a factor corresponding to the level of resource utilization, as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization exceeds a threshold; and

code for selecting the measured channel quality indicator value as the value for inclusion in the channel quality indicator report to be transmitted during the corresponding flow control reporting interval when the level of resource utilization is below the threshold.