Multi-carrier arrangement for high speed data

• US 9,264,176 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Tong, Wen, Strawczynski, Leo L., Periyalwar, Shalini S., Royer, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Morlan, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US11/194,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,851 Days
• Field of Search: 370/330, 370/325, 370/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0017 where the mode-switching is based on Quality of Service requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0022 in which mode-switching is influenced by the user
• 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 1/0059 Convolutional codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0066 Parallel concatenated codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0068 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/007 Unequal error protection for format H04L1/0078; for codes per se H03M13/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/06 the signals being represented by different frequencies combined with time-division multiplexing H04L5/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 : Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 : Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

The system and method of the present invention uses a plurality of carriers by assigning user terminals to the plurality of carriers so that a minimum grade of service is met and so that throughput is maximized. Each serviced user terminal reports the channel quality of each of a plurality of carriers to a servicing base station(s). The reported channel qualities are then converted to maximum supported data rates for each of the user terminals and each of the carriers. These data rates are then used to allocate data service levels and data rates for each of the user terminals so that a minimum grade of service is met for each of the user terminals. Forward link transmissions, e.g., frames/data packets carried on forward channels (F-CHs), are then constructed and transmitted to meet the allocations.

Claims

1. A method for operating a base station to transmit communications to a plurality of user terminals on a plurality of carriers, the method comprising:

the base station receiving channel quality information from each of at least two user terminals of the plurality of user terminals;

converting the channel quality information to a supportable data rate for each of the at least two user terminals;

based upon the supportable data rates, the base station determining an allocation of frames of a plurality of superframes corresponding to the plurality of carriers for the plurality of user terminals;

determining, for each of the at least two user terminals, which user terminal is to receive information in each allocated frame by determining an order in which carriers are selected to carry communications to the at least two user terminals; and

the base station transmitting frames to the at least two user terminals of the plurality of user terminals on the plurality of carriers according to the determined allocation, wherein the plurality of superframes are transmitted on the plurality of carriers so that they are substantially synchronized in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel quality information includes an indicated forward link signal quality metric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel quality information includes channel quality information for at least two carriers of the plurality of carriers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of frames on the plurality of carriers comprises the base station allocating frames to meet a minimum grade of service for the plurality of user terminals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of frames on the plurality of carriers comprises the base station allocating frames on multiple carriers to a single user terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of frames on the plurality of carriers comprises the base station allocating frames to user terminals with similar channel quality information on one carrier of the plurality of carriers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of frames on the plurality of carriers comprises:

the base station allocating voice communications on a first carrier; and

the base station allocating data communications on a second carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of frames on the plurality of carriers comprises the base station allocating the frames in order to maximize throughput based upon the received channel quality information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of frames on the plurality of carriers comprises:

the base station allocating frames to carry voice communications; and

the base station subsequently allocating the remaining frames to carry data communications.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmitted frame includes data intended for multiple user terminals of the plurality of user terminals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one frame carries both voice communications and data communications.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one frame includes a preamble that identifies at least one user terminal for which the transmitted frame is intended.

13. The method of claim 1, at least one frame includes a preamble that indicates a data rate of data carried by the transmitted frame.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmitted frame includes a preamble that indicates whether voice information or data information is carried by the transmitted frame.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the base station disabling one of the plurality of carriers when the carrier is not needed.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the base station spreading each frame with a plurality of Walsh codes prior to its transmission.

17. A base station that is configured to transmit communications to a plurality of user terminals on a plurality of carriers, the base station comprising:

at least one antenna;

a Radio Frequency unit coupled to the at least one antenna; and

at least one digital processor coupled to the Radio Frequency unit that is configured to cause the base station to;

receive channel quality information from each of at least two user terminals of the plurality of user terminals;

convert the channel quality information to a supportable data rate for each of the at least two user terminals;

based upon the supportable data rates received from the at least two user terminals, determine an allocation of frames of a plurality of superframes corresponding to the plurality of carriers for the plurality of user terminals;

determine, for each of the at least two user terminals, which user terminal is to receive information in each allocated frame by determining an order in which carriers are selected to carry communications to the at least two user terminals; and

transmit frames to the plurality of user terminals on the plurality of carriers according to the determined allocation, wherein the plurality of superframes are transmitted on the plurality of carriers and are substantially synchronized in time.

18. The base station of claim 17, wherein the channel quality information includes an indicated forward link signal quality metric.