Scheduling transmission for multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output data

• US 9,379,794 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Srinivasan Babu, Balaji, Du, Shu, Jia, Zhanfeng, Zhang, Ning, Gao, Qinghai
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoerkhan, Faiyazkhan
• Application Number:
  US13/633,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1221 based on age of data to be sent

Abstract

An access point determines the buffered data for each station of a plurality of stations in a BSS and groups the stations with similar station characteristics. The transmission time to the stations in a group can be apportioned. The groups can be ordered based on station characteristics and a transmission history. A sounding for a group can be performed based on the order. The MU-MIMO transmission for the group can be performed until a first condition is met. If the first condition is met, then the sounding and the MU-MIMO transmission for a next group can be performed, according to the order, until a second condition is met. The first condition can include an apportioned transmission time having expired and/or the buffers for the group being flushed. The second condition can include new data having been buffered by the AP and/or all buffered data having been transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling transmission for multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) data in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP);

determining buffered data for each station of the plurality of stations;

grouping the plurality of stations into a plurality of groups, with the stations of a group having similar characteristics;

prioritizing the plurality of groups for transmissions based on the characteristics of the stations of the plurality of groups;

performing a sounding for a group based on the prioritizing;

performing MU-MIMO transmission for the group based on the sounding until a first condition has been met;

when the first condition has been met, then determining whether a lower priority group with buffered data exists; and

for the lower priority group with buffered data, repeating performing the sounding and the MU-MIMO transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition includes at least one of a maximum transmission time for the MU-MIMO transmission having expired and buffers for the group being flushed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar amounts of buffered data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar types of buffered data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar freshness of channel state information.

6. A method of scheduling transmission for multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) data in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP);

determining buffered data for each station of the plurality of stations;

grouping the plurality of stations into a plurality of groups, with the stations of a group having similar characteristics;

ordering the plurality of groups for transmissions based on the characteristics of the stations and a transmission history for the stations;

apportioning transmission time to the stations in a group;

performing a sounding for the group based on the order;

performing MU-MIMO transmission for the group based on the sounding until a first condition is met;

when the first condition is met, then determining whether a second condition is met; and

repeating the performing of the sounding and the performing of the MU-MIMO transmission until the second condition is met.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first condition includes at least one of an apportioned transmission time for the MU-MIMO transmission having expired and the buffers for the group being flushed.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second condition includes at least one of new data having been buffered by the AP and all buffered data having been transmitted.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar amounts of buffered data.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar types of buffered data.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar freshness of channel state information.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the ordering includes reordering the plurality of groups based on transmission history.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the apportioning includes re-apportioning the stations of each group based on transmission history.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein apportioning transmission time to the stations in the group results in different time units being apportioned to different stations in the group for the MU-MIMO transmission.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a processor block; and

a communication block, the communication block including;

a dynamic scheduling block configured to perform;

determining a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP);

determining buffered data for each station of the plurality of stations;

grouping the stations into a plurality of groups, the stations of a group having similar characteristics;

prioritizing the plurality of groups for transmissions based on the characteristics of the stations of the plurality of groups;

performing a sounding for a group based on the prioritizing;

performing multi-user multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission for the group based on the sounding until a first condition is met;

when the first condition is met, then determining whether a lower priority group with buffered data exists; and

for the lower priority group with buffered data, repeating performing the sounding and the MU-MIMO transmission.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first condition includes at least one of a maximum transmission time for the MU-MIMO transmission having expired and the buffers for the group being flushed.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar amounts of buffered data.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar types of buffered data.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar freshness of channel state information.

20. An electronic device comprising:

a processor block; and

a communication block, the communication block including;

a dynamic scheduling block to perform;

determining a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP);

determining buffered data for each station of the plurality of stations;

grouping stations in the plurality of stations into a plurality of groups, the stations of a group having similar characteristics;

ordering the plurality of groups for transmissions based on the characteristics of the stations and a transmission history for the stations;

apportioning transmission time to the stations in a group;

performing a sounding for the group based on the order;

performing multi-user multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission for the group based on the sounding until a first condition is met;

when a first condition is met, then determining whether a second condition is met; and

repeating the performing of the sounding and the performing of the MU-MIMO transmission until the second condition is met.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the first condition includes at least one of a maximum transmission time for the MU-MIMO transmission having expired and the buffers for the group being flushed.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the second condition includes at least one of new data having been buffered by the AP and all buffered data having been transmitted.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar amounts of buffered data.

24. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar types of buffered data.

25. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar freshness of channel state information.

26. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the ordering includes reordering the plurality of groups based on transmission history.

27. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the apportioning includes re-apportioning the stations of each group based on transmission history.

28. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein apportioning transmission time to the stations in the group results in different time units being apportioned to different stations in the group for the MU-MIMO transmission.

29. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing dynamic scheduling of soundings, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute a process comprising:

determining a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP);

determining buffered data for each station of the plurality of stations;

grouping the stations into a plurality of groups, the stations of a group having similar characteristics;

prioritizing the plurality of groups for transmissions based on the characteristics of the stations of the plurality of groups;

performing a sounding for a group based on the prioritizing;

performing multi-user multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission for the group based on the sounding until a first condition is met;

when a first condition is met, then determining whether a lower priority group with buffered data exists; and

for the lower priority group with buffered data, repeating performing the sounding and the MU-MIMO transmission.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first condition is that at least one of a maximum transmission time for the MU-MIMO transmission has expired and the buffers for the group are flushed.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar amounts of buffered data.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar types of buffered data.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar freshness of channel state information.

34. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing dynamic scheduling of soundings, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute a process comprising:

determining a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP);

determining buffered data for each station of the plurality of stations;

grouping the stations into a plurality of groups, the stations of a group having similar characteristics;

ordering the plurality of groups for transmissions based on the characteristics and a transmission history of the stations;

apportioning transmission time to the stations in a group;

performing a sounding for the group based on the ordering;

performing multi-user multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission for the group based on the sounding until a first condition is met;

when the first condition is met, then determining whether a second condition is met; and

repeating the performing of the sounding and the performing of the MU-MIMO transmission until the second condition is met.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the first condition includes at least one of a maximum transmission time for the MU-MIMO transmission having expired and the buffers for the group being flushed.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the second condition includes at least one of new data having been buffered by the AP and all buffered data having been transmitted.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar amounts of buffered data.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar types of buffered data.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein grouping the stations into a plurality of groups includes grouping the stations based on similar freshness of channel state information.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the ordering includes reordering the plurality of groups based on transmission history.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the apportioning includes re-apportioning the stations of each group based on transmission history.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein apportioning transmission time to the stations in the group results in different time units being apportioned to different stations in the group for the MU-MIMO transmission.