Method and system for dynamic allocation of resources in a cellular network

• US 9,490,953 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yanover, Vladimir, Nuss, Ziv
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US14/845,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• 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 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• 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 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

One example method is provided for dynamic allocation of air interface resources in a cellular network. The method can include at least three wireless cells located within a geographical proximity of each other. The method can include determining, by a central managing entity, one or more classification rules for classifying each of said plurality of mobile devices according to the one or more classification rules. The method can also include providing, by the central management entity, to a group of base stations associated with the at least three cells, information that can include, at least in part, information that relates to the determined one or more classification rules and information that relates to semi-static allocation of blocks of air interface resources for use by one or more specific members of the group of base stations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a plurality of base stations, classification rules associated with rules for classifying user equipment (UE) connected to the plurality of base stations and allocation information associated with an allocation of air interface resource blocks for a first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks designated for coordinated use among at least two of the plurality of base stations and a second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks designated for uncoordinated use by one or more of the plurality of base stations;

determining, by the at least two of a plurality of base stations, one or more UE that are to perform communications using the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks, wherein the one or more UE are determined according to the classification rules;

determining, by the one or more of the plurality of base stations, at least two UE that are to perform communications using the second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks, wherein the at least two UE are determined according to the classification rules; and

exchanging messages between the at least two of the plurality of base stations to coordinate specific air interface resource blocks among the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks that are to be used for communications by the at least two of the plurality of base stations, wherein the exchanging messages between the at least two of the plurality of base stations to coordinate the specific air interface resource blocks among the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks is performed to mitigate interference between the at least two of the plurality of base stations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification rules comprise one or more rules for classifying UE as either cell edge UE or cell center UE, wherein a particular UE connected to a particular base station is classified based on a distance of the particular UE from the particular base station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a particular classification rule classifies UE that are located more than a pre-defined distance from a serving base station as cell edge UE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-defined distance is 30 meters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular air interface resource block is characterized by one or more of:

an interval time for transmission, a transmission frequency and a set of one or more subcarriers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of base stations which determine the at least two UE to perform communications using the second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks include one or more of:

a small cell base station and a macro cell base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of base stations which determine the at least two UE that are to perform communications using the second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks include at least two small cell base stations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation information comprises one or more parameters that define a first set of subcarriers for the first allocation portion and that define a second set of subcarriers for the second allocation portion for a particular radio frame.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the classification rules for the plurality of base stations by a central management entity;

determining the allocation information by the central management entity; and

generating one or more messages for communicating the classification rules and the allocation information to the plurality of base stations.

10. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoding logic that includes instructions for execution that when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a plurality of base stations, classification rules associated with rules for classifying user equipment (UE) connected to the plurality of base stations and allocation information associated with an allocation of air interface resource blocks for a first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks designated for coordinated use among at least two of the plurality of base stations and a second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks designated for uncoordinated use by one or more of the plurality of base stations;

determining, by the at least two of a plurality of base stations, one or more UE that are to perform communications using the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks, wherein the one or more UE are determined according to the classification rules;

determining, by the one or more of the plurality of base stations, at least two UE that are to perform communications using the second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks, wherein the at least two UE are determined according to the classification rules; and

exchanging messages between the at least two of the plurality of base stations to coordinate specific air interface resource blocks among the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks that are to be used for communications by the at least two of the plurality of base stations, wherein the exchanging messages between the at least two of the plurality of base stations to coordinate the specific air interface resource blocks among the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks is performed to mitigate interference between the at least two of the plurality of base stations.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the classification rules comprise one or more rules for classifying UE as either cell edge UE or cell center UE, wherein a particular UE connected to a particular base station is classified based on a distance of the particular UE from the particular base station.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein a particular classification rule classifies UE that are located more than a pre-defined distance from a serving base station as cell edge UE.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the pre-defined distance is 30 meters.

14. The media of claim 10, wherein a particular air interface resource block is characterized by one or more of:

an interval time for transmission, a transmission frequency and a set of one or more subcarriers.

15. The media of claim 10, wherein the allocation information comprises one or more parameters that define a first set of subcarriers for the first allocation portion and that define a second set of subcarriers for the second allocation portion for a particular radio frame.

16. The media of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

determining the classification rules for the plurality of base stations by a central management entity;

determining the allocation information by the central management entity; and

generating one or more messages for communicating the classification rules and the allocation information to the plurality of base stations.

17. A system comprising:

a plurality of base stations, each of the plurality of base stations comprising at least one processor that operates to execute instructions, wherein when executing the instructions the at least one processor for each of the plurality of base stations operates to;

receive classification rules associated with rules for classifying user equipment (UE) connected to the plurality of base stations;

receive allocation information associated with an allocation of air interface resource blocks for a first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks designated for coordinated use among at least two of the plurality of base stations and a second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks designated for uncoordinated use by one or more of the plurality of base stations;

determine one or more UE that are to perform communications using the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks, wherein the one or more UE are determined according to the classification rules for at least two of the plurality of base stations;

determine at least two UE that are to perform communications using the second allocation portion of air interface resource blocks, wherein the at least two UE are determined according to the classification rules for one or more of the plurality of base stations; and

exchange messages between the at least two of the plurality of base stations to coordinate specific air interface resource blocks among the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks that are to be used for communications by the at least two of the plurality of base stations, wherein the exchanging messages between the at least two of the plurality of base stations to coordinate the specific air interface resource blocks among the first allocation portion of air interface resource blocks is performed to mitigate interference between the at least two of the plurality of base stations.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the classification rules comprise one or more rules for classifying UE as either cell edge UE or cell center UE, wherein a particular UE connected to a particular base station is classified based on a distance of the particular UE from the particular base station.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the allocation information for the first allocation portion and the second allocation portion comprises one or more parameters that define a first set of subcarriers for the first allocation portion and that define a second set of subcarriers for the second allocation portion for a particular radio frame.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a central management entity comprising at least one processor that operates to execute instructions, wherein when executing the instructions the at least one processor for the central management entity operates to;

determine the classification rules for the plurality of base stations;

determine the allocation information for the plurality of base stations; and

generate one or more messages for communicating the classification rules and the allocation information to the plurality of base stations.