OFDMA with adaptive subcarrier-cluster configuration and selective loading

• US 20060083210A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Wenzhong, Li, Xiaodong, Li, Kemin, Lui, Hui
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/343
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/003 at the transmitter transmission to multiple receive units in multiple input multiple output [MIMO] H04B7/0452; transmit antenna weighting H04B7/0615
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0005 applied to payload information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0011 applied to payload information
• 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 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/04 using frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0226 sounding signals per se
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0228 with direct estimation from sounding signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 : Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 : Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0042 : intra-user or intra-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0046 : Determination of how many bits are transmitted on different sub-channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 : Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 : of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 : Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 : Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• 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 5/0082 : at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 : Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 : Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• 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 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 : Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A method and apparatus for subcarrier selection for systems is described. In one embodiment, the system employs orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). In one embodiment, a method for subcarrier selection comprises each of multiple subscribers measuring channel and interference information for subcarriers based on pilot symbols received from a base station, at least one of subscribers selecting a set of candidate subcarriers, providing feedback information on the set of candidate subcarriers to the base station, and the one subscriber receiving an indication of subcarriers of the set of subcarriers selected by the base station for use by the one subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for subcarrier selection for a system employing orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) comprising:

a subscriber measuring channel and interference information for a plurality of subcarriers based on pilot symbols received from a base station;

the subscriber selecting a set of candidate subcarriers;

the subscriber providing feedback information on the set of candidate subcarriers to the base station; and

the subscriber receiving an indication of subcarriers of the set of subcarriers selected by the base station for use by the subscriber.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the subscriber sending the indication to a base station.

3. The method defined in claim 2 further comprising sending an indication of the group of clusters selected by the base station for use by the subscriber.

4. The method defined in claim 3 further comprising the base station selecting subcarriers for the subscriber based on inter-cell interference avoidance.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the subscriber submitting new feedback information after being allocated the set of subscribers to be allocated a new set of subcarriers and thereafter the subscriber receiving another indication of the new set of subcarriers.

8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the subscriber using information from pilot symbol periods and data periods to measure channel and interference information.

12. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the pilot symbols occupy an entire OFDM frequency bandwidth.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein at least one other pilot symbol from a different cell transmitted at the same time as the pilot symbols received from the base station collide with each other.

14. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the base station selecting the subcarriers from the set of candidate subcarriers based on additional information available to the base station.

15. The method defined in claim 14 wherein the additional information comprises traffic load information on each cluster of subcarriers.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein the traffic load information is provided by a data buffer in the base station.

17. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the indication of subcarriers is received via a downlink control channel.

18. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of subcarriers comprises all subcarriers allocable by a base station.

19. The method defined in claim 1 wherein providing feedback information comprises arbitrarily ordering the set of candidate of subcarriers as clusters of subcarriers.

20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein arbitrarily order candidate clusters comprise clusters in an order with most desirable candidate clusters being listed first.

23. The method defined in claim 1 wherein providing feedback information comprises sequentially ordering candidate clusters.

26. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

the base station allocating a first portion of the subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and the subscriber; and

then

the base station allocating a second portion of the subcarriers to the subscriber to increase communication bandwidth.

27. The method defined in claim 26 wherein the base station allocates the second portion after allocating each subscriber in the cell subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and said each subscriber.

5. (canceled)

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21. (canceled)

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28. (canceled)

29. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of subscribers in a first cell to generate feedback information indicating clusters of subcarriers desired for use by the plurality of subscribers; and

a first base station in the first cell, the first base station performing subcarrier allocation for OFDMA to allocate OFDMA subcarriers in clusters to the plurality of subscribers based on inter-cell interference avoidance and intra-cell traffic load balancing in response to the feedback information.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of subscribers in a first cell to generate feedback information indicating clusters of subcarriers desired for use by the plurality of subscribers; and

a first base station in the first cell, the first base station to allocate OFDMA subcarriers in clusters to the plurality of subscribers;

and at least one of the plurality of subscribers to select a set of candidate subcarriers from the plurality of subcarriers, and the one subscriber to provide feedback information on the set of candidate subcarriers to the base station and to receive an indication of subcarriers from the set of subcarriers selected by the first base station for use by the one subscriber.

31. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein each of the plurality of subscribers continuously monitors reception of the pilot symbols known to the base station and the plurality of subscribers and measures signal-plus-interference-to-noise ratio (SINR) of each cluster of subcarriers.

32. The apparatus defined in claim 31 wherein each of the plurality of subscribers measures inter-cell interference, wherein the at least one subscriber selects candidate subcarriers based on the inter-cell interference.

33. The apparatus defined in claim 32 wherein the base station selects subcarriers for the one subscriber based on inter-cell interference avoidance.

36. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the subscriber submits new feedback information after being allocated the set of subscribers to receive a new set of subcarriers and thereafter receives another indication of the new set of subcarriers.

37. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the at least one subscriber uses information from pilot symbol periods and data periods to measure channel and interference information.

43. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the base station selects the subcarriers from the set of candidate subcarriers based on additional information available to the base station.

44. The apparatus defined in claim 43 wherein the additional information comprises traffic load information on each cluster of subcarriers.

45. The apparatus defined in claim 44 wherein the traffic load information is provided by a data buffer in the base station.

46. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the indication of subcarriers is received via a downlink control channel between the base station and the at least one subscriber.

47. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the plurality of subcarriers comprises all subcarriers allocable by a base station.

48. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the plurality of subscribers provide feedback information that comprises an arbitrarily ordered set of candidate subcarriers as clusters of subcarriers.

49. The apparatus defined in claim 48 wherein arbitrarily order candidate clusters comprise clusters in an order with most desirable candidate clusters being listed first.

52. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein providing feedback information comprises sequentially ordering candidate clusters.

55. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the base station allocates a first portion of the subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and the subscriber;

and then allocates a second portion of the subcarriers to the subscriber to increase communication bandwidth.

56. The apparatus defined in claim 55 wherein the base station allocates the second portion after allocating each subscriber in the cell subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and said each subscriber.

34. (canceled)

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39-42. -42. (canceled)

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51. (canceled)

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57. (canceled)

59. The method defined in claim 57 wherein the base station allocates the second portion after allocating each subscriber in the cell subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and said each subscriber.

58. A method comprising:

the base station allocating a first portion of the subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and the subscriber; and

then

the base station allocating a second portion of the subcarriers to the subscriber to increase communication bandwidth.

60. A base station comprising:

means for allocating a first portion of the subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and the subscriber; and

means for allocating a second portion of the subcarriers to the subscriber to increase communication bandwidth.

61. The apparatus defined in claim 60 wherein the base station allocates the second portion after allocating each subscriber in the cell subcarriers to establish a data link between the base station and said each subscriber.

62. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of subscribers in a cell; and

a base station in the cell, the base station to perform subcarrier allocation for OFDMA to allocate OFDMA subcarriers in clusters to the plurality of subscribers based on inter-cell interference avoidance and intra-cell traffic load balancing.